Figured some might like to see what some of these Deep South pineywood wetlands beaver sites look like. I'll take a few more pics tomorrow and post them.

Water is no more than knee deep in this wetland area....except for the 50+ year old canal dug thru it by former landowners to "drain" the surrounding area. Beavers put a stop to that a while back. A mud dam a few inches high backs water up over 100s, sometimes 1000s, of acres drowning the planted pines. This is located on a 40,000 (40 thousand) acre tract that the company I trap for purchased from a private family 3 years ago. Beavers haven’t always been here....only a few years. Gators have kept them in check...I reckon.

Locals lease part of this large land holding to hunt deer with hounds. They recently removed a 10.5' gator from here week b4 last....Georgia gator season is currently open.

I trapped this same property last spring and killed 10 beavers where I could get to them. 5 came outta this same wetland.

… get em !

Don’t need too deep of water when ya don’t have to worry about freezing out! :-D. Happy trapping! ScottW

No freezing solid here. Very few days of any ice.

Probably won't be here (at this property) in winter anyway. Company will have me somewhere else.

Get her done swamp, thanks for the pics, beautiful place to spend a few days trapping.

Nice tray double, Swamp.

Missed them two nights in a row....(1st two nights) Two Bridger 5s in a tray at breach in left end of dam. Tray directly in front of breach and about a foot deep. Plugged breach twice without getting caught or even firing traps....mud in tray on traps. Was beginning to think small yearling beaver.

Left tray in position, dug new breach offset from the tray near center of dam,
and then made a small castor mound set on opposite end of the small dam with another B5 on a Black Widow trap stand....lured with a castor-based lure....yesterday.

This morning, an adult male in trap at castor mound and a sow female in the farthest trap in tray from the breach.

Go figure! Male must have got caught at scented set and that female just messed around until she stepped wrong. Breach was not plugged.

wtg, swamp, thanks for sharing,

Thanks Swamp. Always enjoy your posts. Glad you're back.

Nice work....looks like you are healed up and on the go!

Im going, but not healed up. It's almost hilarious watching me navigate knee deep water in a swamp. Doc says knee replacement is only option...

Thanks Dan D!

Thanks TD!

I can only imagine how many cotton mouths are in there.

Well done !

Dont see many in early fall....but one should always pay attention. Early to mid-spring is the active time for cottonmouths.

Rattlers (on dry land) .......early fall is the most active.

Another sow this morning. That's 4 sows (with udders) and 4 males from this mudhole. Caught 2 sows and 3 males last May here...and now 2 sows and 1 male past 2 days. Wouldn't have thought there'd be that many brood females here.

Had a 330 here past 4 days in shallow channel leading up to the ditched water drain (made by company road grader operator.) Beaver has been going around it as it was 3/4 exposed due to shallow water. So, pulled it today and replaced with a snares...and a snare where the beaver is going around. Should've used snares on initial setup.


Beavers using perennial road ditches to travel from swamp to swamp. Don't look like it but depth is about 5 to 7 feet deep. No narrower or shallower spots that I could find.

Swamp, is it legal to kill the rattlers and cottonmouths?

Beaver out there trying to keep the water out of the road and you cutting hole in their dam washing the road out! lol

I got feral swine rest of this month then i'll join ya out there in that mess, not really looking forward to it. Not as mad at beaver as i was 20 years ago.

Interesting pics Swamp! I think I’d rather deal with black bear than them gators though.

… leave my crippled up uncle alone !!

Yes...here in Georgia the 6 species of poisonous no-shoulders are NOT protected.

Yall outta see me maneuvering around with these knees. It's a hoot to anyone watching. Doc says total knee replacement is only remaining option. Arthroscopic surgery on my left knee was a waste of $$. But, I'm not gonna have any surgery that will put me down during fall deer hunting, winter trapping, or early spring turkey hunting.....so next summer it is...laying up under the AC while they heal...lol

…. Momma had knee replacement… don’t know why she’s a buck 10 but they went out somehow…. She was jumping on the trampoline with the kids shortly afterward… so get em fixed I say

One knee , ya should be going good after six weeks

Both of em are bad.

Snared...

I bet that will leave a mark... go get them Swamp, keep an eye open for those pesky snakes.

Probably will...but Groenewold don't care....they're all hatters.

Swamp, both my knees were done at the same time, was cleared to work in 7 weeks....

Not saying it was a cake walk but it's done and over, one knee is for women and children, lol....Let me know when you need some helpful tips...

I sure will. Thanks for words of encouragement. Ive been reluctant to allow doc to go back in the left one after having the camera and dremel tool in there last June....lol

Making them thar snare loops toooooooooo big, lol.

9" loop

Sometimes the fat rascals still get further thru than expected. Most are just behind front leg or one leg only thru (micro lock.) This one got in both snares but that was expected as they were within reach. Other snare (slim lock) was on his neck.

…. Jtrap ropes em

Swamp i'll never understand how a big fat 60 lb beaver ends up with the snare on the base of it's tail. I think the first Ga. convention i attended i ran the live trapline deal and they had a big one snared by the tail.

You coming to the Ga convention this time?

Another snared at same location. This one pulled both snares down on his/her shoulders.

Pulled all traps this morning. That's 15 total from this area...10 last May & 5 past week. Will likely have to return to this area, but it'll be late winter b4 I do because of deer season about to open.

From the looks of your track in the lower right of the picture, the bottom seems pretty solid. Looks like a good gig to me.

Thanks for sharing.

Mac

Yessir...its hard-packed sand. Unless a logging skidder or a bunch of log trucks have wallowed out a wet area or road its good travelling.

You coming to the Ga convention this time?

Swore after last year never again just because you have Atlanta between here and there, lol. But i'll be around a little while Saturday morning, going to break my trip up and spend the night with my brother in Anniston. Him and my sister in law getting on up in age and don't see them as often as id like anymore. He's pretty good grill master so if i get gone in time might get a filet mignon for supper saturday night.

Be good to see you there!

Hope you have a safe drive!

Swamp why ain’t you taking any pictures of ol Mr. Cottonmouth?
Thats the perfect real estate for a whole gang of them danger noodles.
It makes you wonder if you ain’t seeing them, then how many have seen you?

LS,
I haven't seen a cottonmouth on this short beaver job (7 days.)

This is the first beaver work I've done since last spring. Last spring, dang things were everywhere I looked. But, I normally don't see many cottonmouths in the fall.

I did see a large water snake and a couple of black rat snakes on the sandy roads going in there past few days.

Makes the old knees feel young again lol

Not!

Not squared!