I manage a farm in GA. I am an amateur trapper. I have predator hunted for almost 10 years and got into trapping a two years ago after getting out of the Marines as something to keep my mind busy and proactive. But, I am struggling with it. The pond on the property is maybe 2-3 acres. Surrounded by cedar, privet, and oak. Beaver has absolutely caused havoc on the trees. I started attempting to trap it almost 2 months ago. He has defied conibears, snares, and ts-85s. He switches to a new slide nightly it seems. He responded to castor mounds by making his own everywhere. But, he will not attempt to destroy mine and avoids them entirely. He switches trees constantly. I have only seen him once. Also, he has a bank den that is the size of a pickup truck. He runs out of it are in almost 5 feet of water. He is a walker I am thinking as well. He seems to be okay to travel along the pond. I have never tried to trap beaver before, but I did a lot of homework in reading this forum, watching videos, and reading books. I could use whatever tips or advice on how to approach trapping this beaver or beavers. I have sunk a lot of money into trying to trap it for my boss.

Where are you located? Has the pond been trapped before?

Just east of Atlanta. 2021 pond was trapped. Two beavers in cage traps were removed two miles down the road according to my boss.

Is the pond fed by a creek or spillover with another pond below or above it? I have struggled with pond beavers before if the pond is isolated. Normally, in my experience, there is a crossover if they are either fed or feeding into another body of water and that is a good place to catch them. It may be faint. A foothold on that crossover may take him. I would suggest some sac oil, but you would have to have some sac oil on hand for that.

The pond has natural springs underneath. It has another “creek” that feeds it that is like an inch deep. Runs across a field. Dry a lot if no rain. It then dumps into the pond from a 5-6ft embankment. There is another creek below the pond about 300+ yards from it. There is a pond that the “creek” feeds from on another property. Real small pond. Maybe 100 yards by 100 yards wide. That pond is across a paved road.

Keep your castor mounds freshened up he will keep refreshing his. Don’t set traps at yours go blind set his works every time on the wise ones.

Thanks for that tip! He seems to spend a lot of time walking aloont the bank. Should I use footholds? He avoids the snares, footholds at rhe bottom of slides, and conibears. He goes and makes another slide. I swear he has over 15 slides on a 2 acre pond. Is setting a foothold on the top of the bank (high bank) where his prints are with an earth anchor a bad idea? If so the jaw spread cannot be over 5.75 inches.

By blind set I mean don’t change a single thing at one of his castor mounds close to yours just simply place one or two foot holds where he is coming out of the water to freshen his mound up. Beaver ls build there entire locations they know when something is changed even more so when messed with a few times. Also the longer your presence is know the more they are going to pick up on. So I’d start with blind setting as many of his most active castor mounds as you can and try to nab them before they get to cautious to your presence of being around there for they can hold up for long time or just simply ditch an area entirely.

I’d just go with foot holds where you know he is coming out of the water to freshen up his mounds. Keep them submerged in several inches of water for he might be coming up with a load of mud in his front arms so he won’t be putting them down anyways. Keep your castors mound fresh and freshened up with lure to trigger his territory response he will go freshen his up sooner then later and hopefully wearing one your footholds trying to do so.

I’ve pulled this trick off many many times for in my area if on public land there far and few beaver dams others haven’t already made pretty wise to most trappers tricks or sets.

Thank you! What is the trap placement you’d recommend in the water? I am using TS85s. Also, what is proper trap placement for a fromt foot catch with a smaller foothold? And then, how often should one refreshen a mound with castor? Thanks a lot for this advice.

With a smaller jaw spread which I’m use to for my state only allows 6.5” outside regardless in water or on land I bed my traps close to bank in about 3” of water over the trap for front foot. Several inches deeper for back foot. Make sure traps are bedded solid. I like to make a bowl impression in the mud so my trap is bedded just below the surrounding pond bottom pretty much like a k9 set on dry land but not getting covered back up this way there feet are not getting caught on trap jaws or levers when walking up out if they drag them back feet they can catch that lever or jaw and lift it up. So they are basically putting there foot down in the the trap down in bowl this gives you deep catch and on front feet the last place you wanna hold is on the wrist joint wanna be above that. Also some like light pan tension I like a good solid 5 plus lb tension on my foot holds I want commitment when possible.

Awesome thank you. What is your offset to the center of the slide?

Starring head on at the slide or path coming out of the water levers at 12 and 6 o’clock and I place my traps pan just off to the right of center of slide or path just a couple inches not much you see there tracks in the mud and snow there feet are not kept far apart from center mass.

I’m not the best at art but hopefully this helps haha

That’s front foot back foot would have trap back further and deeper or if water level is already deep at banks edge then trap would go that close still. Front foot fingers length deep back foot entire hand length or more.

I’m sure others will chime in with better information but this has always help fill the tailgate up with the wise ones.

If you are there every day managing the property. Can you just shoot it? Otherwise what Hammer suggested should work. You only have to be right one time. He has to be right every time. Sooner or later he's gonna make a mistake. Right now he know your coming. Blind set should get him. Set where he doesn't expect it.

@The hammer Thanks a ton man. The drawing and information helped! I have been almost to the point of pulling my hair out haha. And @1Simplemann I wish. But, landowner doesnt want people shooting after dark. This beaver is nocturnal.

That's interesting he's avoiding snares, they usually don't wise up to snares, as nothing dramatic happens like firing a conibear in their face or getting chest pinched by a foothold, they just get tangled up in the snare. Even if they get belly caught and wriggle their way out they still don't usually realize anything bad happened or that they were almost dead, they just think they got tangled up. They get tangled in brush and grass and roots all the time, a piece of cable isn't much different

He wont go through them and just makes a new slide next to the snares. I underestimated a beaver 😂

If you predator hunt, do you have a thermal ? Easy peasy. But, a swimming beaver is a small target. Wait until he gets to shallow water to feed.

Also, do a search here for a thread on the trays that hold foot traps.

Hammer's suggestions are excellent. Only thing I would add, is when dealing with a real trapwise beaver I have had to cover my traps a time or two, even underwater. If the pond has leaves around it or in it, take a couple watersoaked leaves and put over the trap. Not much extra effort and it just might make a difference.

The one thing you have going for you is that he is staying active, I have trapped some beaver where if I went in and made any disturbance, pounded in stakes, walked close to their den, etc. They would hole up for a couple weeks and not move.

Beaver are really easy to trap. . . until they aren't. A trap wise beaver can be one of the smartest animals out there to try and trap.

An educated beaver can make you willing to cry on national tv. Sometimes, just leaving the beaver alone for a month or so and give him a chance to relax a little, will work. Then go back in as quietly as you can and get him in a deeper run especially if there has been limbs and brush to fall over the run. Don't block like a picket fence; he won't fall for it. Leave the castor at home.

Rickey

I ended up removing one successfully with a foothold. More than one apparently so will ise the same techniques. Thank you all for your help!

Did you get him on a blind set? Castor mound? Cross over? Basically how did you end up getting him to make a mistake?