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Number 3s for beaver #7071331
12/02/20 10:26 PM
12/02/20 10:26 PM
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 992
Ohio, USA
Ave Offline OP
trapper
Ave  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 992
Ohio, USA
Hey guys, when I’m trapping some of my high theft areas, I use some of my number 3 sized traps ( about a 6 1/2) inside jaw spread). I usually catch beaver, but also miss a couple each year using these. I hate to miss them, but I know I’d hate to have a number 5 or 750 stolen even more. Can anyone give me tips to use these smaller traps? I’d like my catches to be more consistent. I know you guys up in Pa have no choice but to use smaller traps, how do you get by? Thanks!!


Ave don't go where the beaver don't flow
Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071345
12/02/20 10:32 PM
12/02/20 10:32 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 254
IN
R
Ross Offline
trapper
Ross  Offline
trapper
R

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 254
IN
I really like the Bridger #3 for beaver. Make sure the springs are strong. I four coil mine for beaver. The other thing I do is dig a bed or depression for the trap to sit in and also add a small stick in front of the trap so they are stepping right down on it into the jaws.

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071347
12/02/20 10:32 PM
12/02/20 10:32 PM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 870
Northern WI
L
Line Jumper Offline
trapper
Line Jumper  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 870
Northern WI
Add some weight to the trap to aid in drowning, also target a front foot catch.

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071348
12/02/20 10:33 PM
12/02/20 10:33 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 16,261
Iowa
~ADC~ Offline
The Count
~ADC~  Offline
The Count

Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 16,261
Iowa
Snare them.

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071355
12/02/20 10:34 PM
12/02/20 10:34 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,379
Coeur d' Alene, Idaho
J
James Offline
"Minka"
James  Offline
"Minka"
J

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,379
Coeur d' Alene, Idaho
Try to set the trap for a front-foot catch.

Jim


Forum Infidel since 2001

"And that troll bs is something triggered snowflakes say when they dont like what someone posts." - Boco
Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071378
12/02/20 10:41 PM
12/02/20 10:41 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB Offline
trapper
SNIPERBBB  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
When I first started out trapping beaver I used #3 bridgers. Basically, the best way to target front foot with less chance of getting a backfoot is on lured sets try to find long, flat, tight approaches, at least 18" thats fairly shallow so that they are walking the entire length. Make them if you have to.

All else fails..run snares. A little bit trickier to run them on public land area here because you have to have a least an inch of the loop under water and no smaller than 10". Ive got 5 doz made for the spot we talked about earlier and im probably gonna need about all of them.

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071383
12/02/20 10:42 PM
12/02/20 10:42 PM
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 1,776
Pennsylvania
P
patrapperbuster Offline
trapper
patrapperbuster  Offline
trapper
P

Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 1,776
Pennsylvania
Yes target a front foot catch. Make sure ya offset enough to actually center a front foot & strategically place poke sticks

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071405
12/02/20 10:55 PM
12/02/20 10:55 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
bctomcat Offline
trapper
bctomcat  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
^^^^^^^^^^^^ Yes have caught many beaver in #3's targeting a front foot!

Last edited by bctomcat; 12/02/20 10:57 PM.

The only constant in trapping is change so keep learning.






Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071492
12/02/20 11:53 PM
12/02/20 11:53 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
#3 + # 4 dls have taken many many thousands of beaver.
Requirement is strong springs and positive drowning setup.
And dont set the transition area.Make sure he's walking when stepping on the trap.

Last edited by Boco; 12/02/20 11:54 PM.

Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071528
12/03/20 12:19 AM
12/03/20 12:19 AM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,963
Central Ontario, Canada
C
Crit-R-Dun Offline
trapper
Crit-R-Dun  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,963
Central Ontario, Canada
I'm surprised the depth of experience here advocating for front foot catches. Is that specific to the #3 (or 4) or do most experienced beaver foot hold trappers prefer to target the front or is it strictly specific to the set location circumstances. A properly set rear foot target with the correct trap seems to be a more dependable, higher percentage catch in my experience. it seems to me from watching beaver in their natural habitat they often put little and sometimes no weight on the front feet, often working with front feet and moving forward almost dinosaur like with hind legs only.

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Crit-R-Dun] #7071545
12/03/20 12:28 AM
12/03/20 12:28 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB Offline
trapper
SNIPERBBB  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,550
Rodney,Ohio
Originally Posted by Crit-R-Dun
I'm surprised the depth of experience here advocating for front foot catches. Is that specific to the #3 (or 4) or do most experienced beaver foot hold trappers prefer to target the front or is it strictly specific to the set location circumstances. A properly set rear foot target with the correct trap seems to be a more dependable, higher percentage catch in my experience. it seems to me from watching beaver in their natural habitat they often put little and sometimes no weight on the front feet, often working with front feet and moving forward almost dinosaur like with hind legs only.


Legal requirements in some areas force you into setting for the front foot with smaller traps. Water depth for drowning could also force it, though if I have to rely on a front foot catch for drowning Im propbably not setting there with a foothold.

