Got a call from a prop. management outfit. One of there buildings is on a lake in a business park area. They own most of the lakefront property, but not all.
And yes, they are trying to catch the beaver themselves, which I told them to stop, even if they dont end up hiring me. Gonna go take a look tomorrow. How would you all handle a case like this? Should I even take it? Thanks.

You'll know once you get there and (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) things. It's obvious they have made the beaver trap shy and I would tell them that and add extra $$ to what ever you would charge or refuse the job due to the fact it will be harder for you to trap them. Don't be afraid to turn the job down as they will remember your failures more so your success. Big companies can be a bigger pain to work for than the average Joe. But if your successful and other beavers move in later (and they will), you'll be the first one they call next time.

I stopped by and looked at this place today. Big govt. office building people everywhere, kickboats and docks all on a 60-70 acre lake. Gonna meet the management guy there tomorrow. May be more trouble than its worth. We'll see.

So nice you said it twice!

Yeah Im already thinking about that. I think I could get away with everything but legholds.

I guess you can't project with certainty if they have totally botched the job yet, but you have to incorporate a buffer into whatever you do so you don't go into negative numbers. It might go ok. Don Lafountain in Massachusetts just gives an hourly rate for everything, though his situation is different from most. Port to port hourly would be fair for whatever happens. I remember the sign at the garage where they worked on cars. Rate-$10/hour, $15/hour if you watch, $20/hour if you help. None of us need any help from the public in what we do, especially beaver. Hate to hear where they have been shooting and trapping right up until I arrive. Good luck. Of course you want to use something other than what they have been using and perhaps give the beaver a time out before starting if possible. I doubt they have seen cage traps, probably conibears.

Thanks, Jim. Unfortunately the guy said they had used cages, legholds and conibears. The good thing is I dont need this job. I sure like catching beavers, though! And I do have a good supply of Comstocks to use if necesarry.

$100/day
use NO lures, no problem
make your own slides
make your own feed beds
set them all blind
stuff a beaver float into some grass
set a floating log with snares a few ft from shore

Ask them what lures they used.

Something like BTO or sac oil/anise mix could help AFTER a few days of zero lure use IF they didn't use those scents

Once beaver, or any critter for that matter, know you are focused on catching them, they get super alert and really hard to catch. Had caught 12 beaver at one location, side by side colonies. Number 13 took a bullet as there was a tree stand near the lodge. I remember when he came up. He didn't swim around, just came up slowly and never moved a muscle, while listening and sniffing. Giving them a few weeks off helps to desensitize them a bit. All good ideas above. Blind sets offer the best shot at it for sure. I would stay away from lures. Sometimes I've used just a few poplar sticks with a foothold and a slider.

Yeah I looked at it with the dude from the prop. management place . Of course, the first thing the guy said was "I caught one!" He did, too.
Looks like a big big job, so I asked how "serious" they were about hiring somone. I asked politely, but I try to avoid the cheapskates. Their success catching one may embolden them. If they are indeed serious I will go back and scout the lake with a boat.

I like trapping beaver too. I don’t like unnecessarily difficult and problematic jobs. This job is a people management job first and a beaver trapping job second.

On beaver jobs I quote a price that has some flexibility for extending time if necessary. If they have been trying to catch or say they will try someone else, I politely tell them that when that does not work and they call me back my price will be double because of the trap shy or on a large job scattered animals.

This sounds like a very good opportunity to showcase your business and make a very good wage. If you have the gear and the confidence thoroughly check out the job and make a bid with some contingency plans. Absolutely tell the business contact to keep their people out of the way and not even checking or near the traps. You need a 24 hour contact number in case of employee trouble.

Use a boat and try to set traps that require boat access. Take away the boat each day. If you leave the boat on site, lock it securely to prevent other use.

Many guys would be timid about this job because they lack the people skills, trapping skills, proper gear, or confidence. On this job, make every day profitable or pass on it. Everybody going to that business is making money. You should too. I wear a suit to this type of business meeting and ask in advance to meet the company president. I make him my best friend and ally on the job. I ask him if I can send him a daily report by email with photos. Use a written agreement for this job. Make sure it includes every issue. Make certain that you impress the company president. He will sign the agreement and the checks.

I now always use cameras on EVERY JOB. When i find people meddling I tell them to stay away or I am out. EVERY CUSTOMER will to some extent look at your work or activity. They are curious and they should be interested because they are paying the bill. My customers refer to me as “their trapper”. They are very possessive because they value me and my services. There is a difference between curiosity and meddling.

