A friend and I were talking about this today, and it really got me thinking. What state/ states in the lower 48 have the best beaver trapping as far as numbers go? I said southern states like Mississippi, Arkansas, etc. He argued that New England states would be better. What are your guys’ thoughts? What would your top 3 states be? Thanks!

I think a lot of Southern states have year round trapping if you’re talking just numbers. I’d imagine your northern beaver have a better fur market value. Not a beaver trapper so I really don’t know fur value, just guessing.

I would guess Minnesota, Wisconsin and UP Michigan have lots of puddles and lots of habitat.

Land of 10,000 lakes would hold a bus load of beaver

And Maine too

Caught 49 out of 15 acre oxbow/swamp here in Arkansas one season. My best ever one area catch. What kind of numbers up north.

I'd say Maine and,Minnesota.
Lots of trappers in Minnesota for sure that trap a lot of beaver.

I know some fellas from up here that kill a lot of beaver in Arkansas and Mississippi.

In the 1980s there was an article in The Trapper by 2 guys trapping in WV. Caught well over 400 beaver.

I don't no about other states, but Michigan DNR at their December meeting said that Michigan is overrun with beaver,

Wisconsin has more lakes than Minnesota but Minnesota probably has more beaver would be my guess... Nessie- don't believe everything on a license plate- we were America's Dairyland once also

To my knowledge Maine and Minnesota offer the longest and most fruitful beaver trapping.

New Mexico, Arizona and Texas

North Carolina with a few cotton mouths thrown in.

To the topic at hand, I have no idea on the “best” and/or most numerous. I would guess some of the southern states would definitely be in the running.

As for comparing the number of lakes in MN and WI, this is an interesting read.

Happy trapping! ScottW

Caught one in a Girl Scout pond at a cement dam. Beavers were trying to plug the overflow. Pool was enclosed on three sides and fed by a creek.

Central NC

I’d say Maryland it’s close to water.

I think you might be referring to Thorpe and Comstock and they were in Va..over next to lake Anna...not WV.

WV does not have that beaver population and in the 80s we had a 25 beaver limit.



We don't have that kind of population even today. Our total state harvest is right at 1000 and we still have to tag them so we know the numbers.

If had tha kinda beaver population jerryd never go out of state to trap them..he wouldn't need to.

Louisiana and Maine would be our guess. Jerrys trapped Lousiana and said it was yhe highest beaver population by far he'd ever seen.

And.maine just changed their laws where you can now trap the dams.

Yes, but if you go up north and try to trap, the locals will pull your traps and leave you a letter telling you to clear out or they will leave your body in the swamp.

As for Maine, dam setting is only allowed is some zones.

"You are not allowed to set a
trap within 5 feet of a muskrat house, a
muskrat den, or a beaver house, and you
are not allowed to set a trap within 5 feet
of an active beaver dam. A beaver dam is
considered inactive if it is breached or is no
longer being maintained by a beaver and
shows no evidence of beaver activity.
The exceptions to this rule are that in
WMDs 1-6, 8-11, 18 and 19, there is no
required setback distance from an active
beaver dam or beaver house."