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071548
12/03/20 12:31 AM
12/03/20 12:31 AM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
Back foot will span a #3 and you will get toenails.
You can drown a beaver in 2 feet of water when caught by a front foot as opposed to 4 feet when caught by a back foot.
Not hard to get a beaver by a front foot when they are walking,but not 100%.Castor mounds or house haul outs are poor choices as the beaver will often be carrying mud clutched to their chest .
Blind sets are what you want when targeting a front foot.Top of a dam crossover is about the only set I will make for a front foot.Strictly bait sets work too.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071554
12/03/20 12:39 AM
12/03/20 12:39 AM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
Hope Paul sees this thread and weighs in.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071572
12/03/20 01:07 AM
12/03/20 01:07 AM
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,384
WI
B
BvrRetriever Offline
trapper
BvrRetriever  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,384
WI
#3 Bridger is a good fur trap for beaver. I’ve got at least 100 of them four coiled with TAOS kit, base plated and center swivel. PAWSI pan system. They take beaver for a fact. I don’t hesitate setting for a back foot but front is preferred.

However, if you are in an ADC situation, bigger is better.

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071582
12/03/20 01:31 AM
12/03/20 01:31 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,493
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Paul Dobbins Offline
"Trapperman custodian"
Paul Dobbins  Offline
"Trapperman custodian"

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,493
Goldsboro, North Carolina
When I first started my beaver'n career here in NC, I used mostly #3 Northwoods coils with the JC Conner Taos Lightening springs. As long as the trap was positioned properly, I hardly ever missed a beaver, whether it was front or hind foot.

For the hind foot, the trap needs to be positioned so that the beaver steps between the jaws. When the trap is positioned so that the beaver approaches across the spring lever, the success rate is pretty good. If the trap is positioned so that the dog is either facing away from the approach or toward the approach, misses are greatly increased.

Like Boco said, the beaver's hind foot can span the jaw spread. Where the trap is positioned with the dog facing away from the approach or toward the approach, I found that the heel of the hind food can rest on the pan while the toes drape across the far jaw, and the foot will be thrown out of the trap. If the heel of the hind foot rests on the near jaw and the toes span the jaws, you can very easily end up with a toe catch, or miss completely.

If the trap is positioned so the beaver is approaching over the spring lever, the hind foot can be on a jaw and the pan, but will still end up with a catch most of the time. This is because rather than the jaw pushing the foot up and out, the closing jaw causes the foot to pivot somewhat and you end up with one of those hind foot catches where the foot is held at an angle. I like it where it looks like that foot is buried above the ankle in the trap, and I would get a lot of holds on the hind foot like that.

Take if for what it's worth. It's just my observation of how trap position plays a critical role in catches vs misses, regardless of jaw spread size. It is more critical on the smaller jaw spreads though.



Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071648
12/03/20 07:42 AM
12/03/20 07:42 AM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,963
Central Ontario, Canada
C
Crit-R-Dun Offline
trapper
Crit-R-Dun  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,963
Central Ontario, Canada
Great information thank you. Sorry for pushing this a little ways off topic, so having said all that, would you select a trap specific to your plan to set front vs rear foot and what would the best trap be for each? I personally have settled on the TS85 for rears but they do seem like overkill to target a front foot imo. I also have some good old tried and true victor 4 and 5 dls and don't mind using those when my TS85s are all out.

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071656
12/03/20 07:47 AM
12/03/20 07:47 AM
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,312
Firth, Nebraska
jabNE Offline
trapper
jabNE  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,312
Firth, Nebraska
A bridger 3 coil has as big a jaw spread as a 4 longspring. Caught many beaver by front and back feet in both size traps. Wouldn't even hesitate today to reach for a 3 bridger coil when beaver trapping.
Jim


Money cannot buy you happiness, but it can buy you a trapping license and that's pretty close.
Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071711
12/03/20 08:49 AM
12/03/20 08:49 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,324
Hancock Co., Indiana
Kart29 Offline
trapper
Kart29  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,324
Hancock Co., Indiana
I bought a few #3 Bridger coilsprings to be a dual duty beaver/coyote trap. But for me to use that size of trap on land, laws say my trap must have an offset. (I do not know the reasoning behind that requirement at all.)

Anyways, I have had terrible luck in holding beavers in a Brider #3 offset. After finding them empty at the end of a drowning wire a couple of times, I've sworn off using them for beaver. I suppose they might work better for beaver if they weren't offset.


What from Christ that soul can sever,
Bound by everlasting bands?
None shall take thee
From the Strength of Israel's hands.

Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7071714
12/03/20 08:51 AM
12/03/20 08:51 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
330-Trapper Offline

trapper
330-Trapper  Offline

trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 62,661
Minnesota
Target the front, set and be ready for the back.

I still use all MB750s.


NRA and NTA Life Member
www.BackroadsRevised@etsy.com




Re: Number 3s for beaver [Re: Ave] #7072100
12/03/20 04:27 PM
12/03/20 04:27 PM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,817
central arkansas
T
the Blak Spot Offline
trapper
the Blak Spot  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,817
central arkansas
Snares on drowners


the just shall live by faith

member FTA, ATA, EAFT
1776 - the year we told a tyrant we weren't to be under a dictator
Caveat ater macula
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