Good point. It may change things if it’s considered public within the channel and the trapper stayed within the channel.








I have on a few rare occasions flipped my KP upside down when I needed to make a set in really shallow water. This was when I was using one with a crosspiece about 1/4 from the top.


One last note...while it seems the common way to anchor snares on both coyote and beaver KPs is to pass the loop through the nut or washer, I choose to have a permanent, swiveled cable with a toggle or swivel/J-hook attached. It isn’t necessary, but it’s what I prefer. When I have it my way, it’s 1/8” 7x19 stainless cable with a barrel swivel. I have always secured my snares on the top end of KPs, rather than the bottom. It may or may not matter, but I’ve always anchored high with snares when I have the option. In my mind, anchored from above equals lock on the back of the neck.

Meat trapper did a good video on this. With snares just like ADC is describing but with sliding lock so they rown and can't get back up. Worked fine for him.

Good idea! Looks like I’ll be making a couple of these for beaver jobs.

I have used a foothold float on nuisance beaver. #3 Bridger set for front foot. anchored on 50 lb sack of rocks in 8 feet. Like any drowner they go down and that is it. I don't know if I would be confident in a rod stuck in the mud only to have them push off bottom enough to jack it out. Perhaps in 7 ft plus deep and a stop 2 ft off bottom limiting them pushing off bottom.

To explain, I have used this only twice following another trapper who tried to remove them on a large lake. My float is big and cumbersome, an elongated X with 6 ft 2X4's. I wire fresh green poplar to the middle of the X. I use blue insulation sheet in the middle. The footholds are 3 inches under on a step to get up inside the legs and I try to limit access to the bait so the are not getting it without getting inside the legs. At most a dot of food lure as these are well spooked and square shy. It is 50 yds out in a bay. Worked like a charm in both cases after other means failed to have a catch in 2 weeks. One produced a double (separate cables to the weights). Both times in the early summer/late spring.

I was thinking these would be better for shallower water, the places where a conventional drowning rod or slide wire wouldn't work. Maybe weld a cross piece on about three feet down (like Aix Sponsa did) to keep the drowning lock from swiveling and shortening the snare.

If I were dealing with shallow water, my first choice would be snare entanglement. My second choice would be foothold on a slider/rod, and my last choice would be a vertical drowner.


These are my reasons for 1 & 3: With entanglement, you’re able to use a longer snare, because they’re going to become entangled, thus shortening the snare. This allows you to have flexibility when making your set. When using a vertical drowner, you MUST use a very, short snare or have deeper water, because if you get a poor catch, they’re going to be able to surface. I’ve had to deal with a beaver in 4 feet of water that was able to barely surface, and it was a nightmare.

I’ve used them all, and entanglement with a snare is my preferred snare method in this type of situation, hands down.


If anyone insists on a vertical drowner, great. I encourage you to try new things, but having the shortest possible snare is something that you’ll appreciate almost immediately.


Good luck

You think that's fun, try an otter that has pulled the bank stake and is on about a 10 foot leash staked in 4 feet of water.

Sounds like a lot of fun alright. In my case, that joker bit the foot of my wader. Luckily my big toe wasn’t in the way, or I’d have a funny walk. That was the last time I used vertical rods with locks.


With short enough snares or deep enough water, it’ll work fine. Working inside of a deep waterbody from a boat, vertical drowners would shine. That’s just not a typical situation in my case.

ttt

Only problem with your setup Aix is its to simple

Beaver work helps me pay the bills, but I still said I would share what I learn with others. It seems as though the more I share, the more work I get. I’ve been blessed with beaver work and I try to share what works for me. Rebar snare KPs work very well for me, and that’s why I try to tell others about them.

Maybe where other people trap it’s different, but in all nearly all of the situations I’ve encountered all over this State, I would rather be wearing waders instead of working out of a boat, and when I’m wearing waders, I’d prefer the water be less than my chest—-it’s just safer and easier to work. I would take vertical entanglement over vertical lock every single time with this type of situation. If someone is trapping 8 feet of water for some reason, they can use just about anything they want to, but doing beaver work, I just use boats to get where I’m going if at all possible. Work is done outside of a boat, if possible. With that said, horizontal rods are a different story. If I wanted to use locks, it would be horizontally, but even then, I’d choose adjustable cables.

My adjustable cables are usually anchored using my entanglement poles, because I want my submersion rigs staked, not weighted. Then I take advantage of the opportunity and hang a snare off of my submersion rig’s stake. I’m able to carry one rebar and one cable and make 2 sets. I could make 3 sets even if I wanted to, due to the way I set them up. It’s a win/win in my opinion.