I have always been a land trapper. I have trapped beaver on a nuisance permit using dam break sets with very good success. I now have beaver that moved in and are starting to flood our access trail to our cabin. Since it is getting close to season I plan to set for them when that opens. During season we cannot trap near the dam or lodge.

Do castor mound sets work well in late fall\early winter? So much of what I am finding about them is geared towards spring trapping. Was thinking of using Backbreaker at them.

Are food lures very effective?

I am hoping to have open water to work with but by late november when season opens we are often at least getting skim ice.

In the north, you can run castor mounds 365 days of the year. They're much more responsive to it than southern beaver.

I lean on more food type lures like wood chipper and beaver buffet on nuisance beaver as I don't always know if they've had others try an trap them before

Do you have access to the dam? It might be far enough from the den or lodge to make it a legal location to set a dam break. This time of the year the beaver will be quick to plug a break unless there has been lots of rain and the water is up. Dam breaks will also keep the water open near the trap as it starts making ice elsewhere.

Here in NY, we cannot set anything bigger than a 1 1/2 CS or a 155 conibear within 15 ft. of a dam, and cannot break a dam either.

Sorry my post should have said dam or lodge is off limits. We have to stay 15 feet away from either.

The dam has got to be 80 feet long. 7 to 8 feet high where it crosses the main creek channel, the rest of it is only a foot or 2 high.

That makes it tough, but maybe they will allow you to get a nuisance permit to trap on the dam since it is flooding access to your cabin. Does the state quit giving nuisance permits during trapping season?

Where do they measure the 15 feet from at the house-top,waterline or base?
With a stupid rule like that I would just wait until freeze up and set a few snarepoles 15ft 1 in around the house.
If before freeze up set their skid trails where they are cutting,and since beaver are territorial they will investigate a scent mound.So make a few of those sets.

Measured from the waterline I believe. No snares allowed in NY. Supposedly the 15 feet rule is to protect otters.

Sounds like a lot of restrictions to trapping where you are but-No snare poles-no problem-use baited 330's under the ice.
Also-another deadly installation is to set the channel on the bottom side of the crossover-15 ft 1 inch downstream-set multiples in series-you will take the beaver and otter and wont have to check every day if you have several traps on sentry duty.You can keep the rats from firing off your 330's by setting a funnel trap in the channel up and down from your beaver sets.

On a big house with high water(deep water) you should be able to set the entrance runs with teepee sets and stay legal.

Yes a lot of restrictions on beaver because we are not allowed to trap otter here. Also no. Colony traps for the rats.

So how many lured sets would be too many before all the new smells put them on edge? Would I be ok with 5 or 6?

Set some lured and some blind on skid trails.They should start cutting feed soon where you are.
I read an article in FHA Magazine where a guy had about 50 otter he trapped in new york state.Must be a new rule.

Yes they are cutting now. You can trap otter in part of Ny. Not in my area though.

I wouldn't get happy with castor sets but sets with food lures you can get more liberal with. If you get picky with you locations, you can pick off multiple beaver at one"set" to cut down on the lure usage. I love spots where I can do something like a bait station for coyotes but using castor mounds. Eg grassy/reedy areas with a lot of trails that cross each other and you can hide multiple 330s or snares.

When I trap beavers I generally just use blind sets on their slides and trails. Works great. I’m sure there’s a time and place for baited sets but I’ve had great success with blind sets, I never felt the need to do anything different.

Baited sets shine where it's impractical or dangerous or impossible to get to blind set locations. If it's easier for me to get the beaver to come to me than the other way around, I'm going baited sets.

All I run are castor sets unless I can find a good run for a 330. In regards to the skim ice, I try and check sets in the evening and make sure the water is open before dark, about all you can do. If you can find a spot with alot of fresh cuttings that would be the spot to set, preferably right on the run were they get in and out of the water.

I too rely on castor mound sets and 330s. I also set several at each spot. I usually alternate ate each set--1 castor based lure and at the next set a different castor based lure.
Often I will put castor mound sets at pull outs,get 15 feet from the dam and put multiple sets on both sides of the dam.
One time I put in 7 castor mounds and one crossing spot near one lodge and dam--next morning 8 beaver. I seldom use bait,though I will throw frsh chewed ,shiny sticks on top of my castor mound.
Tom

Dana 1, whatever you decide to do set wise,make sure to hit them heavy and quick. The longer you drag it out the harder it is to catch them. I’ve set up areas in the creeks and rivers and like stated above,caught the lions share in one night. Set heavy if you want them gone.

Also a 24 hour check on traps in southern zones. Lots of restrictions in this part of New York

In open water,I do a check every day. You can't catch another one till the trap is empty and reset,also by removing a catch daily,you lessen your chances of spooking and wising up the remaining beaver.
Tom