Alright for the beaver snare guys what is the best snare you found for your particular situations?

I use the 5/64th 1x19 in line swivel 3/32 7x7 extension double loaded to fire downward and swing out.

I love snaring beaver!!! I use a slim lock 36 inch 1x19 5/64 barrel swivel 7x7 36 inch 3/32 . I do use some 60 inch 7x7 3/32 with a bent washer. Just depends on where I am snaring.

On beaver slides or open water water trails with the snare partially or entirely out of the water I use 1/8" 7X7 or 7X19 cable with a heavy solid washer lock. I have lots of the 1/8" and through the years it has not marked the leather like thinner cable and smaller locks in non-drowning situations for me. 40"- 42" long with a std.$0.17 wire swivel on the end and any extension cable type I have handy ( 5/64's, 3/32's, 1/8). Under ice it is a different story (especially baited sets). 1/16" or 5/64" 1X19 cable loaded to close with small locks (slim, lo-pro, bullet, etc., etc.,). Cams seem to rust on me if I don't take care of them in certain waters so I don't use them here. Underwater its a 36" - 40" cable length for the snare then the swivel and 2 strands of 14 ga. wire wrapped around the swivel for anchoring and support. Under ice the swivel takes stress off the cable and I find I can reuse more of it for short extensions and earth anchors but you can skip it if you want. I use a slightly bigger loop for open water situations as the beaver may be walking on his hind feet and have a larger/higher profile than sleek and slim in the water swimming. Once caught under the ice the beaver panic and are short to the world as opposed to a live one on the bank. Back in the 80's when I was poor and trapping beaver almost exclusively under the ice I unraveled 1/4" and 3/8" diameter cable and used each strand for my snare with the Slim Pedersen knot for my lock. For my ADC summer jobs now, not saving the fur, I still use them strictly for cost and they work for me.............. the mike

This^^
And i use several differnt locks...microlocks, slim locks, small washer locks, small sure locks. Microlocks are my favorite with the 1x19 cable. I also use a #8 barrel swivel between the snare and extension....made onto the snare and fastened to the extension with a 1/8" quick link. All snares are made with a clear vinyl tubing wammy, a tiny aluminum deer stop, and a loop stop to open to open to about 10" or 11". All are dipped in brown Formula 1. Trap tags are attached onto the extensions...anchor end loop.

Same snare we use for everything else loaded 7x7 3/32, mini cam-lock, adjustable loop end. 4' long for beaver on a kill pole and we (my boy does the water sets these days) neck snare them too. We trap for them very different than most, we bridge hop only in the spring and only take two beaver off each bridge. We usually set up one day 6-10 locations and pull them as we catch them. I have to be careful not to let him set more than I want to skin and what castor I need for bait and lure making.

One of my favorite pictures from a few years back.... We got rained out the day before this picture so he got out 5 sets (luckily for his skinner ) 4/5 neck snared but for that one dink on top.

My all around "Go To Snare"

5/64" x42" 1x19 Stainless Steel -NEWT'S MASTER LOCK which is made of Stainless Steel, , Copper Deer stop,6/0 barrel swivel,3/32" x 66" Stainless Steel Loop end tail. All ferrules made of Copper.

I take this snare even to states with no deer stop laws. (Texas,Mississippi, North Carolina )

I run same as jonsie, but honestly I snared a heck of a lot of beaver with 3/32" for years before I changed snares and I've I've even got them with "bobcat" snares because it's what I had in the truck and it worked well.
Not hard to snare or hold beaver though they can twist up.

tagging this one, thanks to everyone for sharing their set ups

I uses micro and sure locks too. In Arkansas if u set a snare within 20ft of water. U dont have to have a deer stop. I got to using kill poles alot. If I can use one I went to 48 inch snares lock 1×19 5/64 24 in barrel swivel 7x7 3/32 24 in another snare swivel. If I can get 1/4 as good as guys on here like Mr. Newt I would be happy. I started reading as much as I could on him. I am always thinking about snaring . I hate the one piece lock law in Arkansas.

I prefer 5/64” 1x19, because I can create a loop that appears open but it’s not deep under the water (higher chance of a neck catch or seatbelt as jonesie calls it) 1x19 cable allows me to shape the loop and it holds its shape more easily than 7x7. Don’t get me wrong, I like 7x7, but for beavers I like 1x19.


Loop followed by a swivel then 3/32” 7x7 with a wolf fang. I can anchor it away from entanglement for live sets or attach it to something like an extension. It’s versatile.

Sorry for not responding to everyone individually getting off work at 1 a.m keeps a guy tired lol but thanks.

ADD you happen to have any pictures of your beaver kill poles and how you set them up ?

And you guys ever use a trap swivel instead if a barrel swivel ?

Due to using a shorter snare cable the weight of trap swivels sags the cable. The way i build my beaver snares the swivel is right behind the whammy on the 9 ga wire....stands out more...harder to make look natural.

Other than that...they work too.

I’ve used trap swivels, snare swivels, and barrel swivels. They all work, but they all need to be close to the loop end. If you have a 5 foot snare and the swivel is on the end, you won’t get as much swiveling as you would if it were next to the loop.


I even swivel my extensions. Generally speaking, I build my extensions about 8-10 feet long with a swivel about 18” from the end

I run 1/16th 1x19 with slim or master locks. 48" snare, barrel swivel to extension. If we ever get a real beaver market again I might go back up in cable sixe. For now though it doubles as a coyote snare as well.

The poles we use are just 4' 1/2" rebar with some annealed #9 for support wire welded on. 7-8" loaded loop 4-5" up off the ground just out of the water typically.

I used to use trap swivels. You do need to use 9ga wire if you go that way or use a longer snare negate the issue. Does make switching out snares on the spot easier.

How about size and length of s nare in a state where any snare set for beaver must be on a drowned of some sort?

I've gone as small as 6" loop for beaver. Just want the snare to be just big enough to form the loop and reach the slide wire. I likr to keep the loop as small as possible and try and neck snare them as the farther back you catch the beaver the more water you need to drown. I think it works out to be about 40" snares.

40" isn't too long to use on a drowner?