Where you folks trap, what percent of your catch has fresh bite wounds this time of year? I’m guessing I’m seeing gashes in about a quarter of all beavers caught. I’m setting to drown, or am killing them in 330s. I haven’t encountered a live beaver in a trap in several years.I’m guessing a lot of these bites are coming while the beavers are in the trap.

I’ve also noticed that the beavers I pull off of bigger rivers seem to be bit up more than those from a colony on smaller waters.

That's my experience river beaver being bit up more. Maybe higher population and competition.

It also generally runs about 1/4 of the spring catch for me, too.

The non-judicious use of strange castor & not getting
the trapped beaver deep & away from the castor set site,
or out of the channel/plunge hole area will dramatically
increase the incidents of post mortem biting.

Trespassing Traveler beaver found dead in traps by
resident beavers in their local territory tend to get hit harder.

If you don't use tightly driven stabilizing stakes to anchor
the #330 in place but instead use a long cable or wire to allow
the beaver thrash it's way away from the trap set site
& into deeper water you will see fewer incidences of biting,

IMHO.

w

Some beaver that have been dispersing in spring thru other beavers territory will have bites.
It is not hard to tell the difference between a pre mortem and post mortem bite on the pelt.

Most of the pre mortem bites I get are on two year olds. I think some 2 year olds are a little slow on the go when momma says “your outta here!”

The highest population I've ever trapped (state park) had the highest number of bites. I've seen this other places as well. Thin them out and the damage decreases quite abit.

That's been my experience too.

I'm convinced that beavers kill more beavers than trappers do. On the big river I trap after the middle of January about 60-70% have bites and if you add old scars (that would open during tanning) make it about 90%.