So lets hear it guys-whats you favorite set and tips for trapping beavers in open water with legholds-what style/size of trap. Some of the beavers in heavily travelled areas seem to be very trap smart.We cannot use snares here except under the ice. How deep do you set the traps? etc etc. etc.

I guess if I was trapping open water beaver in the market for fur, I'd set for a back foot catch with the trap deep and off the bank. 4-5 pounds of pan tension. I'd try to avoid smaller beaver and incidentals.

I wouldn't be setting my traps shallow, close to the bank. I probably wouldn't be setting any/many 330's either.

1. Blind sets at runs with trap bedded rock solid for a front foot catch.

2. Castor mound sets with trap as above.

X2 with the exception for the trap shy ones. Then it's a deep/narrow dam break with a foothold set deep for a rear foot catch.

I have had good success getting the larger beaver while skipping most smaller ones by setting up on the furthest active trail or sign. Always check the track size on these trails also. Nothing is fullproof though

Caster mound with 750 about my forearm length off the bank off set 2 inches or so to one side with springs pointing two the bank and out into the channel. Occasionally the same on a trail. But I used more snares on trails and a 330 now and then. I also don't target beaver unless they are a problem for friends.

I agree with "patrapperbuster "......jk

I use castor mounds, mb750 on a drowner, I prefer a steep deep bank it works better for me, then I dig in a trench so the pan is under the water and vertical sides with a shelf to the castor mound to help guide the beaver into it and I put the pan away from the mound the distance from my fist to elbow and off to the side. I’ve caught front and rear foot, I hope I described it well enough as I can do it better than describing it.

To consistently take beaver in footholds,bed the trap at bottom level,and make sure the beaver is walking with his feet down when he encounters the trap.use a couple sticks,sods etc to subtly guide beaver into trap,pan offset to the approach.springs at 12 and 6 to beavers approach.
Set on positive drowning system.A # 4 or 5 DLS is what I use.

It is easy to divert a squareshy beaver into a foothold using an obvious 330.I have taken plenty of squareshy beaver with such diversionary tactics.

The road side deer warriors are traveling at 5 mph now so they can see the square frames in the ditches Boco
Mb wants them out of sight and out of mind

Risky to set on the road side of a ditch in many places.Might catch a dog.
Put the chest waders on.Or throw the punt out of the pick up.

Castor mound set, #4 LS on a sliding lock, on cable attached to a sand bag full of rocks (not sand). Put a snare lock on one end of your cable for a quick attachment to your bag of rocks, and about 16 inches of #1 chain with a small "s" hook on the upper end to wrap around a stick/root/ stake.

That's the set I used, but I liked a short chain , never liked a live beaver at a set.
I would use the chain on the trap as it came, but wire links together to make it shorter.
Stake on shore off to the side. Set trap in whatever spot showed the beaver putting it's foot down.
Liked a bank that had a water line 6 or so inches lower than the water when setting.
A washed bank , almost straight up , and during summer lower water depth .
Bank made it perfect for the beaver to bump the shore, and put it's feet down to start to climb out.
When trails were already set or few.
Never used blocking on a mud pie set.
Just a bank that was open , and had that shelf , 5-8 inches deep.
Front foot catch , 90% of the time.

Setting shallow will help with getting front foot catches and being able to drown them in shallow water, but you'll catch everything. Set deep and you'll catch mainly bigger beaver, not the $1--$5 kind.

thanks Guys!

For targeting the bigger beaver you can sometimes see a depression on the bottom where a hind foot settles down and pushes off to climb out. THE place for a trap

I like to set shallow and force them to walk into it. In this case a gravel ‘dam’. Sack of rocks wired near trap, tied off to limbs over deep water. Current helps! I don’t use one way slides because they can foul up with grass etc debris then not function. Just how I do it

Nice!

I prefer a drowning rod but the same basic deal as drasselt only we have less rocks and more mud...

thanks for the pics guys-well we are frozen up now so this is going to have to wait until Spring to try out but I am excited to try things out