I'm not an expert beaver trapper, but not a beginner either. I've got a situation where I've been asked to trap for a landowner where the primary dam and about 15' on the headwater side is his property, but the majority of the headwater, is not on him. I am working on gaining permission now, but still haven't gotten it. I do anticipate getting it, but until then, I am charging him mileage, and trying to make every trip count. The problem I am running into is that most all of the active beaver activity I can see is on the headwater side.

I set traps on Sunday, weather has been mid 70s and dry all week, lows in the 50 and 60s at night. Not unusual to have warm spells in SC, but usually not this long of a time. Saturday temps will drop back to highs in 50s and 20-30s at night for all of next week. Hopefully this will get this moving again. Other problem is that my cover has been compromised. I have to check traps before work, so 5-6 AM. 2 of the 4 checks, I've got beavers on the headwater side slapping their tails at me, and swimming about 15-20 yards behind the dam. This morning I could see at least 3 swimming around. 2 were close enough to shoot, but I only had a .22 pistol, and I need to recover these beavers to get paid.

See the drawing below



I am assuming the hut is somewhere near the red hexagon on the headwater side of the primary dam. That's where most of the tail slapping has been taking place. The orange squares are 330s and the green Xs are footholds on drowners. I set two footholds by the lower secondary dam on crawlouts where they were cutting debris to form that dam. I did bait one with Woodchipper, and peeled sticks, other is a blind set. Set two 330s between the two secondary dams on slides/ paths across the road. I have one foothold baited set with Woodchipper between the primary and secondary dam, on the main run. Set two 330s on crossovers on the primary dam as well. No action first 3 checks, so I put in a castor mound set on the dam on a foothold with drowner, and set a 330 right on a the property line guarding an existing castor mound. I did catch a juvenile beaver yesterday at the castor mound set on the dam. That's the only beaver I have taken.

I don't like to set so many 330s off the bat, but I don't have a lot of options as the water isn't deep enough to drown in most spots I have access too. Usually I try to set all blind, footholds on drowners, then slowly add lure sets, then break the dam last. This situation is a little different and I am not sure if I need to be patient, or try to get more aggressive. Again, the only mindset of being aggressive is that he is paying me mileage. But, I don't want to alert them. At this time, maybe it's too late as they have seen my checking traps in the morning and been on alert with the tail slapping. So, how do I proceed now?

There are a few trees still on his property on the headwater side that I could set up leaning snares on. Or I could wait to see if I could gain access to the adjacent property owners and then work those headwates. Or I could break the dam and try to bring them to me, but that's usually the absolute last thing I do. I'm open for suggestions.

For starters I would probably make a few more foothold sets with drowners on the main dam. I would use several different scents on them including a food lure and maybe one with just mud and a drop or two of sac oil from the juvenile. I had a similar situation last fall and I took most of the beaver with the footholds on the main dam. Don't rely too heavily on the 330's if they aren't producing....beaver might already be square shy from previous experiences. They have already been spooked by your presence so are alert to new things in their environment too. I hope you can gain permission to access more property but I think you can do the most damage by trapping the main dam with good foothold drowning sets. Just my opinion.

What MnMan said is sound advice

Camoflage the 330s you fo set with grasses on the sides..and submerge them with a dive stick over it.

I also would make more foothold sets Using no castor but Popple bud ir burch oil... and peeled feed sticks.

Hope you gain permission soon.

Thanks guys, I'll keep working at them on the dam and see how goes. Do live beavers in snares alert the other ones as well? I know Kirk dekalb was a big advocate of live beaver, atleast in cages, attracting more to a nearby set, usually a submerged 330. Will a beaver in live snare do more harm than help? I thought about setting a few leaning pole snares just on other side of the dam. could always rig a 5/8 rebar with a cross brace near the bottom to help entangle and drown a snared beaver. Something like Aix sponsa showed with his beaver torpedo setup.

I'll set some more along the dam tomorrow and check back in.

You can't break the dam? I personally would castor mound and food lure foot holds and snares on both sides of the dam, set 330's parallel to the dam in several places blind lightly fenced and punch holes in that dam till it leaked like a strainer and foot hold the heck out of it.

turkn, I can break it no problem. I just usually wait until all else fails before I do that. At this point, my cover is busted. But usually I try to get in and remove as many as possible before they are on to me . . . break the dam at the end and see if it gets repaired. I was hoping they would be traveling out of the primary headwater more, but seems they are quite content up there for now. It did rain this morning after I checked, and supposed to drop temp tonight and tomorrow, so maybe that will get them moving up and down the watershed more.

Beavers educate. Educated beaver won't stick their heads in a #330. Trap those like you would a smart coyote...Smart beaver are more difficult at times. Often times that means hard staking on a long chain shoved into the mud with the trap covered (the smart ones will even steer clear of drowning rods in the end). Anything less and you'll pull your hair out (and likely fail). If you (or someone around you) have been using castor, don't. Switch whatever been used in that area after the first few are removed...and may have to go to no lure/bait at all.

