I started doing some damage control trapping on beaver. I am catching beaver ( castor mound set on bank ) . But one set last 2 nights been set off. Had sticks and mud. Is that where the beaver r pushing mud up hitting pan? Do I need to set deeper and does it matter which way I turn loose jaw ? Alot different going from 3 jump trap to #5. I do set them on my knee. Thanks

I have been fighting that same battle with TS 85s on drowning rods the last few weeks. The beaver keep pushing mud and debris into the trap and fire the trap in the bed. Been a real headscratcher and pain in the rear. Caught big male off the bat and guess ole girl has been putting the screws to me ever since.

Bobcat, Sounds like you need to use those larger traps to their potential. Set deeper and further back aiming for a rear foot.

If it is shallow a long way out, put a stick in perpendicular to their path they have to crawl over and the trap on the otherside.

If it is "middlin" jam pencil sized sticks in pointed at their breast but under the water. Object is they hit their breast and drop their feet and start walking. With that TS 85 I would still set 18" back from that for the rear.

But most of all, if you are doing nuisance you need to rely much less on castor mound sets and be diverse and creative. Food lures on a stick out in 6 inches of water and the lure up 8-10 inches. Foothold down current (if there is some) and pan 8-12 inches back. Like a coyote pee post. Curiosity lures in channels and the trap a few feet before it. Castor not on mud pies but 18 inches up smeared on a tree well out in the water with a snare set for when they circle the tree. Same place you would set a castor mound use bait sticks. Sac oil and no lure. That sort of thing.

Not only will you be trapping outside of regular seasons when castor is far less effective, but you have to learn to catch the last beaver and not worry about the first. The ADC forum may be of interest.

I been using Woodchipper lure little Backbreaker, timber, build a dam. Also been setting the run on the bank hanging snares on killpoles. Catching them too. Setting some blind few in runs in water too. They r 330 shy. Been 3 guys trapping before me. They couldn't catch one. But all they used was 330s. On the big traps does it matter which way dog is turned? I did also break the dam set a trap blind. I thought castor would work yr around?

Get the gun out bobcat...sounds like a tough situation following the others.

With pawholds for beaver ya want them to step between the jaws not over. And offset, beaver are wide. The dog needs to be parallel to the bank and deep for the back paw. Up to 18 inches deep. Food lure on a poplar stick in an indent set works very well also, they gotta put that big paw down at some point to take it.

#4 buckshot works good too LOL

The above is spot on. Between the jaws not over on water sets as a general rule of thumb.

I would avoid the advice to shoot until there is only one left. Good way to extend your job by two weeks waiting for them to poke their heads out of the bank again. A lot of folks THINK they shot a beaver because they don't see one for over a week. They are far to often wrong. If it isn't floating in 3 days you did not kill it.

Sounds like you are on track with sets. 3 of those 4 are castor based. Find another food and a curiosity bait. If need be substitute a predator gland lure just to get outside the box.

Ha I keep my 204 ruger in the truck. I keep 50 rds of 35gr Berger hp in the truck. I had the dog to the deeper water. Then I turned the traps today dog side to the bank loose jaw to deeper water. . I moved out a little deeper put the little sticks up too. I caught one today. Had a 330 in a channel almost under water with dive stick. He went down some to get around 330. Then come back to get in channel. I had a castor mound made just for eye appeal. I had some Woodchipper on a stick with fresh cut willow limbs behind mount. I have took several with that set. Been using few other food lures too. They will not come around a 330 trap.

Couple drops of sac oil at the waterline at the food sets helps sometimes. Point the levers towards the bank, dog left or right . How does the .204 treat the yotes?

I use all longsprings for beaver footholds (well would occasionally use a #4 jump where I was afraid of getting a trap stolen because I would rather lose one of those than one of my good longsprings). I always set them with the springs and dog pointed as close to 90 degrees from the direction the beaver is coming from as possible. You want the beaver to step over the hingepoint and between the jaws, not over the jaws.
Best way I can explain it is if you look at the line of the baseplate from one jaw hinge to the other, point that line directly towards the way the beaver is coming from.
And remember to offset the trap to one side or the other, beaver walk with their feet beside each other, not in an almost straight line like a coyote or cat.

Not bad I use a Berger 35gr hp. Not as bad on fur as the 39gr bking or 40gr v max. I even use the 35gr on cats. I use the 39gr on armadillos crows ground hogs. I run a nikon 6x18x40 target dot. I can see where to put the dot. I am playing with depth on them now
Set for a back ft.

Here in Ohio the beavers at a fairly small job were castor mound crazy when I began a week ago. There were large castor mounds with new popping up daily. I joined in as a new beaver adding my own castor mounds on top of theirs which has worked well so far. There was one more new castor mound today.

I like using the MB-750 with the laminated closed jaws. They are easy to bed absolutely solid with one lever towards shore and the other towards deep water and set in fairly shallow water offset left or right as the location dictates. When offset right I put the dog right, and when offset left I put the dog left so that when the trap fires the dog flips away from the animal and the front foot drops right in. I have had excellent success using them like this getting solid front foot catches for a quick ride down the cable. On the job before this there was one hind foot catch which held fine.

If the beavers start piling a heap of mud and sticks on these traps, I may wish for some of those larger traps.

Best wishes with your adventure.

Are you using "breasting sticks" at the dam break sets, as Paul teaches in his Beaver Sites and Sets dvd?...surely you asked for that dvd and Summertime Beaver Control for Christmas or birthday gifts!
also, don't forget to offset them 4-5" and try and get em forearms length away, if ya can't its no biggie but the sticks are a must.

Thanks, and good luck.

Yes sir I just added sticks yesterday. I like the bridger #5 dls I can set on my knee. I am used to 3 jump traps. It started raining yesterday still right now. I seen some small castor mounds that was made along 2 big ones. I set the big ones using snares. I have everyone of the runs coming out on the bank set. Runs in water and holes in dam set.

Those bridger #5 dls have to be like a gift from God if you had been using #3 jumps!

x2

I've never used a bridger #5, but always used #3 and #4 dbls and they are easy to set with your hands while standing in knee deep water. Used #4 jumps sometimes where I was afraid of trap thieves. They are a pain to set unless you have a hard flat surface to stand on them on. Always seemed like I was using them either in a place with steep clay banks or flat marshy mud that they sunk out of sight if you tried to stand on them.

Yes they are. I like the drowning rods set up with the #5s.