What are your recommendations for someone wanting to start snaring beavers. What tools, snares, types of sets, Anchors, anything at all. I am completely green at this so nothing will be judged as unnecessary. Pictures would be amazing. Thank you in advance.

Don't really need much in the way of tools other than wire and cable cutters, a hammer and lineman's pliers.

For the actual snares, I like 48" snares with an inline swivel then extensions.

I like to use quick supports whenever possible. The best I've found for beaver is tomato/tobacco wood stakes cut down to 18" with the same length of #9 wire added.

Outside the obvious slide and and trail sets, I do some castor smear sets anywhere you have a tree or other object forming a tight passageway big enough to fit a snare in. You can do castor mounds with snares too but they need to be spots where you can give at least 18" between the snare and the mound. Never put the snare where the water and meet. Minimum 18" off that point either way.

Where I grew up they were River Bevers. We set snares at the base of their slides along the bank. Pretty easy stuff. Maybe a stick in the mud, some #11 wire and a snare. If you can find spots where they slide into the water, those are super. Easy way to get started with beaver. Not just rivers. You can find them around ponds too.

KISS.
Any plaace that you can set a foot hold or body grip trap. You can set a snare.

I got one! Nice beaver on a slide, wolf fang anchor, 48” snare spray painted brown, with a cut wire clothes hanger for a snare support. Took two days (day one had been pulled down) but I figured out this is FREAKING AWESOME!

And you can set snares at lots of places that are not suitable for foot holds or body grip sets.

WTG!
Now......did you ask a loved one for a Beaver Snaring dvd for Christmas present?

http://snareone.com/videos.html

That's how ya get free dvd's and books and gear ya know, ask loved ones to get them for your presents.

Traprjohn,
I bet your family is tired of you asking for trapping stuff!

You’d think so. Lol
But they prefer their money go towards what I need/want/will use as opposed to a perty sweater that’ll only get used 6 hrs/yr
My awesome wife got me muskrat glands and bobcat urine for Christmas last yr!

Snaring beaver underwater or under ice is a totally different ballgame than trapping trails. I know nothing about snaring under the water or ice. For trails or on the surface of the water I do OK. I would guess that the last 50 beaver I snared were ALL snared by the head. Took me years to realize that when everyone was recommending a 10-12" loop, for me was letting almost every beaver through the snare. The few I caught were caught by the tail. Securing the snare loop tightly so that the snare fires properly, and using a 8" loop have made all the difference for me. Here's something that maybe not everyone knows- When a beaver is swimming on the surface of the water, he holds his arms forward like superman. They are outstretched to touch land or whatever. If underwater swimming, their arms are held back like an otter. So when someone recommends using a 10 inch loop, 2/3 or 1/2 underwater, they are assuring that they have no chance of a head catch. I want the loop to only be underwater enough to get just under the chin, maybe 2". Any more that 3" and there's a good chance that the front legs will make it through the snare. There's a sweet spot between the chin and forward extended front legs that seems designed to catch a snare loop. Use it and you wont be disappointed.

This makes a lot of sense to me. I tend to hang snares about 1/3 under water with about a 10" loop. Rarely get a tail catch but it has happened. Get some neck catches but get chest catches too. Swimming with their front pointed forward could certainly account for the chest catches.

Thanks for the info.

Great info Dean. Thanks

Very cool info. Thanks a lot. I’m on a big creek trying to catch them in current. How does running water effect the way you set?