I watched a YouTube video of a beaver colony trap built from stock panels with 2x4 squares and swinging doors like a muskrat colony. I picked up a 4'x12' panel yesterday and knocked out a couple today. A 12' panel will build a 12x12 and a 12x16 colony. Welders, rest assured I kept an eye on the galvanized fumes and used the light breeze to my advantage so I wasn't breathing it in. I can see these working well in channels below a dam where they have some speed and current behind them. I welcome your thoughts.

I was thinking of building some too but I was thinking of bending them instead of cutting and welding.i have zero experience if that would work or the factory welds would maybe not hold up when bending.

Do you think four feet is long enough for the doors to work? Do the doors look strong enough with out added rods the full length off them?

I tried bending one with my brake. It will do a little over 4’. That was too much for the brake. Just too much to bend with the brake without more leverage and a more solid bench. I don’t think the factory welds would hold up to a brake that was strong enough to make a sharp 90 degree bend.

Once the sides are welded up, the cage is pretty rigid. And when the panels are cut down to fit inside they are pretty stiff. I doubt any beaver are going to bend them. They might find a way to manipulate the door up because they are just gravity doors. I’d be leery of making the doors any heavier. Any heavier and a beaver or otter might not push through. As to the length I can’t say. A beaver could definitely get in one. Not sure about multiples like a rat colony but I’m sure one can. Even a big beaver.

I’m hoping F&G will call me this summer with a beaver complaint to test them out. Hopefully I’ll get a chance this next season to put them to work for a test.

They work great in culverts if they're traveling through them instead of trying to plug them up.

I have found that you need to stake the things if you put them in a run, especially coming out of a lodge. The beaver will relocate your colony trap. NOT fun when this happens under the ice.

Yeah, I figured on staking them or cabling them to something immovable.

Old thread on colony traps for beaver

https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3272458/2