I’ve gotten permission to trap a pond that definitely has beaver,,, I used my PVC sets which usually cleans them up pretty quick and I’ve not had any action at the sets,,
I’m probably gonna switch up to some snares,,,
As far as I know,, nobody has ever been back there messing with them,,,
I’m just trying to figure out if these guys have been to school or not,,,
How long does a beaver remember getting pinched??

One season , 2 seasons, for the rest of its existence??

Simpleton view, until it is dead…

until it goes down the slide in my MB750

X2

So, what's your PVC pipe set for beaver if you don't mind sharing?

X3

Until he meets uncle buck.

My name is Buuuuuck…..

My view... and it is with limited experience...I believe that a pinched beaver MAY associate WHERE the specific event took place. Could be wrong but I have had luck catching them again at DIFFERENT locations at the same general area. Just don't ask me how long it took to catch them. I am working on catching the last one myself right now started at the end of October...grrr
The creek I am on now runs in between a retention pond. I snared one and it tangled up on dryland somehow.....thats when the problems started.
Boco I wish I could use buckshot, a rifle, a spear or an arrow....too many eyes around.
Foxkidd44...good luck, hope you catch it soon!

I had a beaver kink and break a snare cable. Reset a new snare in the same place and caught the beaver wearing the broken snare the next day. That is pretty rare though.

I've noticed Beavers remember longer then I do

I currently have some traps just outside of town on a small creek that a beaver/beavers have dammed up. On last night's check (the first check), my first trap, a blind set at a break in the dam, I had a snapped trap with a toenail in it. about 20 feet away, I have a castor mound set. In that trap was a big ol' beaver, missing one of his toes. So he first went to repair his dam, got caught by the toe and pulled out and left, without repairing the dam. Then he sway over to the castor mound set, and caught there and went down the chain to meet his demise. Granted, it was two different types of sets, but he went for a lured set after losing a toe trying to repair his dam, in the same night, instead of going back home and hiding out.

I think they are related to elephants in that regard. That being said, I have taken pinched beavers in similar sets that were lured and baited differently not 20 feet away from the original set just 2 days after their bad experience. These were in footholds, not bodygrippers, however. I have met a lot of beavers that I wished would get dementia.

Open water trapshy beavers are easy to take in under ice sets if you can wait.

My take - most never forget, but sometimes one will forget as soon as the later that same night. But for all practical purposes, assume “till they are dead”…
Always remember, a beaver has no defense against a well concealed blind set footthold in a new location.

In 1967 the OSU Beavers beat OJ Simpson and the #1 ranked USC Trojans 3-0. The infamous mud-bowl in Corvallis, Oregon. How's that for how long a Beaver can remember?

Until they are dead is the simple answer. I've trapped beavers so shy that if you tromped in there making noise or drove any stakes they would hole up for weeks. Where I had to pull my traps and give it a couple weeks, then slip back in there and set one or two well concealed traps quietly, without driving any stakes or anything, in order to catch them. Others are not so smart, but if you suspect they may be trap shy it is better to err on the side of caution and make subtle sets.

I think you have to experiment with changing tactics. I liked to resort to footholds that are well camouflaged on a drowning rod if the water is deep enough. If they are trap shy, it's usually 330s they stay away from and castor-based sets. At least, that's been my experience.

I have the Dobbins book on open water trapping for beaver and otter. Some really good ideas in there for catching those educated beaver.

Do those Beavers remember September 6th, 2008?

....Yup. We got hammered by Penn State.