I dont even come close to catching beaver numbers the likes of Kirk Dekalb....and he and I trap the exact same conditions. There are some outstanding beaver killers on Tman....both south and north. I cant hold a light to a few of them. I do a few control jobs a year and usually clean out individual colonies....but struggle sometimes. Lol

Great pics and nice catches,those otter look nice.How do you like that honda sxs Swamp?How deep water can you go with it?

Love the Pioneer. Should've bought that trapping machine a few years back. My old arse really needs it now. Not sure how deep it'll go before it starts sucking water, but the air breather can be extended up near the roof. I think the air intake is just below the headlights. I'd be worried to go in deep water...cost too much. I did buy 4 years extended warranty but dont want to test it...lol

Cool pics waiting for open water to get going here! Thanks

You are not doing it for a living but you enjoy it very much . That is apparent from how you go about it .And that was kind of my point I would love doing it when I wanted .But it is still hard work . I enjoy following your post over the last several years Thanks

Arent the otter all singed now? They are up here.

Some otter never singe. Some always are. Otter singe themselves and it has to do with the individual otter's habits...rolling around, etc. And the terrain they frequent such as sand bars, etc.

Are you trapping beavers now or they got you after something else?

Im on beavers all winter, had to get a couple of pet eating coyotes out of a fancy place awhile back but normally im chasing beavers all winter.

Been clearing sites only to have more move back in right before I pull traps, big 60 lb jokers I KNOW they didn't live there, the flooding has them
going all over trying to find still water. I now see it's suppose to start back raining again next Monday, lol. Sleet and snow north of here tonight.

Weather has been nuts this winter.

4 more out of this area this morning...9 total in 2 checks. There may be more here than I think. Have caught no yearlings yet and only 1 brood female.

Snared 1 this morning. Other 3 were caught at dam breaks.....had a double at one break.

This is a timber company removal job. They will breach all the dams next week with an excavator. They're waiting on me...lol.

w side rd 151,
Thank you for the compliments on my posts! Figured some of you guys up the country like to see open water and no-snow trapping pics this time of year.

I have been trapping for a long time . But I am by no means ever going to impress anyone with numbers There where a few years when coon prices where doing good enough I had the incentive go after some .There where quite a few mornings I left the house to check traps at 3:30 AM .And I had to be at my job at 5 :00 AM.It was work but fun when I was able to make what was for me a decent catch .After 9 hours at work I was out tending my line, setting,more traps and skinning If it was a slow day I was in bed by 8:00 PM I am so glad I did it when I was able too And I miss those days as much for the work as the fun .When you include details about certain sets or catches and try to show the rest of us what you are seeing it is clear you like it very much .They say if you love what you are doing it is never a job they are talking about how a very large number of trappers think .Now a days I am not sure I could keep up with a one day ride along

Again, thanks for sharing. When buying body grips, what do you like for brand? #330s or 280s or both?
Thanks
Mac

Really Awesome photo's!

Mac,
I own only Belisles.

I have a bunch of 280s...about 5 dozen....these are mainly my otter traps.....but havent had all those out at one time in a few years now with the depressed otter market.

I own a dozen 330s...and rarely are they all set at once.

Footholds are my go-to trap for beaver on these control jobs....ultimately saves problems with trap-shy beavers.

Thanks for posting and good job on the camera too. Nice catches you have there.......jk

Stopped by HD this morning and bought the lumber to build a beaver skinning trough. Came home and built it in a few minutes. Skinned today's catch on it......Should have built one of these a long time ago! Much better on my back and no chasing the beaver around on a flat table. This is the pattern that Mr. Charles Dobbins shows in his beaver and otter book.

Thank you sir

mac

Great post !!! Thanks for sharing, it gets me fired up again!!

I made one of those trough's back in the early 90's, made the skinning chore a bit easier. Beaver are nothing but work from start to finish, least your not scraping them too.

I had two beaver at one break like that once! Both had to get caught at exact same time cause both footholds were on the same chain.

Yep...Groeny can do the scraping.

I've caught 3 or 4 doubles at dam breaks but always have had separate drowner chains. I've been using trap trays with good results lately.