the beaver monologues

There is a lot of ice up here in places, and in other places the snow is melting fast and the rivers are out of their banks. More than half of my sets went a foot under water over night.

There are a few folks out trapping too, frost everywhere you'd drive a stake too. Beaver are moving on the rivers though. Pond ice is still evident a lot of places too.

Nice haul, Les. We got eight inches of snow last night, but today it's melting fast. Thick ice still on the lakes still.

Jim

Nice haul Les.Nice size to by the look of em.Tough when the bottom is still frozen.

Not many two year olds yet, but they'll move shortly.

Good job, Les. Things are opening up fast here. No sets out yet but soon, hopefully.

I seen a pond today, with quite a bit of sign around, landlocked sort of, and I think I could near walk on the ice, but there were a couple of "black holes" the size of a vehicle here and there in the ice, so ...it wont be long now. Ditch grades that are shaded have lots of ice, and forest roads have lots of snow too. Especially in tall trees.

looks like you are off to a good start Les. Checked a few places today and they are still froze up tight. Going to check some smaller shallow area this weekend. Hopefully can start putting sets in. I think I am going through trappers dt's.

Dejavu,,,seems as though ive seen this before. let er rip Les. thanks for sharing.

Yesterday. Beaver are moving pretty good now.

There is a little ice on this pond yet.

man,if'n i was just a little closer i could be helping ya skin.oh well,guess you get to have ALL the fun.Happy Easter big guy.

Gonnah have to make up some of them drowning rods...and give them a shot. How long ? Anything else I need to know...post some pics if you get a chance (of the rods). Nice haul.

You best be getting a new cable ...for the right side of that tail gate...before a guy your size ,ends up on the ground.....I’d change both of them too.

That's the lock, a piece of 1" square tubing cut both sides to a 45 with a j hook on it.

There are many modification of this little lock by different fellas. I'll let them chime in. Mine is as simple as it gets. I weld a stop, or chain link 16" up from the bottom of the rebar for a stop, and some 3/16" wire over the top end for a stake loop on rebar, and my lock, or a Diamond Death drowner lock will slip, with the trap on it, over the stake top.

I can hook a cable, or wire to this ( old spruce pole in the pond method ) or just use it as a stop. A center swivel ring works there too.

Thanks Les...how long are those rods ?

The items in the pic are drowner locks, stake loops and regular trap stops for Geotek fiberglass rods that I have. I have went to a universal stop with a loop on every one that can go anywhere on the rod for these, say, if you want two stake loops one at the top and one for a trap stop up 16" from the bottom. You'll note the welded nut and tighter double nut to hold things, and I just carry a 1/2" wrench or plyars on me.

That cable and toggle will toggle into a swivel at the end of a different type of lock, or just a long chain if one so desired.

The rods are 10' long.

I would like to share, at this point, what a tranquil and paralyzing effect this sort of work has on my body. Today, now, after yesterday, I can barely move, and coffee has never tasted better. I look forward to a good dose of ibuphofen too.

You're wackin' and stackin' though! Good show, great info on the how to. Thanks for sharing! Love the pics!

Les, you da man. Keep it up

Nice haul les

I have the coffee and ibuprofen Les.
Tom

Lol. Nice haul, les.

You think beavering hurts.....Try digging clams....I couldn’t move for 2 days...but they both hurt more now.

I would go clam digging if I was in the right place at the right time.

Picked up another 2 beaver this afternoon, but just checked one are with 5 traps there on 5 miles of ditch. Not far from there...in the next 10 miles, I set up several flowages with another 10 traps, as the snow has melted and the roads are just passable now. I have about 40 traps out, and need to move 5 of them out.

Nice country! Looks exactly the same as the stuff I trap through.

A guy that's not shy of hard work!!

I would start the day with some ibu so you're not trying to catch up with the pain later. If ibu doesn't give you any stomach issues, the big one is gi bleeds, you can do 3 800mg or 4 600 mg dosages a day (otc ibu is 200 mg each) or at least that was the old recommendation. You can also go in between with extra strength tylenol (acetaminophen), just keep that at 4 grams or less a day (also old recommendations, don't if they've changed). Back off the tylenol or drop that altogether if you're drinking much, bad juju with tylenol and alcohol or any other liver problems.

No drinking here, lol. I notice that from setting traps, or something, I can hardly make a fist right now, but , in a day or two, I'm going to quick skin a pile of beaver, on a day I don't check traps.

Way to go Les,been waiting for this thread.

Thank you. I think I will make this.

All that work for $50 worth of fur. Wish Beaver prices didn't suck so bad.

basher fits--les makes way more than 50 bucks on those between castor and hides.if you are lookin to get rich,it aint the 70's anymore.take up knitting and craft shows.

LOL. I have a pile to skin, and I'll skin today. I can check every 3rd day, I don't know if I can haul that many though. Some places I set were too early, nothing moving yet. I just want 2 year old beaver in I can do it. They are worth the most money for the time spent skinning and boarding and catch just the same.

