Hmm could have been set up much better

Must've been using Paul's Backbreaker to 'cause the two of 'em to come back right after that.

Almost seems like the trap was set to deep and the beaver went over it. Or, was it just the opposite, trap was set too high? Either way, the beaver obviously didn't swim into the trap.

And that is why I tell people to just reset the trap and get it later.

It can be hard to get beaver to work a conibear-castor set the way you want them to. I get sprung Belisles all the time. I also catch about 5-10% of my catch by a foot or tail. You may say I didn't block off good enough or didn't use a ducking stick but that would be mainly inaccurate.

In the main river I trap it can be challenging to get sets in. In many instances where there is a steep bank I think beaver grab my trap with their front feet to help pull themselves up out of the water.

Most of my sets look somewhat like this set on a small stream. However on the big river I tend to use more blocking and bigger sticks to discourage going over the top.

Thats what happens when beaver stall at the trap.

That's what happens when you don't use blocking. The beaver looks like it approached from the side and set it off with its body.

Are you maniac 330.

Beaverpeeler...Absolutely not critisizing you...Honest

But move that Coni out into the water so half the trap is under. Lay some sticks and vegetation in a V...small size on shore wide part of V on each side of trap.
Make a path and block off or make it harder for the Beaver to want to go on shore except through the opening.


Another set is a stick wall coming out from the bank leave an opening in that fort knox wall for the 330 .

There are several other sets but the way its shown in your photo is a big part of your misses.

Again trying to help not critisize

Hes not maniac....that video is off of youtube.

In that pic I could have done that, but most of my big river sets don't lend themselves to doing that as a lot of time it is cobblestone substrate or no slot to fit into. I actually get the same percentage or even higher of sprung traps that are underwater.

I've seen beaverpeelers catch pics. He doesn't need to catch anymore beaver per day.

Don't worry about being critical. Got thick skin and also don't believe I know everything.

Just happened to have the first check pic from that set.

Another problem I see with that trap set up besides the beaver not moving thru is the trigger had way too much movement before firing.

You got better eyes than me Boco. I can't see the trigger.

He fires it with his head moving backwards,and you can see how far his head moves before the trap fires.

It looks like the beaver is smelling the scent above the trap and the scent could/should have been set further behind the trap. I can't make out the trap.

Much better eyes.than me. I zoomed in got the magnify glass and everything became much clearer. Lol

I was only concerned about your work load once you get back to the truck. Lol

Im sure Beaver trapping in Oregon is quite fun!!!

Ive Googled some videos and pictures from out there compared to our swamps

330, I'll try to take a pic or two of some spots where I get sprung traps and see if your fresh set of eyes can help out. I have sure tried a lot of different things.

gray dog I'm not 330maniac, it's not my video. I just ran across it and found it interesting the beaver went back to check out where a trap had just been fired in its face.

So much for the trap shy beaver theory ....

You bet

The beaver is sensing the molecular disruption of Molecules on top of the trap caused by the electromagnetic field intensity iminating rom the trap. He can see it feel it and smell it.

The magnetic field intensity radiates off the top of the trap on each corner in at the dog. Notice the beavers lying flat out. He moves down the trap to the trigger he knaws at the radiating trigger dog. His teeth cause the trigger to release causing the jaw to fall under his chin and the bottom jaw to come up his belly missing the beaver. Had the trap been turned upside down the beaver would’ve probably duct under and gone in the trap as long as it was a low magnetic field inside under the jaws.

Interesting Kirk

Ive always set the triggers/dog down

If It were me I would place the trap with the trigger on the bottom and bend the trigger wires to form a T. I have always found If I could keep the trigger wires arranged so the beaver wasn't pushing them with It's face my catch rate went up.

With trigger wires arranged like In the picture your blocking the opening to some degree. Sure some beaver will blow right on through but some will back off and will climb over or try and go around. Get the trigger wires out of their face.

I also think that sometimes the trapper might inadvertently transfer some castor scent from his hands or gloves to the partially exposed trap when setting it or placing it. Then the beaver will either attack it or mess with it setting it off in a way that was not intended.