It also "may" require you to leave that area for a time to let things cool off. The smart ones know you are trying to kill them. Let them go off of "high alert" for awhile. Regroup and come back with different sets (without disturbing the place).

I've learned a lot by trapping behind the govt trapper. They spook the daylights out of more beaver than they catch.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Nuisance beaver trapping. It sure isn't like fur trapping when you have to catch the last old female (don't underestimate this last one).

Good luck.

Can you set the dam crossovers?

Calvin,

These have likely been trapped before. Culvert at a heavily traveled highway about half mile north of here was cleaned and drained about two years ago. About the time these showed up from what I can gather. I'm with you on the drowning rods . . . I have had beavers avoid them dead stop.

If setting the dam won't work, I may pull out until I can get permission to trap the headwater side, and go it stealthy there.



Charles, they are set.

Tim ( MEAT TRAPPER) has a youtube video on snares and kill poles I think Locklear does too. Tim also uses a leaning stick on a tree in the water snare set that looks pretty effective. I haven't had a chance to try it but the first chance it presents itself I am going to. The first beaver I caught was in a snare the time time I ever set for them so I guess I'm partial that way. I use snares and footholds mainly. I agree with you too about not breaking the dam too soon. I saw a demo at the South Eastern about setting parallel to the dam and intersecting banks to the dam. It was pointed out that they swim the perimeter routinely and it's a good way to blind set them. I have tried it once with a snare and connected.

Bur a live beaver in a snare will definitely attract other beaver. I am trapping the beaver out of an area that I can access all of but I've have caught the vast majority off the main dam. No lure at all. Used 330's until they began avoiding them and now I am using only snares. Don't know how many doubles I have caught off of one particular crossover. Had another double today both beavers alive in snares. Until I count the tails I want know for sure how many I have taken but I know it is pushing 50. 2/3rd's of them have came from the main dam.

Update - caught another juvenile at the same castor mound on the dam today. I'm pretty sure mom and dad have been trapped before. This dam is about 1/2 mile downstream of a road that had a clogged culvert for years. I think a state guy trapped some a few years back, and they cleaned up the dam. They haven't built back at the road, but this dam showed up the following spring. I think I'll have access to the headwater this weekend. Either way, I'm going to set more in daylight Saturday along the dam and or in the headwater.

If you could use a little sac oil ( couple drops) from one of the juveniles at the dam with a well concealed foothold on a drowner you might be able to take them all from that main dam. Just make a little mud pie and skip the castor or any other scent or bait and see what happens. Do this if you can at a time of day when the beaver are not active. Good luck with the rest of them.

You could also try making a small leak in the dam and hiding a foothold on a drowner just off to one side of it. Simple but often effective.

update - got another beaver Saturday morning, 2 year old, at the lower blind set/ crawl out at the last secondary dam. Set two more foothold drowners on the dam, one with sac oil, one with feed sticks and some Woodchipper. Also set two snares in shallow water around some trees that were actively being chewed on in the upper headwater. Got permission to trap all of the headwater now, so we'll see how this week goes. Going to check today at lunch.

Thanks for the feedback.

Good deal on the Beaver updates & on the permission!!! Keep at them!

not if ya run them down a drowning rod or cable...like your thinking about doing

I often make dam break sets right off the bat, using footholds and breasting sticks like in Pauls video, Beaver Sites and Sets. Surely you asked for it for a Christmas gift from a loved one, didn't you?

make 3 sets if ya can, they can't stand to hear that gurgling sound, MAKE IT GURGLE, by adding a stick or 2 if needed.

today's check, 2 beavers and 1 otter. both beavers at drowning sets on the dam. another juvenile at the same castor mound (3 from this set). got momma beaver at the peeled stick/ Woodchipper set. missed a beaver hat trick as the sac oil set trap was at the bottom of the rod, with a toe . that beaver is now smarter, but his time is limited. biggest difference has been the temp. highs in the low 50s and low 30s at night. that's got them moving again after a week in the upper 70s. few pics for those who enjoy them.

You are getting it done.....good job.

John, not deep enough to drown them where I set the snares. I put those in to try to pick up the leery ones, but right now the drowners on the dam seem to be working just fine. I do own Paul's video, but I always wait on breaking the dam until the end. Maybe it doesn't matter. But, I was taught that way, and it seems to work and keep them less spooky, so I am going to stick with it.

If these sets go empty for the next few days, I am going to open up the main dam. There's been enough rain that it's been running over the top all the way across the dam until today. That should help with the dam break, will be a concentrated source of the GURGLE.


thanks for the help

MnMan, sound advice, thanks. In all my beaver trapping endeavors, I've never really had a situation where I had to set the main dam like this. I've always shied away from sets on the dam until I broke it. Once I get done with this I'm on to a swamp beaver job, and the only place deep enough to run drowners is right at the dam, so this will give me some good insight as how to set that job up. Might do a ride along for that one.