Best Chainsaw Bar Length For Under Ice Beavers

What’s the best overall chainsaw bar length for under ice beaver trapping that would cover most ice depths? I’m looking to buy one but I’m undecided on how long a bar I want.

Depends on your local, I run a 24" in WI

18 inch here minimum.If your cutting more ice than that even in the dead of winter the house is not worth trapping-not much beaver activity and likely only a pair of beaver.You should be targeting full colonys with at least 2 age classes of beaver if trapping thru the ice for numbers.

I used a 20 inch bar as it was used for clearing trails, firewood and ice. As "Boco" stated if your cutting more than 18 inches your probably wasting time. You should be able to find thinner ice around any well populated active lodge or feed pile.

I use 18" bar, sometimes cut through 24" to catch beaver, depends on several factors in addition to how active the lodge is. Started using an ice auger more this year. Im finding it much easier than the chainsaw,for what it's worth.

Lots of guys use chainsaws to cut holes for sturgeon spearing. The last few years, my buddy and I have used our ice augers to drill side by side holes. My ice auger is powered by my battery power drill and weighs in at around 13 pounds. It can't cut trees, but it could easily cut 20+ holes for traps that measure 16"x16", plenty big to drop a 330 and pull up a big beaver. I don't trap beaver under ice, but if I did, that's what I'd use.

It can't cut trees, but if you already have an auger, it's something to consider. In order to cut overlapping holes so you dont have to chop them open, the auger needs to have a center point.

I use 20” on all my saws and also same gauge chain so everything is interchangeable. Sometimes I’ll have 24-26” of ice trapping river beaver so then I just chisel out the last few inches

Sawing through 18" of ice to catch a $10.00 beaver. LOL

I tried a chainsaw for muskrats but got really wet. Abandoned the leaning board idea and went to pushups and feeding piles. Much more enjoyable.

i'm with Beave on this one

II used a power auger once or twice when doing spring beaver runs.Auger is fine until you hit feed,then you'll wish you used the saw.Not to mention if your dropping snare poles you will have a lot of slush removal using an auger.
Beav,you can sell the hides too not just the castors.

Well I’d rather be outside trapping than self isolating in my house watching tv or doing something else that’s mind numbing.

Like reading and posting on here all day!!!

It is a pain hitting sticks, but I just set over and start another hole. Definitely more slush...I need an oversized ice scoop! Still can cut a hole much quicker with the auger....less than half the amount of time in thick ice

An auger may be nice for cutting holes but when your running a snowmobile line it's a clumsy single use tool to pack around whereas the power saw is an easily packed tool useful for many jobs encountered on the line.

Get an old Homelite with a 18-20 inch bar, the way the air filter is you don't turbo-charge the water over the screen like the new saws do .garage yard sale specials
Great advise from Rally;
and before that I thought they were boat anchors

Good point tomcat,another is when setting wide entrance runs you need a fairly big hole to get 3 or 4 traps in.Cutting big holes is faster with the chainsaw than a power auger.Also plunging the bar to find the run is much faster with the saw.

I think I'm going to haul my saw out next winter for snaring, I about blew my elbows off spudding this year. What do you guys use for bar oil? I've been told canola but am skeptical it will perform in single digit temps.

I used no oil, water is a lubricant and coolant itself. If you think you should use an oil, use vegetable oil.

I have a saw with a manual oiler.Dont need to thumb it when cutting ice.

old Homelite had them Boco those thumb oilers, does help to hammer them when finished and less bar drag/freeze up

Beav those 10$ beaver are Canadian so they are worth in a good year 5$ Canadian, but with castor going @ 130$ and bounty @ 50$...it's money in the bank.
And outdoor exercise = priceless

Ahh, makes sense