I don't know if my little truck can handle a 75% catch day, as that is twice as many as the last pickup load. There was just 15 there. I'm just ramping up now.

Great job,Les,if I was closer I would give you a hand.Our NY season closed 4/7/2019.

Good luck les. Nice pics

Way to go buddy! Stay healthy my friend!

Chris

Nice job Les!

I always learn something from your posts and enjoy following along on your ice out beaver line. Thanks for posting!

Getting it done.... you’re the man!

he's the beavernator---he'll be back.

Well, I got near caught up skinning, 3 beaver left, and they are just a couple days dead. Tomorrow is a new day.

Yea the skinning can really bog down the operation. Enjoy the woods Les, they re neat this time of year.

A new day.....and more beavs! Got yer dump truck yet?

lee,i was thinkin one more reason for a skid steer for him.

Nope, but I might split the line in two days, and skin on the third.

Les, I am glad I don't have a lot of beaver close to the house. It is easy to justify not running far for them.

I am trying to run 160 miles every third day if possible. S 10 isn't quite big enough to haul that many beaver if every ting caught.. It's a lot of gasoline.

can't believe it but you know i'm jealous don't ya??maybe they will change it soon.

This must be the muscle drugs working, cause his hands are so sore from skinning and hosting.
Looks like you have lots of work for the winter months now Les.

The S 10 can haul a lot of beaver.

Standard floodwater beaver set with sexy popple for bait.

Another

I am caught up skinning, and grocery shopping, lol.

Tomorrow should be interesting.

Should be a mink that was playing hide and seek dead center of the pic.

That mink was just hiding from the long mink thread in the last winter that's all.

Watch for those bears Les, was 2 minutes ahead of one wanting one of my beaver today.

Until you have a bear want the beaver you are holding,,you haven't lived.And when that happens to you---you may want to have a spare pair of shorts with you.
That is--if you are the one that keeps the beaver.
And I have experienced this and lived to tell about it.But I made one change after this happened,I never shut the 4 wheeler off,when checking this spot.
Tom

Did you skin the beaver or did the bear?

And that's why every beaver needs to wind up under water after it gets caught.

I did skin the beaver.Les ,I had taken the beaver out of the trap and was hauling it up out of the pond when the bear came.
Now I sing when approaching some of my sets,I want to let bears know I am coming and give them a chance to get gone.never did have a bear eat one of my beaver.
Tom

Perhaps trapstickman will immortalize you,Tom, with a drawing!

Chris

Looks like you got a new camera,Les.
Good haul and great pics.

I had a bear) or possibly a person) take one of my beaver once. 330 and all. I did not go up into the willows to look for it. The bear might have wanted to Roshambo me for the beaver.

Hey trapper les can I steal your title for a Muskrat411 video?

how many truck loads today??

snow comin for the weekend will make them keep better if nothing else.

Tom this is how I handled the situation;
I just bet with the Grad student if it was over 30 pounds he would haul it out on todays run. Sure glad I have a tail for Paul's challenge for next years Beaver Tail contest. He was sure glad I did not set more than one trap there.

What is? or
Why is the beavers weight always; co-related to an inverse proportion formular to square of the route back to your vehicle times pi -r2 compounded by beaver stump willow chi squared.

I should have listened to Les advise about find beaver runs in peatmoss and the short end of a fencepost with the knee cap the day before.

Go for it.

I just ran my short line today and picked up 6, a one year old and 5 huge adults.
Terminal end of the rebar, lol.
yesterdays mess

New iPhone 8, to be exact. I had to put the pics on my computer and resize them to get them on here.

My title was a play on words of the title for a play called "The Vagina Monologues", so...use your own judgment, lol.

Just searched for Minnesota weather...


Man, you’re doing this when the temps are perfect! Hit 81 here today. Would have had to run the air conditioning to be hauling and skinning a half dozen beaver down here today

Thing about early spring trapping in the Northcountry is the air temps can be like 60-70 degrees and the water is around 32.

Rain and snow tomorrow.
Tom

Good luck Les!

Yep, beaver keep good in this water.

Thanks T.

Bear/beaver story(sorry Les). Northern Wisconsin spring trapping years ago. In National Forest and I had for years driven down on old railroad grade to access a river at the only point for miles any direction and the Forest Service closed my access. So I packed in 4 foothold setups the couple hundred yards on a good solid grade and set up. Couple days later I hiked in and had four travelers which I expected and had along a skinning knife so I reset and then roughed them out on a nice dry grassy slope in the sun and packed out the hides. Couple more days pass and I hike back in planning to pull and pack out my gear and more roughed out beaver. Had four more BUT the carcasses were all gone, the grass was flattened and it smelled STRONG of bear. Imagine skinning four beavers while on your knees covered with the odor of fresh beaver and pretty sure that there are eyes, noses and ears focused on you. I was even spooky with the hides in my pack on the hike out. Never saw a bear but I did hike faster going out than coming in. Yes, North OF, lots of LOUD singing and whistling.

