I've said it before, if there's one fur bearer that can make you feel like the king of trapping at one location and a trapping fool at another, it's beavers.

I'm rooting for you, Moosetrot.

I'll remember that. Lol.

Listen, learn and grow

Always!

If the beavers are knocking down your snares leave about an inch of cable wire sticking out from your tie off loop and tuck your lock under it.
Also-overlap your upper and lower loops a little about an inch-you will get less misses.Learned that trick from Paul Millette.
Green pole set works great,just dont forget the safety wire.

Excellent tip, Boco. Thanks.

"I come to you fellas for solace . . ." Boy, have you got your wires crossed. :-)

Tough group but I thought I'd try one last time. .

If you could do with your camera what you do with your frost scraping. I'm giving it my best Clint Eastwood squint and still can't make it out.

TRUE!

I am NOT an expert bait pole trapper by any stretch although have caught quite a few with this technique in our creeks and streams when thoroughly frozen over.
Trouble around here is the diameter of the trees the beaver are chewing down-usually very small.
I harvested some sections of larger diameter green willow a farmer cut down and on 1 piece have caught 3 beaver. It is chewed 1/2 way through now.
We aren't deep here so I only run the 2 top snares just under the ice.
The first 2 locations the beaver were the last remaining beaver, the last 1 it was the first beaver caught and since I have pulled everything but left small willows through the ice at different locations and none of them have been chewed off yet.

Interesting application, Boco. And it clarifies the pigtail holding the lock. I’ve never used a lock like that tho. Thank you for that pic!

Adams lock one of the best locks there is.Slide free,lock up tighter than you know what,and not prone to freezing as bad as a cam lock,especially when you wax your snares.(not an issue when snaring under water/ice)
Like any hole lock however the hole must be closely matched to the cable.
Some guys think an oversized hole on a lock is better,but they dont lock up worth a crap,and often the hole edge which does the locking gets worn off.

I couldn't tell if you were running a small diameter wire at the top of your lock. Now I see what you're doing. You make up your own snares by the looks of it, I don't, but I think I can make something like that work on mine.

Yes,Posco,I always make all my own snares since I started trapping.Never heard of anyone buying snares back in the day-everybody made their own.
The oldtimers used stranded wire to snare,so locks weren't necessary until people started using cable.
Wire is still used for under ice beaver snaring but is getting real hard to find the old type beaver "wire".

Posco-It's like your picture only a lot worse! They are coming up out of the hole and walking across the snow and they have fresh trees down all over the place. I looked down into the hole and about 4 ft. below I see open water but there is no way I can get a 330 down there. The other bank den is about 8 ft. away and that is where I am opening a hole in the ice and dropping in a 330...or two. It's personal now...

Moosetrot

Lol, I know the feeling. I'll be back at it in the morning armed with the info Boco provided me. Bigger hole, more poles, more snares.

Robert, have you ever tried using the stainless lashing wire that the phone cable guys use to run and lash cabling from pole to pole? IMO it's the ultimate beaver snare wire, strong as h e l l, very easy to make requiring no hardware and loaded it holds a loop solid and not prone to getting bumped loose. Part roles (which is basically a life time supply for a beaver trapper) are useless to the cable guys because they have to be assured they'll reach all the way from pole to pole, making them readily available (free) if you have connections in the industry.at all.