I have a beaver that is causing me some issues. He is plugging a road culvert. Flooded marsh lands no trails, no runs just a small dam that he plugs sometimes daily or might wait 2 weeks before it is plugged again. Have sat evenings and never have seen him. Popple baited sets with bud oil lure with no success. Set is right at the dam break within feet of it. Don't have any place to set s body gripper either. Need a go to set this time of the year for this sporadic movement. Need help!!

You allowed to snare in open water?

Yes we are.

Go blind right at the dam break...not feet away from it.

Have tried that and the trap usually gets pushed up in the dam. Don't know if I am to shallow or what.

Beaver is probably pushing foothold down into mud (not a solid bed)...Set foothold in a tray for back foot catch about 12" deep and offset trap location slightly for the beaver's approach.

Also, I wouldn't use any lure or sight attractant now due to you messin' with the beaver already. Let the dam break be your lure. It's all u need.

Get there before daylight...I noticed you mentioned you've waited in the evening.

There is always a place for a body gripper….you have to make one. Move some dead limbs …put a good size log in the water and make a set. Use big rocks…what evah it takes..

I'd set like Nessy said and with snares in the channel

Those exposed bodygrips (and snares) dont work for me if the beaver is spooky any little bit. This is a summer beaver he's dealing with.

Thanks guys, there is no channels. Bog type surrounding. When the dam is plugged it is with mud and cattails. Its is hard to bed a trap in this bottom it is very soft silty mud.

That's why you need to put the trap in a tray.

Submerged snarepoles on a submerged frame(your frame doubles as your tangle stakes) will take them no problem.,out in front of the dam or anywhere they travel.
If they are on the surface and you cant find where they are travelling on bottom,a natural canopy is the ticket.
Lots of black muck beavers here too.
I always use blackened snares for these jobs. This set takes multiples also.

Boco, can you share a picture please? I also am dealing with a wised up beaver.

Then..just make a grove in the muck with your boot...just deep enough to get the trap submerged ..with a dive pole over it. Some wood chipper lure behind the set .

Submerged snarepoles on a submerged frame(your frame doubles as your tangle stakes) will take them no problem.,out in front of the dam or anywhere they travel.
If they are on the surface and you cant find where they are travelling on bottom,a natural canopy is the ticket.
Lots of black muck beavers here too.
I always use blackened snares for these jobs. This set takes multiples also.[/quote]
Boco, can you share a picture please? I also am dealing with a wised up beaver.[/quote]

Same as a dry pole under ice snarepole set without the bait.Set blind.A couple set side by side covers a big area.Dont use it in the off season if there are otter on the watershed this set is deadly on otters and will catch a bunch at a time if they travel in a family group.
It will take you a while to untangle several otters wound up on a couple snarepoles on a frame.

Swamp Wolf - the tray sounds interesting. Can you share a source or photo if homemade?
Thanks!

No...use a tray. That wont work here in summer. It must work up yonder cause all yall sure suggest it regularly.

It is a simple concept. It's basically just a trap platform for use at soft dam sets. I have some built out of 1x2s and a couple built out of 2x4s. 2x2s would also work well. The 2x4s are unnecessarily heavy. Use 1x1 or 1x2 wire for the bottom. You can make them big enough to hold 2 beaver-sized footholds side x side or just 1 trap. Make them big enough that the trap will fire unencumbered. Cut out hole in wire for d-ring if needed. Trap will sit more stable. I like 2 traps for nuisance beavs.

Beaver swims up to break...sees or smells nothing....bumps into wooded tray...climbs up onto tray and traps.....

Originally I used 1/2" × 30" rebar to hold them down to the bottom (they will float). Now, I have wooden stakes about 8" screwed to each corner....all one unit now...no extra rebar to tote in. I use my foot to push them down into the mud solid....sometimes they are actually pushed below ground level into very soft mud. Place traps in tray. I anchor with drowner chains (10' to 12' lengths) and use truck brake rotars for end weights. I anchor on each side of tray with whatever length rebar I can push all the way in...underwater ......mostly 30" to 48"...depending on how mucky and soft upstream side of dam is.

If you have a location with firm sandy bottom on upstream side of dam or at a crawlout...then you dont need a tray.

Many doubles caught and many times 2 traps on 1 beav.....the way I like it for nuisance beavs.

The general idea for trays came from David Lafforthun's video about catching trap shy beavers. His system is more work than I'm in for so I modified it for my conditions.

Sounds interesting Swamp Wolf. Have had these conditions before but usually have better sign to set on. Thanks for the idea. Boco thanks for info also may try both. As of now the beaver hasn't been back for 3 days to plug.