yotetrapper, I have this caster lure. So far I only put it on the set in the pond (in the mud mound). I'll remake some like the link you posted with lure on the stick. I'll put lure on the sets I remake like your link - should I put it on more than that? I was assuming I probably shouldn't put lure on all the sets but maybe I'm wrong.

There's maybe 70 yards of creek where all but the pond set are. The upstream end of it the creek tapers off to almost nothing in a big patch of reeds. Downstream of the 70y of activity there's creek holding water (mostly 3+ feet deep) for maybe 150 yards until the pond. Downstream of the pond the creek back to almost nothing.

Ghost8, the wire supports are not all the same, but what I tried to do is make a W shape and have the snare rest on the two bottom Vs in the W. In the pond set pic it may be more visible. That's what I was aiming for anyway. I'll fix creek 7.

Thanks for the help!

You can wrap the wire around the leader part of the snare so the loop is free. Like so...

To be honest, I see 2 or 3 snares that MIGHT have a chance. The snares that appear to be hanging above the water are extremely unlikely to connect, as are the ones hanging in places a beaver has to be agile to even approach the snare.
Think of a beaver on land as 30 or 40 pounds of waddling on very short legs with their heads down, not up in the air, sniffing. When you find large trees in awkward attitudes, (positions), with a few different chew marks only going just below the bark, a beaver is un-likely to return to that same exact approach spot, or even that tree. It was likely a "test chew", and the beaver didn't like either the tree, the awkward position it was in for chewing, or both.
Remember that a beaver's head and very short neck is sloped to its nose, and for a snare to connect successfully the snare has to be just right from the ground, (a few inches for land snaring), and tripped on contact, and it has to be very fast.
For surface water snares, the bottom of the snare needs to get under the beaver's chin. If you watch a beaver swimming around, part of its head is just under the surface, and the bottom of your snare should also be partially under the surface.
If the animal has places away from the water that it is cutting trees or willows, they sometimes create a trail, and those trails are prime spots for snaring.

The pics you posted it looks like the snares have a plastic "collar" . This is where your support wire should go. Went out and set a pole up in the garden hopefully it can clear things up. Not the best pics but snowing and 35 mph breeze. Also everybody has different ideas, but when it is set I gotta have the lock in the 1 to 2 oclock area.
Will try and get a couple actual line pics but with the cold coming back the water might get hard until spring. G.

Thanks Ghost!

Yes, that helps a lot. The weather turned very cold today, and I'm back at work tomorrow. So it will probably be Thursday before I have time remake them. I'll also pick up some heavier wire instead of using my rebar tie wire. When I redo them I'll repost pics.

Go to the "What was your first snare catch" thread. On the first page jabNE has a picture that is about a perfect example of about how I set up alot of my beaver snares. If the water is deep and they are swimming, I have the snare loop about half underwater. If the water is shallow the bottom of the snare will be just off the bottom. G.

I'm not sure how to apply pictures like that because the water frontage I have that looks like that is far from the beaver activity. The edges of my (very small) pond are like that, but there's no beaver sign there. I suspect the beaver comes to the pond, but apprently there isn't much there for it because it doesn't leave evidence of its presence. I put one snare at the pond (picture above), and I'll remake it like jabNE's picture when I get a chance.

Around 150 yards upstream from the pond is where all the beaver activity is. There's a 1-2 foot drop from the ground level to the water level almost everywhere in this area of creek. So that type of set at the water's edge doesn't work where I see beaver activity. There's some places where it looks like the beaver has a step up to climb up out of the creek, and several places where there's no step but I think he's going down into the creek (will it jump off the drop?).

Now that I think about there is at least one place in the active section of creek where the ground is low going into the creek. I can put a snare there set up like jabNE's photo.


I'm not trying to be argumentative here, I'm just trying to explain my understanding so y'all can straighten me out. I appreciate the input!

The height of the bank in relation to the water isn't important. The set design is what I am referring to. You just need a channel to sort of center the beavers approach. And the snare doesn't need to be set in the water. It can be anywhere in the channel. Just kind of dig it out with a tile spade slick up the mud with your boot or glove and put your castor lure past the snare. You are trying to make it look like a different beaver was in the area. Also you want to keep your snare at a 90 degree angle relative to the beavers approach.

Adc any chance of getting your trench digging tool video put up here?? Thanks ! G.

Does this look better?
Looking around for easily aquirable stiff #9 - #10 wire I ended up getting some fence stays (for stabalizing barbed wire between the posts).

I would find an area in the crick that is tight or has a bench or tree extending over it. Hang the snare 2\3 submerged in the water, smear some castor on the log or branch and he will circle till you get him. The other sets look to open look for choke points and funnels for snares, to much blocking with sticks will shy them away here

What about a log, partially submerged right in the middle of the creek? Its not tight, but it sticks up out of the water. I can put caster on it and he can circle it.

That will work I would hang a snare on either side. Make sure it's anchored well, hopefully if it's in the middle he will tire and drown. Best way to find beaver is taking forever nap

Does this look ok? Is it ok I set a T-Post to anchor to? The log is pretty rotton so I drove the post a couple feet in. There's a dab of caster on the top of the log.

Snare loops look a little to big. I used to always over size them but all you need is the head and arms to fit. Otherwise looks good! If they aren't lure shy they should check it out

Thanks! I'll shrink the loops a little on Saturday.

You need to block off a little on each side so the beaver has no where to go but through the loop looking for the lure smell.i put the lure up higher myself. I would put the snare on the bank side ,setup your snare and use a branch.The idea is the beaver swims around to locate the lure smell.i like to use a old branch and push it down in the mud at a angle over the snare towards your stump so it’s like a tunnel and the beaver has to go through the loop trying to locate the lure smell.The beaver will be alive and sitting up on that stump if you do it right. If you don’t do right it will just go to the lure as it’s too low curiosity satisfied and move on as the way you have it now it doesn’t have to go through your snare. I hope I explained it ok. I usually would tie off to an old root in the water and I give the beaver about 4 foot of snare line.snare about 2/3 under water about 10”loop. You don’t need to over complicate this.

Getting closer, raise your snares a bit, and pinch down the loops. Keep all of your other sets too, beaver go everywhere and check out everything. I've had sets sit for a long time undisturbed that have connected. Check out 330maniac on YouTube, most of his sets can be utilized in open (not frozen) water with snares, if you're savvy enough.