I wired three beaver carcasses to a tree about a week ago. Pulled the card on my camera today and found this. Cleaned me out.




Cat and the carcasses.

I learned long ago to pack out the beaver where I am trapping them in the summer for nuisance.
Others would take the beaver out of the trap,and toss them away from the sets after removing castors.Not long before they were dealing with unacceptable numbers of missing traps,beaver and in many cases had harrowing experiences with irate bears.
I have had some bears take beaver and traps,especially in summer in bear country on extended checks in warmer weather,but I always pack out beaver even if I am not pelting them(nuisance).Just way too many problems in bear country if you leave the carcasses near where you are still operating.

I haven't seen any bear sign yet, but I haven't looked at every black, goopy looking turd on the road either. I have picked up a shopping bag of wolf turds from the forest roads though.
28 for today, and I didn't quite get all the traps checked, 54 of 60 traps. It got dark on me.
I have 36 to skin, so...I am now a little behind, lol.

I'll let them chill in there for a few days.

That's a good 8 hours work there if you clean skin.Nice haul Les.

You are a machine, Les. What a haul.

Wow-sa!! My body hurts just looking at all those chisel tooths!! Good thing its going to be a cool week, we have a little thunder-snow action this morning!! I won't be planting in the garden for a few days...

very nice sir and most look like pretty colored beaver you get there.

Les.....let’s say the pelts averaged 30.00 each ....like 12 years ago......could you still make a good haul like that....or would there be stiff competition ?

Your an animal, bud! Not my idea of a good time, catchin that many. Makes my back hurt to look at that pic!

Nessy, I think he is sleeping or skinning beav.......in his sleep!

There would be stiff competition.

I am awe struck. You are DA MAN Les.

Impressive Les. Heck of a lot of work, and the numbers you're catching, WOW!

I did notice your carcasses still had the tails on them. Do you toss them, or take them to make BTO, or sell them? Those big ones like you got sell for a couple dollars around here. You don't seem like a guy that would miss an opportunity or toss something that could be used, but when you're catching my whole beaver season in a day, priorities may change. I don't know that I'd worry about a tail after skinning the piles you're catching. Great work! Fun watching!

I have 3 big pails of tails lopped up and rendering in the sun as we speak. I haven't had a worthy market for tails, especially this far north.

I was shooting for a certain numerical goal , but don't believe I have the numbers to achieve it. Things, the catch , that is, will start to peter out here shortly if I don't move things around. I have nearly every trap set now.

Call me lazy (I'm good at that) but at my advanced age if I were to make catches like that I would be selling them on the carcass at today's prices.

Good job, Les....you ARE an animal.

Nice work Les, that pic makes my whole body hurt . Hats off dude

Holly cow Les you are a busy man and looks like you are about to get even more busy! Good job!

Son of a gun Les! I think you just talked me into trapping some beavers.

Funny how the supply & demand can vary from region to region. Not surprised that you're keeping yourself in BTO. I started my first batch this spring. Figure if I have the stuff to do it, I may as well try. I've used BTO for several seasons, and I like the results. Is it like sour-dough bread, where you can just keep adding to the start?

I usually start out singing--Mr. Spaceman.--"Won't you please take me along for a ride"
Tom

I don't know about the sourdough paradigm . I just took 40 tails or so out of the freezer and made another pail when I was cleaning up the freezer. I thtew away 150 of them.

Now that's a ferocious looking bear. Way to go MnMan, capturing that look.

16 more tonight, I was going to skin, but didn't.

Lord have mercy!

Looks like you are doing good Les, I just got home. Fewer beaver than last year I think and more trappers but I did OK.

Tomorrow I skin all day, lol. And a little bit tonight.

What’s the count ?

96

Yikes !

See you got a few floats Les.Is the water going up and down on the creeks,or is the banks still frozen?

The water is going down, and the frost is leaving. There is frost in the peat though.

Now that is the spitting image of Tom! Great job!

Chris

Only thing--I am not that thin LOL.
Tom

I admire your work Les-but I am also green with envy at all the beaver you are catching-man that sure looks like a lot of fun.Wish we had more beavers around-especially with the color and quality your area produces.

Thanks MB, mostly just dark beaver here, few blacks.

I see my count is off by one, I am only at 95. Still skinning here. I thought I would eat some lefse and drink some coffee and go back to it. I wouldn't have to skin for a week, as cool as it is, but....I got to keep plugging away.

Nice job Les!

Like mom always said...it's all fun and games until you have ninety-five beaver to skin.

About 15 lbs of castor ?

close, I think
I am getting them whittled down, lol. 34 left to skin. It's cold out, and they'll keep for a week. I have another hundred to catch.

30 buck avg with the castor,nice chunk of cash for a couple weeks work Les.
Way to go Man.There is money in beaver when you know what your doing and sell finished.

