The river that I trap it’s about 50 yards wide and can either be 20 feet deep on a big bend or 6 inches deep on an outside bend. So the drowning rods, wither that be the rebar or fiberglass, never are the right length because they would have to be 20 feet long or 6 feet long . And I absolutely hate filling up a bag with rocks or mud just because the fact that it takes 10 minutes to make one set using a bag.

My question to all you folks on here is how do I drown a beaver with no bag or no rod. And no I don’t want to keep them alive on a chain. I am also boat trapping so hauling big rocks or concrete weights isn’t an option, and I move my line to much to stash 100s of drowning weights on the river. Thanks to any replies.

Are there no rocks on site you wire to with a cable?

No. There isn’t a rock in sight

I use a 10 to 20 foot piece of eighth inch cable. On the bank end I stake the cable in two or three feet of water with a rebar stake. On the other end I wire an MB 750 with a eight pound window weight on it's chain. It's not 100 percent fool proof but works most of the time. I'm not dealing with much current either so that could be an influence. Another set up I use in ponds or canals is a 4 or 5 foot cable with the same trap and weight set up and the other end tied to a 1 gallon antifreeze jug. This allows the beaver to swim out to deep water and drown.

Are you using rods now?, might have to just keep a couple sizes on board...

Can't use 330s?

"Can't use 330s?"

That was my original thought, lol

How have you been doing it?

I would use conis where I can't use rods and pick spots where I can use drown rods and lure them in.

I tried the 330s but I only have luck with them on dams or little creeks.

Floats? If you're not trapping near their den or dams, I suppose you can't see trails where they're going up. Just looking for travelers? Best target them buggers in spring.
If you're in a boat, I'd bring some old rotors or some kinda weights. Use long cables that you can adjust where to anchor up top for depth.
Set on sign, you'll get em.

What sets are you making with footholds that you cannot make with a 330?

I once had a job with beaver in a flooded borrow pit with near vertical sides. I anchored the fiberglass drowner rod at the top then again about a foot or so down to pin it from swinging left or right. The tail end was hanging free in the water as those eight foot rods found nothing to stick in.

When the area has the conditions you described, I find the right depth above or below that "too deep" or "too shallow" area and set it...

So your saying put a long cable on it and a weight on the trap?

There are times when I use my 10 foot rebar drowners and my anchor end is in knee deep water. I attach the trap to the drowner lock with a very short chain. The average beaver usually drown sometimes the bigger ones won't because the pull the end out of the bottom. The other end of the rebar I have 2 washers welded to it a little ways apart so the rod cannot hardly pivot out in the water being its double staked. The trap is swiveled good so the beaver don't twist off and he is waiting out at the end of the rod out in the water and cannot make it back to high ground where he can get a good foothold on dry ground. Hope this makes sense

going back to the drowning rod option, if you make your own rods, you can make them so that they have 2 spots for stakes. one at the end of the rod and one a few inches down. this will keep the rod from spinning when a beaver is caught. brake rotor ties to the deep of the the stake will also help keep the rotation down and make the rod less likely to turn into a pretzel when a big beaver gets caught.

when your river trapping, remember you get to pick where to set your traps, not the beaver. pick spots that are easier to use your setups, whichever they end up being.

^^^^^^ This. Most unpressured beaver are a least a little bit interested in lure. Make up a bunch of cable drowners , takes up less boat room. Find the spots that give you the conditions to make your sets, and then lure your beaver into your location. Works better then trying to make a set work in "his" location. G.

For beaver every foothold set should be a quick drown set,,, if you cant do drown then quickly dont set there!!!!!
Same with muskrat,,, all should be a one way within moments and done,,,

Ethically Its your responsibility to make sure a capture beaver is quickly done for in a foot hold.. Not getting after you ,,, just make sure a quick sure death is guaranteed

I used filled cement 1/2 blocks then often add 2- 5 feet add wire between the end of the drownder or rod.

I use earth anchors on both ends I walk so weight is everything brookshire do the trick use the big ones if it’s muddy

I've had several beaver dead with out even pulling the antifreeze jug out of the tules I hid it in and several pull it less than five feet and be dead. I would say that is a pretty fast death although I wasn't there to witness the moment the animal got caught. As I stated it's not a 100 percent deal but then neither is a drowning cable. Before I went to this method I used slide cables with rail road plates [20lbs] break rotors and bricks all with a massive failure rate. There is no standard in trapping and not learning to adapt will give you more time for TV and less time in the fur shed. I would rather spend my time in the fur shed.