Never used these traps so trying to find out if/why this might happen. A friend is setting these in beaver runs and has had in the last week or so (when he started trapping for beaver this year) he has caught I believe it is 5 beaver by the front foot, losing all but one (today) and it was still alive. Now don't know about how he's setting or anything except in runs but wondering if anyone else has run across this or has an idea why??

Sounds to me like he's using them like a foothold trap rather standing them up in the run.

No, he's setting them right. (believe it's his first year using this brand)

Blocking to tight? Beaver trying to go over the trap? Does he have a dive stick?

My opinion:


They’re not moving forward well when they encounter the trap. Beavers are using their front feet to try to figure it out, it’s firing, holding them by the front feet.



I haven’t Heard enough to know the cause, but I suspect he has heavy blocking that’s causing beavers to slow down too much.


I recommend choosing new set locations that are pinch points they’re used to navigating so that when they encounter them, they continue forward like they’re accustomed to. Shaping the triggers as a T, dog down would also likely solve it IF those beavers aren’t too spooked already, in which case making a major change may be required (footholds).


The same sets with different traps with the same trigger configurations would likely result in empty traps and slapped beavers in these cases.



That’s my theory and opinion. If he disagrees then I can’t help, but I am certainly interested and would like to hear more. It’s not the traps fault, they dispatch beavers quite well under normal circumstances


Jeff

Thanks, will show this to him. Haven't been with him on his line so unsure how he sets but thought he had mentioned he uses trap holders (H? never used them) and has the traps set with dog/trigger on bottom facing up. Guess this is the first year he's used these, used different brands before. Know this doesn't matter but he is 1 of 2 animal control people in Erie county up here.

Interesting, the way you said he uses them (h stand, trigger up) is exactly how I use them. I have never encountered catches like that. But I agree with Aix, set the pinch points, the trails leading out of the water and what not. Much easier ways to trap them then the deep channels. Oh and also I think the belisle 330 is the Cadillac 330

I think it must be going around this year...I even had this on a trap that was 2 feet under water. How that happened I still cant find a satisfactory theory. Dog was on the bottom as well.

Beaver will try to clear obstacles out of their run.Trap needs to be set with jaws very close to bottom trigger on bottom,moved over to one side and set solid.Beaver often paddle themselves slowly along the bottom of a run,like they are walking,they are stopping at the trap and trying to move it out of the way.with ordinary traps,if a beaver fires the trap while stopped at the trap it hits him on the nose-a fired empty trap.The belisle or sauvageau will catch them by a foot or sometimes two.If the trap is solid and on bottom with the trigger moved over to one side,the beaver will move into the trap after trying to move it when he finds it solid.
When I set a spot like that with a trapstand,I shove the stand into the bottom then stomp down on the crossbar so the trap jaws are not up off the bottom.Then I lower the trap onto the stand,and sometimes use a couple sticks thru the springs as blocking and to make the trap more solid.

In shallow runs were the trap is barely under water they will climb over and hit the trigger and get nailed by the front paw, using a big stick over the trap helps a bunch and the trigger on the bottom helps too. In clear water I've seen more avoidance Aix, especially when I'm second LOL.. I always blend with water soaked grass and in extreme cases cut one trigger wire off moved all the way to the corner. I do the same as Boco with H stands with added sticks, all traps need to be SOLID...…. Ive had more than one BG become part of the dam

That's what I thought or...........he's not stabilizing them and having them knocked down, firing them off in the process.
Without seeing them set-up, it's almost hard to say.

I was thinking like this, maybe trap in a shallow run and not very deep and the beaver climbing over and hitting the trigger. We have to have 330's totally submerged here, so maybe less chance of a climbover with a dive stick.

Definitely going to have problems if it’s not stabilized or if it’s barely under the surface without something to prevent swimover/climb over.


I just assumed it wasn’t either of these two issues because he was familiar with running 330s.


Hope we find out what it was, because everything we learn makes us better beaver trappers

"he has caught I believe it is 5 beaver by the front foot, losing all but one."
How can it be known if more than one of these five traps had a beaver by the foot?
Muskrats, fish and turtles will spring traps and leave them empty.
I have had many a 330 sprung by other things than wily beavers. My least favorite is a lazy game warden trying to figure out if I was checking my sets as often as the law requires. That guy would spring the trap by throwing whatever he found on the bank (usually nothing a beaver would be carrying around). He would then he come back the next day to see if I came back in time to check it legally. Pretty stupid really. All I would need to tell the judge was that I checked it, and saw that it had trash in it, and decided not to reset it until Barney Fife grew tired of harassing me. A sprung trap does not require checking.

I would guess they are climbing over the trap. When i get those type of grabs it is almost always open water March beaver that have already been fooled with. Get them by foot climbing over or tail when they turn around at the trap. Never used to think much about anchoring 330s, just a quick tie off with wire, until I started running Belisles a few years back. Its swivels and cables for them.

The only place Ive ever had problems is in runs. Its not because the trap isn't stabilized, and they aren't trying to climb over. I've had it happen when using large dive sticks and I always stabilize my traps well. I'm convinced it happens when the beaver is clearing the run, of what it thinks is debris.

I had this issue using castor mound sets in the fall as well-still have not figured it out as there isn't a consistent pattern to draw a conclusion.Climbing over may be the answer though.

They are detecting the magnetic field of the trap. When they investigate they’re probably rubbing their teeth ,nose and whiskers cross the trap setting the trap off. Because their back feet are out of the travel of the trap jaws when the trap fiers They are missing the body and catch him by the front foot.

They are probably not going through the trap because of the high magnetic field intensity. So they are either going around or climbing over. It is prevented by completely submerging the trap.

52carl and I have shared the same experiences with the game warden. It really is aggravating to a point where you’re really mad. There are other ways to find out then ruin somebody’s Opportunity to make a living