Usually when a job is taking too long or strangely no catch, it is usually someone meddling. On a very large lawn damage job in a heavily landscaped lawn at a very expensive house, i set 4 traps for raccoon and 4 for skunks. Strangely, I had no new damage and no catches for the first 4 nights. Mr. Customer was intense and impatient and angrily asked why no catches - you are supposed to be an expert. Initially when I setup the job I had no cameras available. I pulled 2 elsewhere and placed them on this job. The cameras showed that Mrs. Customer was out there on a smoke break at least once per hour from before sunset until 3am LOOKING IN EVERY TRAP. I emailed a brief report to Mr. Customer respectfully explaining about interference and included a couple photos. Mr. Customer replied saying there will be no more interference. The next night i started getting good photos and catching mature male raccoons who had been shredding the lawn. In my region, raccoons that shred lawns in October are usually adult males

Use cameras everywhere for this job. Hide the cameras for three reasons. First to get photos that are useful to the trapping project, and second to catch any meddlers, and third so the cameras are not stolen. You cannot use too many cameras when working at a business and multiple people know about the job. Make sure that your agreement includes a provision allowing your use of cameras and that all images created are your property. When word gets out that you are using cameras, many problems will be prevented.

There’s a reason why I read and reread my Friend Willy Firewood’s posts. Words to live by, although I can’t speak about going directly to the president. I just deal with whoever lines me up with beaver work and signs the checks.



My experience has been that companies that are familiar with beaver issues and deal with them often will be the best to work with. They know what kind of problems they’re dealing with, and they want you to get it taken care of. They tend to be very positive experiences. Companies that are new to beaver problems are an entirely different deal.

A lake? Beavers that have been harassed? How would I handle it? It has the potential to be a pain. This job is something you’ll have to feel yourself. I highly recommend explaining the situation, agreeing to an hourly rate, and getting it in writing.
It may require letting the beavers cool down for a bit then slipping in if they’ve been seriously messed with, I’d have to see the situation to know. It could be a great opportunity for you, don’t think I’m saying you shouldn’t take the work, but I am saying to make sure both parties understand and have realistic expectations.

Well I have not heard back from the management company. Unfortunately, I think they thought this would be something inexpensive. The good thing is I am in a position where I dont have to take work that I dont want. This thing kinda looked like it might be a fiasco, but like I told the guy, there are ways of compensating for that.

They may still be trying to close the deal themselves, or, if you discussed prices, shopping for “better” prices.


If they come around, take care of them. Passing on bad jobs saves you headaches, but being able to catch the ones others can’t catch will be great for your reputation, I guarantee it.

$100.00 per day?
I won't start the truck for that. That won't cover even 4 hours of a lot of operators.
Think small you will stay small..company wise.

I agree with my friend Aix Sponsa. We have discussed many different types of jobs and scenarios. Many times there are ways to prepare for and prevent pointless disasters caused by meddlers at the business.

I also agree with Trapper Don. My truck does not start for $100, yet I may give a customer a couple extra days for free at MY discretion. This is for good customers and situations where i think it is both good for the customer and good for my business.

As serious business owners, doing this work in a professional manner, we need to change the mindset of people by educating them about the realities. Being frugal, overhead is still expensive. My truck was very expensive and necessary to do this work. A man who I greatly admire said “Make every element of a project profitable, and then the entire project will be profitable.” Mr. Henry Ford.

Many customers think of trappers as how someone on this forum once so eloquently stated “’possum eatin’ hillbillies.” They expect a trapper to show up late in a junky truck, filthy and stinking, demanding to be paid in cash, and then is unreliable and unresponsive.

Show up on time, clean and wearing clean clothes. I carry extra clothing in my truck. It is common to change clothes during the work day, especially when meeting a new customer. Act professional. Have a business card. Speak clearly and intelligently. Do not ask anything about their life - got any young sweet daughters? Any likker? Can i hunt here? How much money do you make? Do not tell the customer about an abscess on your foot or anything about your most recent Interpersonal recreational infection that was cured by penicillin in no time flat! And then do not tell them that you will trap sometime for a few days. Be specific and professional about everything. Buy some trail cameras. Do not do any nuisance work without them. Think about it and improve your approach. Try to develop a trusting business relationship. One good trapping job, plus some exclusion work, plus some cleanup and sanitizing the area can be a very valuable business deal. Treat it like an important business deal. On some complete jobs that include trapping, moderate exclusion work, and minimal sanitation work have netted me as much as $12 to $14 dollars. Of course that last part was a joke. Truly think about your approach. Best wishes.