OK, the conversation in the offset foothold traps for beaver thread has got me curious...

Apparently, placing your bait stick in front of your trap can be quite effective in certain scenarios... I would not have ever thought to do this. I think based on some other comments that certain other experienced trappers believe that it is just plain wrong.

I have a theory on why it could be effective but I also see a lot of potential for it to cause problems (but I am no expert, so I'll keep them to myself). I also want to make sure everyone was talking about the same thing and that I was understanding correctly, so assuming that the diagram below is an accurate representation of what Beav and Catherine are discussing in that thread, can anyone explain in a bit more detail why it is either the best or worst idea ever?

I have always placed the bait stick on the opposite side of the trap...

I think we do it the same way, just different colloquial nomenclature. The stick is stuck in the bank to look like a beaver cut it off.

I ALWAYS set for a front foot catch. Much less water depth necessary for dispatch. With that set I see a decent amount of back foot catches.

Do you place your bait / lure In front of the trap for any type critter? Don't you want to have the animal cross over the trap to investigate the bait/lure? Why would you want the critter to stall out before the trap and satisfy It's curiosity and walk away. Would you place your bait/lure In front of a trap on a leaning pole set?
If that type of set up works for you be my guest.
I can see using a call lure In relation to a set to draw a critter Into the set location. But not directly in front of the trap.Same with using urine some where in relation to the actual set. But to make a set where the critter won't cross over the trap to investigate that dirt hole or a bait/lure In flat set makes no sense.

Same with a beaver set . Do you place your lure In front of your 330 In castor mound set? Same with using a stick dipped In lure In front of a foot hold. The beaver Is going to investigate that lure and If there Isn't another attraction behind that trap that beaver has no need to cross over the trap to get caught.
And If that lure placed In front of that set happens to be a castor based lure that beaver may react to that lure and cover that trap or when using a BG spring It with out getting caught.

Do what works for you but my lure/bait Is going behind the trap.

Just because you place scored up green stick In the bank In FRONT of the trap dosen't mean that beaver Is going to pass over the trap unless you have something behind the trap to draw It's attention. That stick only represents EYE Appeal It may get the beaver to investigate that set but It may not get It to go any farther.

What I mean is, some call it in front and some in back. It’s according to where you’re from and how you describe things. Now, I do use the stick up on the bank but use lure too. Usually not the same lure I’d use at a castor mound. I’ve never heard of putting the bait stick out in the water in front of the trap. Maybe I don’t know anything?…

I’d put the stick where the shore arrow is pointing at.

Your an ejit if you put the bait in front of the trap.

I hardly ever set for a front foot catch unless I absolutely know the 'coon aren't about. Small 'coon in large beaver traps don't go down the cable or rod very well. If I'm running on a three-four day check I want to be confident critters are dispatched and not sitting on the bank.

X2

To be clear, I have always been of the same mind as Beav and Law Dog... but hearing about an experienced trapper having success in specific situations got me curious. What if there is something to it? No harm in a polite discussion if we can manage it... maybe we all learn something new..

I am wondering if the idea is that a cautious beaver may circle the stick to check for danger and get caught on re-entry rather than stalling out 2 feet from the bank and convincing itself that no peeled stick is worth dropping a foot near shore.

It pains me to say this but,

I agree with boco !!!

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Thanks proratman. Very interesting.

Dale billisgley has a beaver dvd that has a good set with a bait stick, as well as Charles Dobbins dvd. Both good beaver dvds

on the bank side

Wouldn't have occurred to me to block the trap like that. I don't even use bait for beaver except under ice. Castor and blind sets will get almost all of them. That said, I'm not saying someone hasn['t figured out how to make that work.....

“Depress the button to open the latch”. When you press the button it’s depressed, so really, it’s pressed and sitting in the depressed position because it’s counter sunk. We had a huge discussion with a safety officer while he was going over safe work procedures for a new tool. LOL

I would say the front of the trap is the anticipated path of approach of the intended target.
The English language is nuts!

Good video.

Same concept, but I wire a willow sapling to a tree branch leaning over the river so the sapling is just touching the water in a foot of water. Add a dab of lure and firmly bed an MB750 in same position Dale describes with respect to current. Secure trap to drowner cable anchored near shore and out to deep water for dispatch. Set is in working order til it makes a catch.

That looks like the person would expect the beaver to come from the land side, it’d work for coons and more land animals than beaver.

The stick goes up at the top of the bank. Laying down..do not stick it in the ground.
. So the beaver goes over the trap to approach the stick.

The beaver hopefully gets caught on the first night as it approaches the stick to peel it.
. If you a have a beaver in the trap and the bait stick is gone theres another beaver there. Put out another stick..peel it a little which makes it look like a beaver was eating it and dropped it. And reset the trap.
Bed the trap well.

No lure. It's going after he stick to peel it and eat it
.the stick is the "lure"

The.manmade slide/trail up the bank centers the beavers approach to the trap so there's no need to block the trap in. No lure.

If you use lure you're defeating the purpose of the set.

Everytime a beaver goes somewhere new he deposits scent. He sees this and there's no scent he goes to it and gets caught.

His approach is.neither aggressive nor cautious approach. Its more natural.and relaxed because he smells no danger or competition
Where the stick is lightly peeled the scent and contrast brings the beaver in.

It works I've seen it firsthand with beaver that won't work the lure.

It's a good set to use when the beaver have really been screwed with because it looks like a natural setting to the beaver.

Hes coming in to get and peel the stick..lure only sets off his alarm in this type set.

The bait is both the for eye appeal and fod appeal.

It's deadly set if it's excuted right.

Jerry has used this set with great results in vermont(north) wyoming(west)west virginia(east)and in Mississippi(south)

So you slick up the bank to make a fake slid. No castor and no sac oil. Then you " lay" a green stick up on the bank. How much scent does a green stick give off? How much eye appeal does stick laying on the ground have?
Why Is a beaver swimming down the creek going to see or smell that lone stick? Why Is the beaver going to use that fake slid?
I'm going to take my chances with a little Back Breaker up above the trap. Or maybe a bit of sac oil. A bit of sac oil Is a great substitute when you run Into castor shy beaver.

My go-to set for lure shy beavers. Just a touch of sac oil. This doesn't elicit a territorial response.

We use oil too but bot on this set.

Cut abstick.andpeel it back and smell it. You'd be surprised the scent it gives off.

Just try the set and tell me what happens..I know whatll happen..you'll have a new set to use.its deadly in the spring

I have caught a lot of beaver over the years. Using just a partially peeled popple branch for bait up against the bank. Keeps some of the coon and muskrat out of the trap by not using any lure or scent.

I'll take some of the fresh shavings from where the beaver was chewing at the base of a tree, slick up the bank, and put the fresh shavings on bank with foothold bedded. Works great for those that are square and lure shy.