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Chain lenghth for beaver
I wanted to know what a good lenghth of chain would be for beaver. Wanted to have some sets that are not on drowning rods for a live catch. And what kind of chain would be preferred. I've always used drowning rods in the past. And still will. Just wanted more options. Use ts-85s. Thanks.
Posted By: WadeRyan
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/08/20 08:57 AM
I've seen guys that have used it with success cite anywhere from 10-20 feet with a single rebar stake. It's peaked my interest too. I'm not much for drowners and haven't been much of a beaver trapper (I usually just snare them). I've noticed increasingly they are the majority of problem animals around my area lately and I might give it a run.
Posted By: Larry Baer
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/08/20 12:07 PM
I have some experience with long chains about 12' to 15' long. What ever is sticking up a beaver will wrap around and twist off on. There cannot be ANYTHING sticking up out or the ground or in the water.
Posted By: Ringbill5196
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/08/20 12:54 PM
I use 10 ft because if longer they can get out of the other side. Anchor in the water but leave so they can get out comfortably. Snare or set for rear foot. I use several swivels and avoid grassy banks that will clog them. Beware of logs that will hold them under, not only does it drown them but can make retrieving a major operation.
Videos that show it are Locklears Night Beaver and Dale Billingsly's.
Posted By: J. Brooks
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 03:01 AM
My beaver chains are 10’ #3 machine chain. Set up to either be a long chain rig or a chain drowner. Some discretion is good on where to keep them alive but I usually screw up and end up digging a few out of bank holes I never saw.
Posted By: Buck (Zandra)
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 11:41 AM
O 'Gorman goes into detail about long chains in his beaver video.
Posted By: Jiggamitch
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 03:19 PM
I've been using 10' of #2 chain and a couple swivels for some back foot live catches. Has been working so far.
Posted By: The Beav
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 03:30 PM
Why do you want live beaver In your traps?
Posted By: Swamp Wolf
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 05:26 PM
Why do you want live beaver In your traps?
Water not deep enough to drown..
Posted By: Carolina Foxer
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 05:47 PM
Why do you want live beaver In your traps?
Attracts other beaver in the colony to investigate and get in your other conibears and snares.
Posted By: The Beav
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 06:03 PM
If your on location you shouldn't need a live beaver to draw the others In. I may be wrong but I've seen where a live beaver or even a dead beaver would cause the other beaver to hole up or even move on.
BGs solve shallow water situations In most cases.
In my opinion It's not fair to the beaver not to put It down as quick and as humanly as possible.
Posted By: 080808
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 06:44 PM
The Beav. Good going . Drowning sets or BG. A live beaver trashing around to attract other beaver?
That would be an extremely rare occurrence.
Why do you want live beaver In your traps?
Attracts other beaver in the colony to investigate and get in your other conibears and snares.
That is why. Want to go to one property gang set in a location and be done as fast as possible. This was a topic in a locklears video using game cams on trapped live beaver. On the footage at least, it drawed curiosity.
Also, in my state any body grips 330 on up must be submerged in water. So swallow water with a 330 is out of question. Would need a foothold.
Posted By: PAskinner
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 07:22 PM
Don't you get chewed up beaver? I've had beaver killed by other beaver in snares.
Posted By: The Beav
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 09:23 PM
I watched locklears flick and he even placed he lure In front of the trap LOL And he set the 330 In the vertical position In that pull out and by doing that your pretty much are closing off the opening and making the beaver crawl over the trap. And In the flick that's what the beaver did.
If you wanted to learn how to trap beaver hat would be the last thing I would be watching.
If I was limited to a foot hold I would run a drowning cable out to the deepest water I could find. I would target a front foot and I would add some type of weight to the trap or very close to It. A tie plate or a sash weight will work. I would also place a stop on the downer so the beaver couldn't get to the deep end stake.
You keep a beaver out In the water for any length of time It's going to tire out and drown. The weight Is the X factor In this system.