Yep, I'll make a few more checks, might even run some late ice out stuff if I get ambitious . But I'll put some fur in bit here.

Maybe 30 canadian, maybe 20-22 American in the present market.

I'm just killing time until I feel like going back to work.

Should be a lot of hvys there,I bet 30 usd with castor in.
Heck,my early fall avg at fha was 35cdn castor in,only half hvys.

I noticed last time, at FHA that my 1xl size did better than anything. But I trapped well into May last year. These beaver so far are great quality.

Trapping later will bring the fur avg down with shedders and some dmgd,but the castor will still be good,and you will have a higher pelt count.
At the pace your at Les,I doubt you will trap too late into may.
Another thing,you will be in high gear skinning after a couple hundred,lol.

Les....any of those beaver with bite marks in the hides ...from other beaver ?

Bob, why don't you ask less what he averaged on last year's spring beaver that he marketed this year at FHA. Iknow what he got and it wasn't pretty,wasn't pretty for any MN shipper I spoke with this winter,thank goodness for the castor market.

Les, you'll make a couple bucks and keep on for another week,if you werentso far away I'd come show how to skinthem beaver run 5 hours. I have to come up to the lake and get the rest of my ice fishing stuff but won't most likely happen until opening day of the water season lol.

Well I guess it also depends if they grade east or west,Steve,so you may be correct.I was assuming they were nice hvy dark easterns,mostly in the larger sizes by the looks of the pics.

A few , but not like last year.

Last years average was 12.31 for the 60 that I sold a month ago. Most grade eastern at FHA.

I can rip the hide off pretty quick, and lay out 4 or 5, then take a break and do it again. I am out of shape, and have never had this much trouble with my hands before. I'll keep plugging away.

The last auction results


BEAVER
LOT#
DESCRIPTION
STOCK #
QTY
PRICE
EXTENDED
133
3X-2X I-II LT XDK-BRN
9400421
1
$14.00
$14.00
155
3X-2X RR XDK-BRN
9600531
4
$15.00
$60.00
210
3X-2X SLT DGD XDK-BRN
9600629
1
Unsold to be re-offered
226
1X SELECT HVY BRN
9600443
3
$26.00
$78.00
235
1X SELECT SEMI XDK-DK
9600536
1
$26.00
$26.00
270
1X RR XDK-BRN
9600459
4
$18.50
$74.00
271
1X RR XDK-BRN
9600532
5
$18.50
$92.50
272
1X RR XDK-BRN
9600533
1
$19.00
$19.00
312
1X GD SLT BRN
9600448
3
$10.50
$31.50
346
1X SLT DGD XDK-BRN
9600462
1
$9.50
$9.50
371
LG SELECT HVY BRN
9600495
2
$17.50
$35.00
378
LG SELECT SEMI XDK-DK
9600598
1
$19.50
$19.50
386
LG I-II LT XDK-BRN
9600583
1
$9.00
$9.00
396
LG RR XDK-BRN
9600496
5
$14.00
$70.00
397
LG RR XDK-BRN
9600502
1
$13.50
$13.50
427
LG GD SLT BRN
9600492
2
$9.00
$18.00
455
LG SLT DGD XDK-BRN
9600497
2
$8.00
$16.00
467
LM SELECT HVY BRN
9600355
1
$13.00
$13.00
469
LM SELECT HVY BRN
9600468
1
$13.00
$13.00
483
LM RR XDK-BRN
9600474
2
$5.50
$11.00
498
LM GD SLT BRN
9600471
3
$10.00
$30.00
530
MD SELECT BRN
9600521
1
$10.00
$10.00
542
MD GD SLT BRN
9600509
1
$4.00
$4.00
547
MD GD SLT BRN
9600561
7
$4.00
$28.00
557
MD SLT DGD XDK-BRN
9600514
1
$2.00
$2.00
631
LG I-II LT BRN-PL
9600504
1
Unsold to be re-offered
688
1X GD DGD
9600466
2
$9.50
$19.00
706
LG GD DGD
9600507
1
$8.00
$8.00
713
LM GD DGD
9600472
3
$4.50
$13.50

Nice to see somebody’s piling them up. Nice catch !!

Looks like the smaller sizes and dmgs brought your avg down.
Top 3 sizes/selects did very well.You must have good beaver there.

Yes, and some places, if I hang around too long, I'll catch more small ones if I don't move quick. I am in one area to clean out...so far 21 beaver in that area, 2 pregnant females, 2 big males, and all the other sizes. Lots of 1 and 2 year olds.

Didn't you take some kid under your wing earlier in the year showing him the ropes? Be a good time to exploit that youthful energy.

Looks great Les. I just got back from beaver trapping north of Bemidji. You sir are a hard worker.

That kid got to catch a beaver, and rough skin his first one this spring.

Looks like alot of skinning.

Another simple set from today.

Is your lure on the bait stick?

