i use Backbreaker and old chisel tooth.

im wanting to use some type of food lure or curiosity lure what do all you beaver trappers like as a change up? ive only ever used castor based lure. will still use Backbreaker at castor mounds just wanting to try something new.

thanks everyone

Beaver buffet is probably my favorite changeup. It's a food lure now made by Dunlap Lures

thanks sniper

10 inch poplar stick with the top two inches peeled stuck in the he mud vertically in the mud behind the set.

I've found poplar bud oil to attract too many muskrats but the stick not as many.

thanks turtle i appreciate that and good to know about muskrats liking the oil as we will be targeting them as well this year. we have gone after them a little making a few sets when we see sign or actual rats in the creeks we fish for chubs. weve caught i think maybe only 6 rats total last year but that was only with a few sets out. i did catch one in a bridger #5 set for beaver it didnt even move the trap but was dead in it when we got there. made me realize pan tension needed some adjustment lol. bout took the leg completely.

I usually use blind sets and castor sets. If I really want a change up lured set I will just use a few drops of sac oil. A peeled stick like turtle mentions will also work in the right situation.

the use of egyption rose oil mixed with a sweet castor can be dynamite but hard to beat a visual with poplar sticks like Turtledale mentioned

Dobbins Beaver Plus is a good one. Works good on otters as well. It’s a curiosity lure. I don’t use many castor mounds. I just shave off some sticks and make a pile.

Lots of good ones...Bearded Man Beaver lure, Big Pile, Timber, Kattz Bros beaver lure, all of Paul's stuff is good, etc

A mentor of mine liked to use bergamot as a food lure for beaver applied to some poplar sticks. I would probably be inclined to add some sac oil as well.

Check out Billingsley Brand Lures. Dale makes a great selection of lures for beaver.

CTRAPS...I like Dale's "Chips"

Backbreaker and Sweetwater Flattail

Yep^^^^^^
Wish I could figure out what the Vyic's vapor rub smell is.

I second this

bearded man

Paul's Backbreaker, here.

Me too, that's probably my favorite. It's also tough to beat his Swamp Master.

Backbreaker, Moundmaster #1, Moundmaster #2, 10 Mile, Wind River and my own home-made lures.

Rickey

Either of Keg Creek Lures by Marty Smith. But the lure #2 just hits different... ;-)

thanks everybody i appreciate all the insight from y'all.

ended up ordering dobbins Woodchipper, Beaver Plus, and Backbreaker.

gonna give it a go.

Woodchipper/ Backbreaker/ bounty beaver when they get Leary

Along with many of the others mentioned, Night Owl makes some outstanding stuff!

Good stuff! Food, curiosity and castor

ADC, I agree I like his Ontario

I went to Backbreaker some years back. And my catch percentage doubled. I have more beavers some years than I keep up with

i wish i had more than i could keep up with. we typically only get to trap a few for the farmers i land trap for. usually 2 locations on different creeks. have only ran a couple 330s and 1 foot hold on a drowner and have caught some in snares. this year bought more 330s and some duke #4 regular jaw 4 coil for more drowner sets. hoping to find more permission with beavers. ive got one farmer that has issues with them but i would have to figure out how to make sets on dry land on edge of corn field as the edge is a 12foot high bank on edge of river. no way to get down in the water. cant run snares on dry land in illinois must be half submerged as well as 330s.

Mike, I have caught them in 220s in those situations. Make sure the trap is positioned rock solid and anchor off well. I like both spring ends cranked straight down so the bottom of the traps about 3-4 inches off the ground. Block the trap off to force beaver through ...they will stay on the trail especially IF they are going on an upwards slope.
Gang set the trail as there will likely be multiple beavers....possibly otters. Good luck.

sir i really appreciate the advice. ive never thought about using a 220 on beaver but what you are saying makes sense. ill have to order some 220s as all i have is 4 330s and a dozen 160s for coon and half dozen 110s for mink and muskrats.

so what you are saying is basically put the 220 in the trail 3ish inches up and make sure its solid and guide them hard. i just want to be sure as ive done this for coons and skunks in 160s on dry land. never would have thought to put a 220 in a trail for beaver. i should put the trap on the steep high bank to catch them as they come up the high bank as in they would be almost perpendicular to the bank. will pogo anchor in the ground be good to hold? my pogos for water are 2in washers and 18in long. i assume the 220 kills them like a 160 on a coon.

would you run trigger up or trigger down?

again thank you for your help.

also i will say this is on the Pecatonica river by freeport. not sure what part of northern illinois you are from or if you know the pec river.

farmer says i can trap whatever i want but really wants the beaver caught. i did tell him new ones will move in again. he asked if i would still be willing to trap it if they do. and yes i would. this ground is only 4miles from my house.

Yes, because of our state laws 220s is all we can work with on dry land but it can work.
Pogos will work well be sure to test to make sure they are set in the ground...pull up hard.
Trigger position is up to you...both work as the beaver are focused on traveling that trail and plow through a lot of brush.
Trigger on the bottom bent to a T is very inviting to pass through....hammer 'em!

thank you sir i appreciate the advice. will be doing just that. hammer'em

Thats what I use. And i have used a little no bs beaver lure, and it worked great.

I once caught a 56 pound beaver in a 220 on a crossover. Follow MChewk’s advice and you can get even the big ones in a 220. Personally I prefer trigger on top spread wide to give an inviting opening and miss the non-targets, I also set so it is not a hair trigger - not a bunch of pressure, but enough that it takes a little pressure to get it going. If you see beaver tracks going through without getting caught, that indicates a little beaver, narrow the trigger a bit. Make sure your 220 has full strength springs also.

The first beaver I ever caught was a nuisance beaver on my own property. The beaver came out every night right before dark. The first night I set traps, I was sitting on my deck and watched that beaver get wind of the lure from probably 50 yards aways. He worked the wind back and forth until got near the set. He climbed up on a nearby log and put his nose in the air. It got dark so I missed the rest of the show, but he was in the trap the next morning. I barely stuck a stick in a bottle of castor lure. They can definitely smell.

i find setting on sign without using lure will produce for a long time until one snaps a trap off in its face or sees one get caught than you have a lure to fall back on as most beaver lures are castor based its hard to change up

caught 2 one on Beaver Plus and one in a set with Woodchipper. both really big beaver male was 67# female 63#. female looked to still be nursing which i wasnt aware or even if she still would be nursing but big ol nipples that look like a dog when she been being suckled on. been a week havent caught another beaver in the same spot. but the male and female was impressive. ill try get pictures posted in a bit