Trap bed on beaver foothold

Have maybe gotten several hundred beaver ever. Set out 5 foothold in last week, 3 beaver an some sprung traps, 2 this morning, no. 3 Bridger coil on drown set up, set maybe 3-4 inches deep water. Not far from bank. Use breast sticks. To try get beaver drop feet wslk in trap, in sandy bottom, really sucks. At times.mix grass. In with sand. Absolutely impossible sometimes to get trap stabel an spent lots time bedding, have pan at half notch. An 4 lbs pound tension maybe. If beaver don't step on pan with a lil rock of jaws or spring levers, what happens ? How many times well beaver come back if trap spring him? I don't like dbl long at set as to much room but easy bed. An maybe next season try get 6- no. 5 dbl

You dont have any 330's?

use your shovel and cut a slab of sod up the bank a ways and plant it upside down underwater to bed the trap on, sometimes takes 2 or 3 sod clumps.

He has to use sets that are made submerged and designed to drown so he can use an extended check. 330's are no good bridge hopping, because they have to be 100% under water and you can not find many desirable places they fit within the ROW. We can use snares but they are not legal on extended checks either, even if they are on drowners, unless they are set completely under water per the law.

I do not understand?
Your post sounds like you have caught hundreds of beaver?
Yet you not know how to bed a trap?

Zim

?

Gotcha.
The sod option is a good one for footholds.

Either Zim is drinking...or has Carona Virus

You've caught several hundred beavers and you cant figure out how to bed a beaver foothold?

Sod not to good if all sand. I try grass , small sticks under spring lever an beside jaw. Very hard to get good time consuming, I don't do lured 330s nomore.to hard to submerge. With digging sticks, if beaver steps on spring lever or jaw an trap rocks but don't fire ? Beaver just keep stomping around ? Unless trap at 3 or even 4 inches deep is not work out front foot catch, even with breast sticks an trap pretty close bank ? Fire trap with chest, ? Well beaver return if trap fires ? I would think 3-4 inches from pan to surface ok ? Or maybe a lil more sometimes

I apologize to the OP.
Sometimes I am slow and can not understand.
Good luck to you Coonman

Zim

Sod is good if you cut a big enough chunk with the shovel and place it so beaver uses it as a landing and puts his foot down,Most beavers are on the move in spring,if one doesnt come back another one will come along.

The 3 letter word ..THE....needs to be in your stories. That little word would help it flow better.

IMO you should lower your pan tension to what you'd use if setting for raccoons. At 4lbs of pressure in soft sand it'll push your trap down into the sand enough to impede the pans movement. I'd also get rid of the breasting sticks and all the other BS just set the trap in shallow water up close to the edge (1-2" of water over the trap) and make a small mound with a little castor on it on the bank. You may catch a coon in it but if you're stuck with #3 traps and extended trap check type sets that's a minor thing. You should easily be able to make two sets like that in 15-20 min. even with your bad knees. I'd never go under a bridge and all the work for less than two sets per location.

Sand can be a big problem. Is It plugging up the trap or are you just having problems stabilizing the trap?
The other thing I would do Is lose those breasting sticks. Just pile up some dirt or place a decent sized stick In front of your trap just like you would use a stepping stick. A inch or so of water over the trap Is plenty.
If the critter Is making one step and Is in the trap bedding shouldn't be a problem. And make sure your off setting at least 4" either right or left of center. A trap placed dead center Is going to get sprung when the beaver hits It with It's breast and that's going miss that beaver.

Some guys swear by heavy pan tension for beaver,but I have more sucess when i use light pan tension.

You can put the traps in trays and eliminate all bedding problems. More gear to tote in but worth it. Footholds not fired unless a beaver foot in it.

Get the video....Annilahation of Trap Shy Beaver by D. Lafforthun.

Mostly have trouble stabilizing traps , seem impossible. A big chunk of sand sod? I have my doubts go work ? If mix grass in with sand, csn keep sand under pan out, sometimes stabel, yes traps offset. To side,mound sand in front trap, I don't know, silt in, breast sticks. I try have so not enough to keep trap chain from go down slider an pull stick out or go over it. A stick in front , might get tangle chain, water levels fluctuate. Some are, 2-3 inches submerged, others are 4 inches, 1 might be close 5 inches by back, is that to deep for front foot catch ?

Id get your bigger Traps soon as possible... I prefer MB750 size traps.. if you want that front foot set 1 to2" deep and the poke sticks I'd keep using. But I also like stiffer pan pressure not lighter .