No, it's behind it close, about 6" off the water. And it is steep and abrupt right there with some backer behind that baitstick. Trap up tight in 4 inches of water.

Similar set for a front foot catch. Lure is on the grass behind the bait stick.

I like to put lure on the ground also for beaver.
Some time if I make a swim thru in deep water with a bodygrip,I will notch the bait stick upwards with a knife and tuck the lure under the flap.

I have a habit of wetting my bait stick before I poke it in the mud. I don't think it matters, I just do it every time, and I splash the set and lure with water, so that it's smell and some lure oil runs back into the water around the set.

Here I just added a bait stick.

Appreciate the set pics, keep them coming good sir

Les, is there a specific reason you point your dog at 3 o'clock vs 12 o'clock?

There is. I don't believe in having the beaver step over a jaw. Much rather have them step between. If you look close in one of those pics, you'll see a breasting stick of thin, 1/4" diameter, protruding from the bank just above the water and parallel to it, say ...one inch off of the water, but over the dog area of the trap, or the dead spot on an MB 750, to get them to move over and put their front foot down on the pan.

Nice set photos! Do you use a food or castor based lure?

Castor based lure, and a popple bait stick.

Caught up skinning yet Les?
I went out for a little tour today-still 2 feet of snow on the backroads and more in the bush.

I am not that far behind skinning. I caught 7 more today, and pulled traps. I have some private work to do yet. I have 38 to skin, and skinned 24 yesterday.

Hands cramping? Mine do the involuntary distortion thing after skinning/fleshing just one.

A little bit. Mostly they fall asleep and go numb when I'm sleeping. Not sure why.

A common complaint in ice trappers

I've suffered from that for years, les. Masonry trade. My arms used to go numb from the elbows down but ache at the same time. The pain can be pretty intense.

I think I've got that same thing going on. I believe that the trapping and skinning activity is so intense that your muscles swell up pinching everything off.

Woke me up at night for years, les. I'd have to get out of bed and shake my arms for five or ten minutes to get the circulation going again before I could get back to sleep. The goods news is, it will probably subside once you put a few days behind you and whatever it is that's provoking it.

Les the night tingle is a potassium in balance in the blood chemistry. Sorry to say this but the coffee is a diuretic and it removes the salts, have to take some slow release foods like bananas for their potassium. Once I went back to a cup a day the finger tingle went away......but the sever withdraw headaches were terriable for a week
Looks like a few days work next winter for the boards now.
Is there much RED RIM this spring or have the hides not dried enough to see it?

Don't know on the red rim yet.

I eat a banana a day.

Les.

It sounds like to me you have carpel tunel

Are your hands sore from setting traps or skinning.I find my hands get sore if I skin with a knife that's not razor sharp.
Sometimes when I have a big pile of beaver to skin,I try to do a couple more when I should stop to put the edge back on.

Great job sir.

Thanks for posting Les, I caught three beaver this spring I got $19 for the hides $22.50 for the Castor's, two large one medium.

Awesome. Makes perfect sense. Thanks for the help.

They were sore from setting traps at first, and then skinning somewhat. My knife is razor sharp.

Whats your final beaver count?

Les,the doctor gave me some braces to wear at night and they stopped the numbness and I can sleep. Give them a try.

I'm not done yet. I have to regroup a little bit.

x2 Les-when I skin lots of rats etc.. my hands go numb at night like yours do-wrist braces solved the issue!They work great!

I was skinning a beaver last night, and I went to pull something in the fur, out of it. A porcupine quill. I wonder what the story on that was.

Maybe a dead porky floated to the dam,and the beaver shoved it in and used it for dam construction,like they do to their dead relatives.

I envisioned a standoff near a mutually favored tree.

“I was drunk and it was dark out” -The Beaver

Les...what’s your method of sharpening your knives ?...Stones ,wheels, lansky ?

I have a little fold up diamond...EZlap or something like that, to "sharpen with, but I use a butcher steel all the time to quick "bring it back".

I had somebody lift a 330 on me the other day. Perfect spot, little channel, perfect otter set too, not that I care. I caught 9 beaver there. One of those folks that doesn't trap I suppose, or not much, and isn't very successful. Unless they can take a trap.

I generate a little bit of jealousy because of my energy and talent and charisma, and possibly my internet presence around home here. And it causes the inferior trappers to sneak around a bit.

No doubt someone that knows me, and is probably following this thread too. That is the danger or posting anything you do on here.

See any boot tracks .....Tire tracks ? ....I hate when that happens...people suck

just say the word and i'll have my people rub him out les.

Go get em, batman!

I think Les is changing a tire on the bat...er beavermobile for another round at er.

Not much going on here, I picked up one tonight. I have another trap set tonight too. I am not too ambitious anymore, lol.

So what's the number? I would have run out of ambition after the first day, bud! We are all living vicariously through you!

You had a good run old timer!

