I like the old Victor or Blake and Lamb #4 longsprings. Haven't used any new longsprings for beaver, but I'm sure they work fine. I prefer a longspring because they are easier to set when standing knee deep in water. And the ones like the Victors that will "break over" are way easier. The Newhouses were an awesome trap but a pain to set over your knee, the Sleepy Creek 4 1/2 (I've used for wolves) is built like a Newhouse, I can't set it over my knee. To me the longsprings bed better also, and I've never seen a need for a bigger jaw than a #4 for beaver. I also primarly target front foot catches, they can't pull as hard and you don't need near as much water to drown them. I've trapped plenty of beaver in little mountain stream ponds where you HAD to front foot them because there wasn't enough water to drown them with a back foot.

You can get used longsprings for less than half the price of new 750s, less if you go with #3's, and I've caught plenty of beaver in #3's but I recommend and prefer #4's.

Never counted and don't know if I've topped the 1000 mark, but am probably close. Get you some 330s and a bunch of foot hold traps of your choice. They both have a place on the beaver line.

Kre, can you tell me anything about the Montana #5? I think it looks interesting. I had a couple #3's, but the levers twisted really bad and wouldn't stay corrected with the screwdriver trick,so I never used them. The loose jaw wouldn't lay flat. Us it a decent bever trap?

I keep hearing people can't set the sleepy creeks over theyre knees, all it takes is a little practice and they are easier than coil springs to set. If i could figure out how to post a video I would. There's probly videos of it somewhere. But 330 in the open water works best for me, snares under ice.

The Montana #5's I had all laid flat. It has the same dogless set up as the #3, which is really simply and easy to handle. This may sound stupid, but it seems to have a big jawspread for 7.5 inch trap.

I'm not sure if you can get them anymore, but they're as good as any trap in their class...FWIW.

Thanks Kre

I’m curious about this.
First, do you have a state regulation that requires you to drown beaver?
Second, are you actually losing beaver caught by back foot if they don’t drown?
Third, do you have another reason for wanting them on the bottom - thieves, bear, wolves, etc?
I don’t think I can recall a single solid back foot catch on a beaver that didn’t result in the beaver being right there waiting for me, alive or drowned, trap tangled and not swivelling or free and swivelling, it doesn’t matter, they are waiting for me. This is why I will set a drowning rig if I have only enough water for front foot drowning. If I get a front foot, they are waiting under water. If I get a back foot, they are waiting, alive or dead, usually alive. And if I don’t have enough water to drown, and for some reason I must use a foothold (which is very rare), I set for a back foot and stake them solid. If you are losing beaver caught by a back foot, you might want to re-evaluate your foothold trap choice. In my 1500-ish beaver, I’ve probably caught around 500 in foot traps, the vast majority rear foot catches, and I honestly have never had a wring-off with a solid rear foot catch. I’ve had a few toenails, confirmed because I’m doing ADC and I almost always catch the beaver missing the toe eventually.
This has me wondering, has anyone ever caught a beaver missing a rear foot? I haven’t. It’s to the point that I suspect they may not be able to survive missing a rear foot. I’ve caught several missing a front foot, and missing rear toes, but a never a whole rear foot. But I’m just one person, maybe I just have not caught enough beaver to find one missing a rear foot.

I've had toenails, but never a rear foot. To be honest I couldn't tell you, but I can't say I ever remember having lost a beaver with a solid rear foot catch. I am careful with trap placement when my water is shallow and so I virtually never rear foot them there. Only once have I came upon a live beaver in a trap, although twice I can recall doing so with otter. The beaver and one otter were back when I was a teenager and didn't carry a pistol on the line with me. The otter had the bank stake pulled and the drowning wire twisted so he couldn't go down it, so basically he was on an 8 foot leash staked out in belly button deep water that had a skim of ice on it, and I was wearing hip boots. Getting out there and dispatching him with the back of an axe was a real experience! Everytime I would swing he would dive, then come up on the other side of me.

Basically if I make sure I front foot them I know they are going to be dead and I don't have to worry about losing them or dealing with a live angry beaver when I get there. Besides, I was taught to front foot them when I was kid, so that's the way I've always done it. And although I've caught quite a few peg leg beaver over the years, I've never pegged one that I recall. Only time I can recall coming and finding a foot in my trap was when it froze over the pond one time and there was just enough open water on the spillway for the beaver to stick his foot in, but not enough for him to go down the drowner. But he was still there when mister bobcat came along and decided he wanted a meal. Found the foot in the trap and the beaver about 20 feet away. You know that bobcat skinned that beaver about as slick as I would! He just opened him up from the side instead of the belly.

Sometimes thieves if I am along a road, wolves or possibly cats could all be an issue, but the main reason is because I want them dead when I get there.

330s are good and useful, but I set about 10 footholds for every 330, more versatile in my opinion. And some of the local bobcat trappers in the area trap a few beaver every year for bait, and they ALL use 330s, I don't think any of them know how to foothold beaver. Consequently you end up with 330 wise beaver. Whereas where I grew up the 330 was what you grabbed when you had a trapwise beaver, here I grab a #4.

And don't get me wrong, I've caught quite a lot of beaver by the back foot, if I have plenty of water and there is a better spot to bed the trap deep for a hind foot than there is shallow for a front, I'll set it deep. Also trapping rivers where the water fluctuates you'll catch by a hind a lot when the water comes up. Just a preference and the way I was taught to front foot them. I've had a hind foot beaver pull 50# of window weights up off a hard bottom and be sitting on the bank waiting for me, I've never had a front foot caught beaver pull a drowning stake or weights up.

That all sounds reasonable. We all have our ways that work for us. Thanks for the clarification.

all good advice , cant use snares here 330 are the to go trap for almost all situations including under ice set but i have used plenty long spring blake and lambs 3 and 4s also the old scholl 44s , have also used victor jumps 3 and 4s beaver were there when i checked it, yes the mb 750 is a great beaver trap and other traps mentioned , get yourself some duke 330s some used blake and lambs long springs you will be fine,

If you can find some 14 jumps you will have a great foot hold for beaver. But If you have teeth restrictions It won't work for you.

Bridger no.5 coilspring, also the ts 85 if legal for you. I tried the 750s and caught with em, but just dont like the latching system your opinion may vary, good luck

I dont know about where yall trap but around here a live beaver will usually be beat up by other beaver when you get there

I've trapped a couple spots over the years where a dead beaver would be chewed up by other beaver, much less a live one. I remember pulling all my traps out of a spot when in my teens because there was a beaver (assuming just one) that was going around chewing up every beaver I had in a trap. I was trying to trap for the fur and every one I caught there was chewed up and practically worthless so I pulled my traps and went somewhere else.

I been running Bridger # 5 coil and dls. I fixing to put new pan system on dls. That is the only thing I don't like about them. Snap traps no animals.