So in 4 inches deep water is problem with try front foot catch beaver ?

Yes. Dig out your trap bed location up into the bank IF its not frozen ground

Hurry up and decide Dave. Up to 2 inches of rain Wed and Thurs.

The beavers will be on the move big time if you got open water-better have your traps in working order.Pelts go down hill fast after ice out.

When using footholds and castor I have the best luck setting my traps deep.....10" deep or more. The person who taught me explained that when Beaver are coming in to castor it is a territorial aggressive response. Often times they will try to cover up the castor mound we make with mud they carry in themselves. If a beaver swims in with an armfull of mud then you're not going to catch it by it's front feet. If you set deep then you catch that beaver every time by a back foot and you don't have to worry about it bumping the trap with it's belly and firing it. A beaver will swim in with an armfull of mud until the water is shallow enough (10" or so) for it to put it's back feet down. It also helps to dig that trap bed and recess the trap so that the pan is level with the bottom. There are very few fired traps without beaver when doing it this way. Staying legal with fluctuating water levels is easier too. It's spring and the water is up and down constantly.

It might been try cover up with mud in 1 place, not sure what happen, I have breast sticks. U think when it sticks at angle , they climb over an into trap, caught 10 in fall, 9 in footholds. Not sure why such problem now, I did set pa tension. Way up.maybe 4-5 lbs an on hslf notch set, bad luck , sprung traps an spook beaver , 2 inches rain don't sound good

I don't think pan tension is all that important in the water. Breast sticks can get a swimming beaver to plant it's front feet, but it sounds to me like they're just plowing through them. It's spring and the beaver are moving. Don't worry if you educated one. More will pass through. Try setting deeper.

Here picture trap water not deep. Make like this beaver catch I bet. Thank Trapper Les picture

If you set for a back foot catch make sure you have enough water and weight to get the job done. You know this already if you've caught a bunch of beaver.

Edit: I reread the original post. #3 isn't ideal for back- footing a beaver. Stick to trying for a front foot in shallower water like Nessmuck showed or you'll just lose more beaver. Get some bigger traps and you'll miss fewer beaver.

Need bigger traps for hind foot catching. I rember years back now. Setting resl shallow like 1 inch deep, so that what I really wonder. If small notch in bank with lure up on bank an beyond with some bait sticks. Trap maybe even with bank. Guide blocking so kinda v sometimes or about 14 inches wide. Breast sticks in front trap with trap pretty close bank, what does beaver do when hit breast sticks. Can he walk with front legs in 3 -4 inches water, if only less than foot from land or bank ? Or over breast sticks an kinda float if water 4 inches deep by bank ? Not figgure out why sprung traps at least 5 timez

Make believe you are swimming up to that piece of poplar in the bank. You swim up to it and smell the poplar stick with your nose...and now you want to put your arm down ......your not going to put your arm down in front of your nose ..right ! Your going to put your arm down to the right or left of center......so that’s where you put the trap... 4-5 inches to the right or left of center.....NOT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE POPLAR STICK...OR CASTOR MOUND

If your targeting a front foot you need to have the beaver WALKING.
Here's the way you bed a trap In unstable ground. Take a pant leg and cut section about 10" long. sew up one end. Fill the section about half full of sand then tie the end shut. Know you can place the bag at your location and work the trap down Into the bag. This will give you a very stable platform.

That is idea. I am pulling traps tommorow before heavy rain come , might try few snares sets over wkend. Wonder if they go up fake trail with caster lure , after possibly be spook by lure an sprung traps

Every 330 will have a beaver in it during a spring rain especially if you use castor lured sets.It will pay to check every day since your traps will be full of fur anyway if set on the right watershed.

U have more beaver there. Or ur main animal to trap in Canada, some states they much thicker were I go trapping beaver , that help lot

Somebody is setting off your traps. Put up a couple cameras and see. I've always had great results with breast sticks, rocks, sod - anything to get the beaver walking into the trap. 1 inch of water over the trap is fine... Silty/sand can be a problem but mainly by silting in so trap can[t fire, especially if boat wakes wash over the sets but also if melting ice from the bank above the set causes silt to run into the trap bed.

What are these trays ?

In silty muck I stabilize by pushing short wrist size sticks into the muck. Bedding in sand, my only issue has been sand settling under the pan. In those instances I use an under all.