Chris

121 is the number and climbing. I am going out when it warms up and setting a few more ...mid day. Farm creek pond.

can i go,rainin as usual here.

There is another fella up here hammering them too...I don't know if he'll chime in..he's 3% more reserved than I am. lol.

Big county up here and only a couple guys from here putting up any large numbers.

"THERE GOES OLD LESTER, THE BEAVER MOLESTER" !!

w

lol. Yep. I don't fondle them too hard.

I think I have that stolen trap thing figured out. Last year I had a guy, trap right in the middle of everything, and there were 2 other trappers around, but this guy, using wire and a bag of rocks for his system, loses a beaver, and then claims somebody stole it from him. He has problems with the wire system all the time because he don't know how to trap, and uses undersized traps to boot. So he pulls up and leaves but not before blameing someone else for his failures.

This year, I think it s the same guy, different area, in my line, repeat performance except I gave him the whole ditch and only went there to dump carcasses. I imagine a scenario where he lost a trap, or a beaver pulled out at the top, and before he leaves and pulls traps, he has to check me out and lift a trap from me a couple miles away. Old guy too, cant upgrade and it's always someone elses fault.

He's got to get even with someone.

I always laugh when some says to me real loud "I'm trapping Here"....

Yeah right, right along with everyone else.

Way to go Les Dumping all your skinned carcasses where he is trapping,lol.
Sounds exactly like something I would do,lol.

Yes, I do that to intimidate the weaker minded trappers. The strugglers, and the downtrodden underachievers that aren't going to amount to anything anyways.

I just took my 14'er out of storage, behind the barn, lol, and am about to mount the SVS longtail mud motor upon it. I might have a water trapping gig to attend to.

This beaver trapping is all about catching the big numbers, making the big money and getting all the good lookin' women.

Trapper Les
Great post. Thanks for sharing all the great pictures. Don't get easier each year does it.
Wicked nice job. Lots and lots of hard work and good trapping methods.
mac

Last fella that told me that I looked at straight faced and responded “I don’t mind!”

I got the pile whittled down to 13 beaver left to skin. I have drained the oil sacs and froze up the drained sacs too. I got a couple nice jars of sac oil.

i love the way you think sir.

It's 31 above at the moment. Coffee is good, and I think I'll check a trap in the next hour. I got nothin' else to do.

Hey Les, thanks for stopping over the other day. It's always good to chat with a fellow trapper and conspire in order to keep the trapping world in our neck of the woods a better place. I don't blame you one bit for slowing your pace now for a few weeks. You've been running hard this spring.

Thanks Andy. I hope you did well this season.

I know I could have went out and hammered for a another week somewhere, but Now I don't have the energy. That being said, I have just a few to skin, and I'll be wondering what to do next, lol.

I did have a couple of snapped traps, and they went about a foot under water before "no catch" took place, on a problem dam. I did reset and re bait.

Well there, by Golly, I 'm done skinning.

[quoteYes, I do that to intimidate the weaker minded trappers. The strugglers, and the downtrodden underachievers that aren't going to amount to anything anyways.

I just took my 14'er out of storage, behind the barn, lol, and am about to mount the SVS longtail mud motor upon it. I might have a water trapping gig to attend to.

This beaver trapping is all about catching the big numbers, making the big money and getting all the good lookin' women. laugh][/quote]

I think the twikle in the eye happened with that last line. Way to go trapper les, way to go...

lol

Les: May I ask how old are you. I just got my "notes" out and checked them. In Dec 1999 I got 54 beaver, in 2000 March and April 156 more. I put them all up and shipped them about half each to NAFA and Fur Harvesters. The two best went for $80 and $68. Wish I had that castor today! I was 60 years old and retired from GM. Caught 4 this spring, they seam to weight a lot more now that I am 79. I enjoy your trapping monologues. Jim

I am 56, and I had a heck of a time getting into shape this spring. And I did catch a couple of outstanding beaver that just make my back and hips hurt to pick them up by one foot and do anything with them. I notice that my hands got into shape and I could slick through 10 beaver pretty fast skinning at the end though. So...any of my whining about pain was because I was out of shape. For a little while, I thought there was something wrong with me (physically) as there may always be a question about the mental faculties of a diehard beaver trapper, lol.

i'm getting in perfect shape myself--round.

One of the things about being active and productive is that we have a lot of historical "markers" to measure up against as we age. You still have it, Les!

Spring bear plug.

I know where the bear craps in the woods....you guessed it, right on the road. lol.
This pond is in a shallow slough, a mile long, easily floods the fields on either side of it.
2 for 2 on that pond, but no obviously pregnant female. There may be 4 more beaver here as I don't think these two just moved in, there might be 8 more, I hope not.
The remake.

Nice to see you back at it Les man!

Yep, you can wear a guy out, but you cant keep him totally down, lol. I think I have a dozen to catch here if I can do it quick, in season yet, if possible.

I don't want ol' Jurassic Park to get all the action.

get em big guy.

