Hey folks. New account here. Not new to trapperman or trapping. However, this year is the first time I've come across places to set beaver snares in thigh to butt deep water that doesn't have anything substantial close enough to cable off too. So I am looking for suggestions on how to anchor snares effectively in these locations if possible. I'm limited to only 2 330 in my wmu in PA for beaver. I'm also trying to avoid using them because local warden warned me that he's working on busting a trap thief locally and I'd rather take the loss of a snare than a 330 if possible.
Thanks in advance

Don't be afraid to use a super tall piece of rebar with a washer welded on top

You could use any good cable stake as well. Just need a longer driver. I make my own cable stakes from conduit if you want more info on them let me know.

AJE hit it on the head as I have and like using T-bars(piece of rebar with a short welded section welded on top) to anchor my snares. Make them in different lengths to fit scenarios you run across...I got some 40 inch stakes used in mucky bottom. Also use longer cable extensions when you need them.

And ADC hit on another system...that works for him.

You can always use snare extentions.

steel fence post. hold very well. just push them in most of the time.

I would like to hear more about it for sure.

The long rebar also serves as a tangle pole that they'll wrap around

This here. Just like kill poles for dry land cables for coon or coyote.

I'll have to get some longer stakes made up. I figured that longer t stake would be an option. Having never done it wasn't certain that was the best option.

I'd run snare extentions but it's probably a good 20-30 yards to anything that would come remotely close enough to being big enough to cable off to from the run I'm thinking of. This area Is an old beaver swamp that was damed and flooded years ago. The area that had been damed and flooded is now a big willow thicket. In the past year the beavers have moved back in and rebuilt the old dam and its under water again. So there isn't anything much bigger than thumb diamameter willow for the most part.

1/2” or 5/8” rebar


Cut into 60” or 72” lengths.


Weld a washer or a nut a 6 inches from the top AND another one 6 inches from the bottom. Weld a 12” long piece of rebar at about the halfway point. This part is crucial. Weld a piece of rebar for a handle to make spinning it to pull it easier, or get your arm wet reaching for the crosspiece. I’ve done it both ways.



I use 14 or 16 gauge wire for my support wire. You can use larger wire, but once you start using this system you will understand why the smaller wire is better. The top washer is for attaching your snare or your extension. The crosspiece is for snare entanglement. The bottom washer is so that if you choose to use this as a deep end submersion cable stake, your loop won’t slide up the rebar.


When you want to use it, drive it into the substrate until it’s solid. Attach your support wire about 8” above the waterline so that your snare is half submerged or however deep you want it. You can attach a snare on each side if you’re trying to block a wide culvert.



You can use this set as a blind set or a lured set. If you lure it, drive a stick at an angle so that lure can be applied above the loop.


Once a person sees just how versatile and useful these are for nuisance beaver trapping, they’ll understand how truly valuable it is as a tool. You could make the same setup onsite using wood, or you can use rebar, bring it with you, and know you can reuse it a hundred times. It’s handy.

What I do is buy 10' sections of 1/2" conduit. It's less than $6 each. I cut it down to 4" sections, drill a hole just big enough for my 3/32 cable to fit through in the center of each 4" piece, then hammer one end of it shut. I then cut my cable (7x7 3/32") to length. I like to cut them 30" long for our creeks so once the loop is made they are still 26-27" long. Push the cable through the hole and out the end of the conduit (you may need a little hook of wire to fish it out), then pound on a 1/4" nut or install an aluminum stop on the end. Push it back into the conduit so it's against the inside of the hole you drilled. Now form a small loop on the other end to attach your snare to. Here's some pictures, pretty simple and VERY cheap to make.





For a driver I use a 40" piece of 1/2" rod and weld a T top on it and piece of conduit on the bottom but any 1/2" rod will push them in. You can make the stake and driver any lengths to fit your needs.





These are not for hard ground. We only use them in water sets. You can hammer them in in firm ground but on dry ground or really hard ground they would not hold up but for water sets they work great in our area.

Good tutorial adc

Thanks Aix. I like to help where I can.

Are you trying to snare a channel thru the willows ? Loop around several BELOW water level works fine