A brown paper grocery bag works. Tear off a section large enough to put under the trap. Soak it up with water and crumple up. Straighten out and place under trap. Another section can be used as a trap cover also. Blends in with the sand too.

Pull traps yesterday. Bfore rain, hi water, 1 big beaver at end slider by Gunny sack sand, by hind foot, I set traps at 3/4 half notch with a good 4-5 lbs tension on pan , should u set more closer hair trigger ? I thinking that front foot beaver should be in like inch maybe 2 water. Not good for that for while with rain , I had more success in fall, I thinking maybe 2-3 lbs tension better to much. To much could also be problem ? Just guessing , no non targets, was careful way set an lure placement, spook beaver yes

Set 3 footholds today, used paper sack, crumble up an soak an lay under trap, exellent keep sand out. Got 3 bed in sand. With paper sack under. Some sand grass sod an grass. With sticks under spring levers an jaw to make fairly sturdy, 1 is more iffy, what if beaver hits spring lever or jaw an tips some. ? Not az bad as coon ? I had set 1 place where beaver caught, 17 days ago. Pull trap because lot rain, not much left set but old bait stuck an lure stick mud sand on it, beaver tracks all over it, no idea if smell it from that long ago, impossible

If you are using long spring traps. You can bed the trap with the springs toward the bank. With the loose jaw out. Should be more stable. I've have caught plenty of beaver with the trap set this way. I don't believe it would be impossible for them to smell it.

Coilsprings. Set with spring levers faceing bank an out toward stream center. They usally bed better if loose jaw facing out like at pocket. But with spring levers out, way they say do it , for beaver

Should find out tomorrow. Hope you get 3 for 3.

**Bed trap solid same as when u caught several hunded beevys... Y can noot bed trap now?.. No wiggle no slide no rock or no beevy. No sticks under any part of trap. 3/16” rod use vise and hammer bend to make staple wid enough to go ove part of trap frame that doozent spring up legs 4” to 6” long. Hold trap to not spring on fingeee. Push staple into sandy. Use two ifu need. Beevy will get caught say ouch jump away pull staples go swimming. After make staple send $20 payment for comcepts. U very wulvcumm.

^^^^^^^^ I think coonman could understand that.

when i first started water trapping i only used footholds for beaver and did good, now when i use them i am having alot of the same issues as you. i think i need to just go back to throwing the trap in the water on a slide and forget about the bedding and breAST sticks

So s 5 dbl with spring levers toward an into bank, dog out towards center stream, not problem with beaver entering over top dog? Also cant get close bank, bed good yes. Should try get some next season, only trap that had action today was one with beaver track over old scent stick where. Got beaver over 2 weeks ago trap hard bed, not sprung but pushed out place by beaver an spring levers were up against poke sticks. Beaver tracks on trail i made. A snare be better but not what I use. Cant be there early every morning

I trap tide water so water level goes up and down about four feet twice a day. I started setting on dry land rather than in the water. Dig a bed a little deeper than the trap and cover lightly with wet leaves. Make 100% certain that you do not contaminate trap covering with castor or you will be pinching noses.

Im no beaver guru but if there is enough water to drown wouldn't there be enough water to cover a 330? I would use a 280 or 220 if there wasn't. With the problems you are having bedding footholds, digging out a channel to fit the conibear might be easier?

I look that over yesterday an had couple Duke 330s along, no go, along road ditch bridges for 330 submerged lure set. Other than spend couple hrs maybe try make 1 that may work. With sand cave jn, not right spot, not deep enough by bank,etc, I got 10 last fall, 1-330, rest footholds.4 in footholds. A cpl week back when trapping little for week, an some educated smart beaver. How big deal is it if coilsprings moves or tips some if beaver step spring lever or jaw ? Should get 5 dbl, 5 coils. Maybe 4-5 traps next fall

How often do travelers go or is rain what make beaver run hard ?

For a long time I trapped beavers with #3 double long spring and had to get front foot catches. They required some effort to bed securely.


Fast forward to the present. I use only one foothold for beavers. MB750 laminated standard jaws. Once set, the trap is stable and solid. It wants to bed tight and secure. I do all sorts of crazy things to bed that trap. Build a ledge, shelf, or step. Make some of my staples. You don't want to stake the trap, you want to pin it in place. I thought of selling the staples, but that would be a ridiculous. I think that building a firm bed is so important that I will sacrifice a great location where I cannot bed the trap fore a moderate location where I can bed the trap and have a good set.