I got called to come trap some beaver out of a pond about six miles from the house. I have trapped beaver there for I would guess close to 20 years. I threw some traps, hip boots and H stands in and drove over. I found a house that looked like beaver were using it and stuck a 330 in the run going into the house. I checked Thursday and Friday and nothing and no sign of movement. I did not check Saturday and on Sunday had a big sow that had kits. I added a 330 to the run and moved the other off to the side so I had two side by side and set in front of two bank holes I found on Sunday, yesterday. I took my Grandson along to check and we had four kits for four sets today. The farmer said he shot on on the ice this spring, I figure it was the male. I reset, but for the lack of sign, I figure I am done.

Mark -

Looks like Happy Time! Way to go!

Jack

The Grandson was less trouble and more help than most adults I have taken. He was all for going.

That is awesome.

Some how at 90 degrees it didn't feel like beaver trapping weather to me. But the farmer keeps me in chicken feed plus, so I wanted to get them out.

Nice work Mark! It is nice to have help checking traps... isn't it?

Nice work and I am sure he will repay the favor this fall or winter if asked. Well done.

Good job! I thought I was done for the summer but got s phone call today. So back at it again.

The Grandsons Mom, my younger daughter said he had a good time. He listens and likes to be out side. It made the heat more bearable with him along for me. I figure I would have beaver, so I figured it would be a good day to drag him along. He likes to shoot, hunt and trap.

Excellent job

Good Job.

Great to see the grandson with you

x2

That is great!! You are a lucky man to have a GS to be able to get him excited about the outdoors.

The main run going into the house was 20-24" wide with clean hard bottom in the center. The bottom sides were soft and not quite as deep. To me that said set the center, Which I did at first. I caught the female in the center. After I caught her, I moved that trap all the way to the North side of the run and added one on the South side. What I am wondering has anyone noticed that kits follow the sided of a wide run, rather than swim the center? That trap was set four days and never caught a kit. Once moved to the side it was a first night catch for the kits. Just something I thought about and wondered if any one else had seen and felt like the kits skirt the edge?

They likely went around the dead one,and then went around the trap,hugging the side after.
Once the traps were set side by side,one got caught hugging the side then the other one got caught going around the other one.
Also beaver use all their runs both coming and going,so those kits may have used a different run for a few trips out before using the one with traps.
When we set 2,3 or 4 traps in the main entrance we will wait 3 or 4 dayas to check to give the beavers a chance to get caaught when they decide to use that particular entrance.

Nice job! Looks like you have a future trapper in the making. Nothing better than on the job training.

The trap that caught the sow was set on Wednesday and she was caught Friday night Saturday morning. She was coming out of the house when caught. You figure the kits holed up for two nights like she did and never went out until she was caught? She went right in once she came out. I figured she hole up because of me walking on the house and cleaning brush/sticks off the top of the run so I could get a trap in it.

Its possible or also they could have been using other entrances.
They use them at random it seems.

It's possible they were following the edge of the run all along too. It just seemed odd that I caught none and four in one night in four traps.