I know this has probably been discussed before and a common question. But I have an opportunity to trap beavers for a county road department 1 hour away from me. They are offering $200 per beaver. Is that worth it or do I need to negotiate a daily pay rate per check?

are you willing to lose on your time and gas if you don't catch. If you're getting paid per animal that should be the bonus to your pay check

That’s very true. Sounds like they have an abundance of beavers tho. I thought about just setting it heavy and increasing my odds?

Good plan! Will theft be an issue?

Theft shouldn’t be an issue. The areas they described, the average person won’t be going.

Too many variables to know if thats enough $.

May be a good time to invest in cellular trail cameras. You can physically go there with an animal in a trap.

Job from this spring.

One hour one way through Atlanta traffic. One acre pond with beaver chew all around inlet creek dammed up.

Evidence points to at least last year's mated pair so expected mom, pop and at least a couple yearlings.

Caught one yearling sized and one that looked like a half grown kit. No new activity since.

That worth 400?

Point being, you have no control over who's been in there before you, if they play in traffic or Bubba is camped out with a shotgun.

Figure your drive time, set time, set maintenance and formulate a fee based on your skill level and expected time to clear out a full strength colony. Also set it it up for a clear start and end date with option for more to follow as more will eventually move in. That way you get paid and catches are a no pressure thing you do.

But otherwise 200 per is a decent entry level price point.

I charge per day my traps are on the place for county work, same with school district, big company’s. That way you don’t have to show proof of what you catch. Not sure what your trap check laws are.

wws

Lots of things to factor in a lot has been said already, did you ask have they had someone in already to try and trap the beaver?

I have gone to a set-up fee/site inspection fee, this covers your first visit setting traps, inspecting the area, gas, etc. I charge mileage to my corporate clients or build it in to a flat rate service for some. $200 sounds like a lot but until you actually pull the beaver out you really do not know.

Some variables that are more business then trapping are, Is this a "in" you want and are willing to take it at a potential loss for future business? Or is this a one time gig? Did they contact you or did you reach out to them? If they contacted you, probably more leverage for you to negotiate.

County/Township infrastructure managers a lot of times just want one guy to call and know it will be taken care of quietly and professionally. They already have a budget for this service and do not need to shop it around. Many of these clients I have carried out some work for with the understanding that my fees will go up, if we are both happy with the results.

If your just starting out I would recommend you figure out your expenses and have that as your daily fee/ site visit and a per beaver amount as your profit. This way you will not lose (as much) money dipping your toe into the ADC world. You gain some experience and if you do a good job a possible reference for future clients.

I will say this, only once would I have made more money on charging per beaver, then the flat rate amount/daily amount I usually charge.

Most clients "say" they have an abundance. I've seen one so there must be a 100

I flat bid,,,,,,This much for this amount of days.
A long time ago I was doing clean up behind USDA at 300 per and sill made good wages before 6am..

I think it is all about how Good you are, and what are the expectations for the future.
If I make all the beaver go away,,,, so does my job.

I did it during the last fur boom with rats.....

Thank you all for the advice I will definitely take it into consideration!

Good luck, BB

I set up 3 this week.

First was pull truck over, basically drop a couple Comstocks at culvert. One beaver first night, two nights nothing and done.

Second has a large pond, goes under interstate a couple hundred feet through huge box culvert to a small pond. Beaver dam is about 1/4 way into culvert. Can't reach it from either end due to water level, without a boat/canoe/kayak. No fresh sign found, two days so far, no catch. Will need to break dam at some point, the state wants it opened up. I don't know if the place was trapped in the past. Boat launch is at far end of large pond away from culvert, unless I park on interstate and drag kayak through the woods.

Third I set today, took 15 minutes to drop Comstocks in a 3-5' wide stream coming into a small pond. (Trapped out 2 last season in same spot)

There's no way in hades that I would charge per beaver. Not to mention an incidental otter or snapping turtle, 20-30 minutes one way. I do hourly, including travel, with first hour doubled.

Dam IN the culvert? That's let's out dynamite! LOL

This is CT, we can't even use firecrackers.

Clarify expectations and property lines.

Had one for a local city that turned into a mess. Beaver in an HOA pond had moved up into the residents yards and started plugging the culverts going under the city roads.

Obvious solution was clean out the pond but city only wanted the culverts unplugged and HOA wasn't on board.

Check legalities. Until recently ROW trapping was strictly off limits in Georgia, still is for fur trapping. A few years back our own Kirk DeKalb got it legalized for nuisance trapping with written authorization of the agency controlling the ROW.

Another deal here. The metro counties inevitably end up owning the creek bottoms with zoning rendering them unbuildable and hence worthless. Without management the bottoms become beaver swamps and the counties do nothing but unplug what can be reached from the road.

The neighboring homeowners eventually get water backed up into their backyards and no way for me to go into the bottoms to legally solve the problem.

If asked the county will tell them to hire a guy but they won't give written permission to trap on county land.

I'm not comfortable with wink and a nod permission from the county that can and will prosecute if things go south or the counties getting service paid for by the public.

That is pest control, not beaver trapping.....
I like to be a lazy culvert trapper also....

The best part is you can just throw Jimmys traps in and they catch stuff...