Dig that pond pic. A perfect circle.

I don't always photograph bear turds, but when I do, they're big. Step carefully, my friends.

seen a big un 2 days in a row eatin skunk cabbage,must really be bound.

I just skinned those two, and no pregnant female there. Both were females though. I think I'm not done there.

Les,I think you turned your beaver thread into a bear turd thread.

Lol Les, you better keep catching them. They’re coming up here to birth their kits!

The truth is, I would like to just catch a few travelers, not the big females, and I did pretty good that way on my long line. You'll always catch a few, but I would rather not go into a colony and set traps there. I am during a damage control situations, though.

You'll have that. There is a lot of wild life stuff on my threads, lol.

Well I finally had a chance to read the whole thread. Les nice job on the beaver monologues. Lots of good info. You need to get after it and put a little effort into it to make your manic number. Your hands are back in shape and I know you can hit it. All kidding aside great thread!

Thanks Les, season is about over except for some problem beaver. May 15 is end of season, and I'll skin anything I catch till then.

I picked up 3 beaver on two jobs today. Somebody else took a foot off the one a couple nights ago, so...I picked him up by the other foot.

Still going, with the ADC work, but these guys are getting skun. I picked up two this morning.

I've enjoyed following along! Nice job Les!

Thanks!

nice job Les ...how the fur right now?

Some are poor, some seemed like they came from a fresh ice out pond. I skinned 5 today. One was poorer than the rest, by quite a stretch.

Old dead pond, new fresh sign. Maybe in a few years this will come to life again.

Les.....had a 330 stolen today......what do we do with these low life’s ? Was doing a nuisance beaver job in a high traffic of people area...for a town.

Well, if you catch them, make sure you get away with what you are going to do next. Think it through.

Was going to remake the set with a junk 330..... then put a tag on the bottom jaw that’s under the water that says.....Thanks for stealing my trap...now the police have your image ...from my trail camera.

Nessy,Put the chest waders on and set your traps submerged in the deep water.Cleaned a lot of beaver out right under the noses of dog walkers,tree huggers and antis.They didn't even know it.One time there was even a write up in the local paper-"where have all the beaver gone"
There was a spot right in the city-a conservation area with a big boardwalk where people could observe beavers and other wildlife frolicking in nature-where beavers were being studied by professors and students from the university-unfortunately these same beaver were plugging culverts that affected the railyard.I was tasked with alleviating the beaver problem for the railroad and took out 11 beaver.
In the newspaper item the biologists explained that beavers are known to "just up and move for no apparent reason".

Cellular camera. I am going to play with my regular ones first here and there. A thief never thinks he'll get caught. And will return.

Boco..... I tried waiting for the pile of dog walkers ,bike riders ...to go by ...so I could make my sets...but someone was watching me. It was on a rail trail....culvert plugged, I did manage to get a couple beaver out today.....haven’t had a trap stolen in years.

now thats funny

Be careful, that falls under premeditation! lol

I meditate a lot, and premeditate too, lol.

Ive had one small job and have picked up 3 so far. I wish I would have taken pictures of 2 of them. Both were huge. Now jus a couple of smaller beaver left I think then I am done. The smaller ones are getting bit up pretty good now.

This is the second 3 legged beaver I've caught in this trap. Recently lost a foot, same as the other one. I am done here now, as I've caught the big male and the big titted female. I believe they made home here last fall.

My competition is having a run of bad luck.

Yup...caught a big titted one today too.

I picked up 4 total today, one was pregnant, and one was so bit up it is depressing to skin. I'll skin quick and check hard for salvageability .It's missing about 7 square inches of hair, down to the (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) , scarred skin right in the middle of the back.

I had to move a couple traps to the spillway today. They've been down the rod a foot or so, 3 times each, and the bait sticks gone every time except the last one. I have never had this happen like this. I hope I'm not losing my touch. Hind foot set, CDR 7.5s .

Stupid 2 year olds anyway.

Throwin' down the gauntlet, huh? May not be bigger but it's fresher.

Well, they aint eatin' corn, lol.


Picked up another beaver this morning and pulled that spot. I have 3 traps out. Problem areas.

Prunes?

I'll hazard a guess that the spring bear "plug" is a time or two before them black sticky looking ones, lol.

I've been playing and tinkering with my traps lately. The top trap is a duke 1 1/2 and the bottom one is a 165 Bridger, both fitted with Wild River pans. the 1 3/4 pan fits the 165 just fine. I decided to make water traps out of my 165s, as they are close jawed traps and I like a hair bigger trap for coyotes, even though they will work. They are just a little bigger than the Dukes, and both traps will hold about anything that will step in them.

I felt I needed more traps on my waterline.

ADC trapping. The water gets clear in a hurry once you take a couple beaver out. That is a set off of the left tip of the peeled log I used for blocking. And a baitstick.

I hated to have to take the beaver out of this spot. Water was over the road upstream a little ways. Ducks, Geese, and swans in all this country.