From today's trapping:




Water dropped almost 2 feet since last check. Water level was touching lower jaw when I set it. Cable was stretched out and it had a beaver front foot.

Thats crazy Beaverpeeler

More of today's run:

This is how it was set.



And this is how I found it today.

I had a beaver come to a castor set, go around the 330 somehow and enter the trap from the bank side. Is this common?

Still, I have something to do this evening: 10 beaver and a coon out of 21 traps total.

Charles, in my world that is common.

beaverpeeler, I spent all day in a flooded crawl space today hooking up pex lines and trying not to get completely soaked. My back hurt after that and now it really hurts looking at your picture. Heckuva day, but I'm not envious of all that work ahead of you! Nice job!

Yeah it happens ...sometimes they come in 2s and compete to get to the lure, one goes up around blocking. Had it on video

Beaverpeeler, thanks for sharing the pictures.

"I had a beaver come to a castor set, go around the 330 somehow and enter the trap from the bank side. Is this common?"

It happens at times. Sometimes due to current or other reasons they do not see the set path as the best route in a beavers mind. I think they simply pick a different route to get to the smell.
But when leaving the scented area, the path we set looks a lot clearer for some reason. Just my thoughts.

The other thing I see Is that the trap Is set in a vertical position In relationship to the angled bank. In my opinion your actually blocking off the entrance to the trap and I believe the beaver can see this and won't commit to the trap. Looking at It has a dead end.
If possible I like to place my trap at the same angle as the bank this I feel opens the visual approach thing and the anima will see a more open route and be more apt to commit.

A mock pull out with a foothold that's within vicinity of kill trap will take many of those high bank visitors that work the mound from the bank.

I agree with you Beav. I normally set things that way but may make errors in that dept from time to time. ( Not sure how accurately this pic depicts this phenomena). Also when possible I try to dig out in front of the trap a little. I worry that the whole trap scenario looks like something they can get up on their hind legs and crawl over.

I can't legally set my 330's up on the bank in Oregon. Some portion of the trap has to be touching water when I leave it. The first pic shows that after my two day check the water had dropped by almost 2 feet.

I also do use some 750's with weights or drowner rebar. (Sometimes they're sprung too).

Mac, I completely agree with you. I always try to make the opening of that BG look like the best path through. But I may be limited by how much local material is there to construct barricades. As I cruise along the river looking for spots it is a constant thing that I am analyzing...how much work will this set require and what is around it to make my set. I pass up lots of good fresh sign to set where it is easier on me.

But in the end sometimes beaver railroad over my barricades, knock everything around and I may or may not have a caught beaver at the end of my cable.

My catch rate over the years is around 40-45%. When it dips below 33% I figure I need to move traps around or make improvements, or just move on to the next stretch of river. (Of course sometime the weather messes up the percentages. During freezing weather the %'s always drop). Breeding season has been going on for over a month now (western Oregon) and beaver are very active at castor sets.

Maybe the beaver's sniffing around before the trap fires is just due to smell from the trapper's hand. All of our hands tend to have odor on them, castor, etc..
I've had traps sprung like that before, I think it's due to the beaver crawling on top of them. I don't recall though ever having that happen when the trap was set completely submerged under a natural occurring log that the beaver were routinely diving under.

Yeah, the same experience here waggler. But underwater with ducking sticks I still get sprung traps from time to time.

I have found that there are times when you can over do all this guiding. Trying to force a critter to do something it doesn't want to do doesn't always work In the trappers benefit. And I think with all the guiding your just bringing more attention to your set.
I've caught a ton of beaver In fully exposed 330s just sitting In front of a castor mound.

^^^ I don't subscribe to that theory when it comes to beaver. Every time I don't go heavy enough I find where they went around the trap and re-made my castor mud pie with one of their own.

Makes me sad to see Mr. peeler with a truck load of beaver because I'm pretty sure it took him no more than 45 minutes to clean skin them all. I caught three beavers yesterday and promptly pulled all the beaver traps I had out being afraid of catching more before I got those put up.

Ha!.....I wish!