With trapping season getting started in most states, let's have another look at how the Western trappers set their beaver traps in the rendezvous days.

From Washington Irving's Bonneville:
Practice, says Captain Bonneville, has given such a quickness of eye to the experienced trapper in
all that relates to his pursuit, that he can detect the slightest sign of beaver, however wild; and al-
though the lodge may be concealed by close thickets and overhanging willows, he can generally, at
a single glance, make an accurate guess at the number of its inmates. He now goes to work to set
his trap; planting it upon the shore, in some chosen place, two or three inches below the surface
of the water, and secures it by a chain to a pole set deep in the mud. A small twig is then stripped
of its bark, and one end is dipped in the “medicine,” as the trappers term the peculiar bait which
they employ. This end of the stick rises about four inches above the surface of the water, the other
end is planted between the jaws of the trap. The beaver, possessing an acute sense of smell, is soon
attracted by the odor of the bait. As he raises his nose toward it, his foot is caught in the trap. In
his fright he throws a somerset into the deep water. The trap, being fastened to the pole, resists all
his efforts to drag it to the shore; the chain by which it is fastened defies his teeth; he struggles for
a time, and at length sinks to the bottom and is drowned.
Upon rocky bottoms, where it is not possible to plant the pole, it is thrown into the stream. The
beaver, when entrapped, often gets fastened by the chain to sunken logs or floating timber; if he
gets to shore, he is entangled in the thickets of brook willows. In such cases, however, it costs the
trapper diligent search, and sometimes a bout at swimming, before he finds his game.

From James O. Patte:
I had put down my gun, and stepped into the water, to prepare a bed for my trap, while the others
were busy in preparing theirs.

From Russell:
The Trapper extracts this substance (castor) from the gland and carries it in a wooden box he sets his trap in the water
near the bank about 6 inches below the Surface throws a handful of mud on the bank about one
foot from it and puts a small portion of the castorum thereon after night the Beaver comes out of
his lodge smells the fatal bait 2 or 300 yds. distant and steers his course directly for it he hastens
to ascend the bank but the traps grasps his foot and soon drowns him in the struggle to escape for
the Beaver though termed an amphibeous animal cannot respire beneath the water.

That’s one of my favorite photos. Good post buddy

Irving's description of poking the stick in-between the trap jaws has always kind of made me wince. Wouldn't be the way I'd do it. Of course, I'm sure Irving (the famous writer) likely never set a trap for beaver himself. His information would have been secondhand.

Good stuff K! Way cool pic too. I assume that grizzled ol' mountain man is you?

Another thing about beaver trapping back in "the day" is some of the terminologies used. For example I have read of a mountain man referring to finding his trap sprung and empty as having "false licked".

Also to "wring off" as the beaver having chewed their foot off. Unlike K, I often don't remember where I read something and am too durn lazy to look it up again. LOL

Yep, thats me in the creek. Pretty sure that was early December here in WI.

"Up to beaver" meant a man had made himself into a decent trapper that was respected by others.

good read thanks for posting,