I have showed this elsewhere. Nearby a body grip was stretched to the end of the cable and what ever I caught was gone, a muskrat probably because had it been a beaver the trap would have been gone. The stick through the rings was 50' away too.

Both bear and wolf sign around.

Nice beaver country.
I find wolves will rip apart a beaver within 50 feet of the catch site.Often looks like more than one wolf is working at it.
Bears on the other hand will carry them away.

That's why I figured it was a muskrat, because I could pull the stake out easily , and a rat would just pull apart. 1 inch wide spot of hair in the trap.

Man I hate water trapping this time of year. 100% unenjoyable!

I have seen traps that have had the pans made smaller by some beaver trapper.

Jim

lmao -too funny!

That's because your not old and bald headed. For the record, I ain't either of those....either! See what being a young smart arse gets ya!

Jim, I agree with you on smaller pans for beaver. These aren't beaver traps, or intended to be used for that. These are trippy panned traps for mink, rat, and coon and will hold every otter. Success rate is high, head/both front feet rate on rats is higher with this set up.

I am just getting ready for fall...you goat farmer, lol

Lol good! This heat today is pretty brutal. On the plus side fox trapping is only 4 months away!

I like that axe and it's a nice picture but we need to fine tune your technique. Bad angle. What kind of an axe design is that?

That ax is the Husqvarna ax that was featured with chainsaws about 4 years ago. I believe made by Gransfors Brux of Sweden, but not totally sure. I can sever a 2" popple with it with a diagonal swing, but bury it in a stick of wood. Not a splitting ax. Good for everything else.

The sun was going down in that pic and I was having trouble dealing with shadows, lol.

A little more action.


I have picked up 8 in the last couple days. That big titted female probably has pupped, but I'll cut her open and see. I wont show a pic of that.

There's a lot of beaver making a mess in this gravel pit complex I'm cleaning up. Water levels are a couple feet difference between ponds, and that's the problem.

Go get them tiger! Rawwrrrrr!

She has pupped, but they are little.

Got a tittie female today too Les.By the look of her I got a bunch for the price of one.

The last two females I dissected have had their litter, that is anything I would question. I don't believe there is a young of the year over 2 or 3 weeks old, if that. I didn't have a chance to catch a pregnant problem beaver in the 3 week of may though.

I'll cut this one later.
Had one pulled out of the water today by a wolf,and one hind leg and the castors eaten out of it.
Must have been a loner wolf.

I have not had any trouble in the area I'm in for bears or wolves yet. Every beaver has managed to wind up completely submersed.

5 young near full term.Local road board got their moneys worth.

I'll bet some are still having young yet here too then.

Seem about a week late this year.

Those pup bags were still inside but I don't know much about it.

Maybe that's not what them are.

Nice easy road trapping ..les .

Those 2 were, the gravel pit beaver in the truck, I had to work for, lol.

I want to throw some bullheads in that pond too.

Beaver got a lot of innards.

Yes they do.

How do you know how close the females were about to give birth? Size of babies?

The last big titted female I caught (the one Les told me I shouldn’t have trapped lol) had 5 babies in her tummy. That was May. 7th and I thought those babies were gonna be born any day. Babies were big and completely formed. Ready to cut trees down and flood roads!

size of babies, on the other hand, how much bigger could they have gotten ? lol. I go by how late I caught one that still had babies in her .

Yep size of fetuses and form.

Is it wrong to post a pic of the baby beavers on here?

Not if it stayed on here.So the answer to your question is yes.

I opened one up on the 6th of May that had a few weeks left to go I felt . I just looked back at my phone to see that.

Normal birthing date here is first week of june.Have seen the last week of may some years.

Ok. I’m gonna keep the pic I took and compare them in the future if I catch one later in the spring next year. I guess it’s possible these ones had a few weeks to still go.

I had a fetus pic of 8 fetuses axed on the strictly forum, because someone complained although it did stay on another thread over there. It's pretty graphic for a forum anyone could look at like this one.

Strictly trapping is a log in only thread. Start a fetus size thread there and see what happens.

If I remember,I'll get some pics before disposition tomorrow,
I think thru PM would be better.I have had pics show up on the net that I posted on the Trapping only forum.

Lol. I doubt anyone would even think these ones were fetuses if they saw them. Nice and clean.

I sent you both a pic of one with 6 in her. I didn't think they were that well developed yet on the may 6th.

They look like they got a few weeks to go.

yup. I killed a male and female in the last few days that were 50-60 lbs apiece. I haven't weighed one for a while but I know when they are heavy.

After reading the last 10 to 15 posts, I think we need to rename this thread:

"Invasion of the Fetus Snatchers"

Good God !!!!

w

LOL. Well, it is that time of year.

Left my phone/camera at home today, but did catch a couple more. More importantly, I took my mudmotor and boat for a spin and burnt the carbon out of that bad boy 6 1/2 hp predator, lol.