Before BGs we used 10' of chain staked 10' from the bank. Added a sash weight so It wouldn't effect the swiveling action of the trap. That added weight would tire out that beaver In no time. That weight Is what kills the beaver.
Posted By: Boco
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/09/20 11:16 PM
I would never set a foothold trap for beaver unless it was on a positive drowning system.
No reason for that.
If its too shallow to drown or at least submerge a bodygrip,walk a ways and move your set to where you can.
Posted By: trappergbus
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/10/20 11:53 AM
6 foot of additional chain, staked so the beaver can reach the bank and wait for me. I try to set it up so I can place a 330 submerged in a tight spot close to the paw hold. Many doubles this way. Ya just gotta be careful so the chain doesn't get tangled to far from the bank. Sash waits help wear em down but most are sitting on the bank waiting my arrival. The great thing is you can make sets with Knee boots.
Posted By: MChewk
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/10/20 12:43 PM
I agree with Gus and others on long chaining them except I use two traps per set and find that extra trap acts as a weight and helps tire them out. Originally tried 10 ft of chain and deep water anchor....too much chain too many issues....then went to 6 -8 ft of heavy chain and like it better. And catching doubles is awesome!
Posted By: Ringbill5196
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/10/20 02:35 PM
I respect Boco and The Beav and their beaver knowledge, but you are being closed minded on this issue. I have taken 5 of 6 beaver in a colony in one night keeping one alive on a chain. In another case I caught all 4 in the colony in one night. This is huge when running ADC. I also have used it running a fur line, most often on a dead end line or spur on my line. Less often I have done it in a large area of shallow water with a snare, usually freshly flooded.
Locklear's video turned me on to this and Billingsly's showed how to keep the beaver acting naturally, and a good set for this. If they are thrashing after the first bit you are not going about this correctly. I also use offset traps for this. Just like foot trapping canines it can be done humanly without undue stress on the animal. Nobody is using BGs and drowning footholds regularly on coyote.
There is a learning curve with this and I typically back it up with all blind sets within 50 feet or so, all of them kill sets except the one. None of them lured except the one. You need to be committed to the 24 hour or less check as well.
Posted By: Swamp Wolf
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/10/20 07:51 PM
I respect Boco and The Beav and their beaver knowledge, but you are being closed minded on this issue. I have taken 5 of 6 beaver in a colony in one night keeping one alive on a chain. In another case I caught all 4 in the colony in one night. This is huge when running ADC. I also have used it running a fur line, most often on a dead end line or spur on my line. Less often I have done it in a large area of shallow water with a snare, usually freshly flooded.
Locklear's video turned me on to this and Billingsly's showed how to keep the beaver acting naturally, and a good set for this. If they are thrashing after the first bit you are not going about this correctly. I also use offset traps for this. Just like foot trapping canines it can be done humanly without undue stress on the animal. Nobody is using BGs and drowning footholds regularly on coyote.
There is a learning curve with this and I typically back it up with all blind sets within 50 feet or so, all of them kill sets except the one. None of them lured except the one. You need to be committed to the 24 hour or less check as well.
^^^good reply!
Posted By: Carolina Foxer
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/10/20 09:28 PM
Kirk DeKalb has a video where he snares one beaver and catches an additional 8 beavers in body grips covering the runs around the flow. It's not about being off location, it's about taking advantage of the commotion of a live beaver when on location.
I know 2 other associates that do this when setting on dams and with long chained footholds and well placed conibears/snares, they are cleaning out nuisance job colonies in 2 or 3 checks.
Posted By: trappergbus
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/10/20 09:35 PM
[quote=Ringbill5196]I respect Boco and The Beav and their beaver knowledge, but you are being closed minded on this issue. I have taken 5 of 6 beaver in a colony in one night keeping one alive on a chain. In another case I caught all 4 in the colony in one night. This is huge when running ADC. I also have used it running a fur line, most often on a dead end line or spur on my line. Less often I have done it in a large area of shallow water with a snare, usually freshly flooded.
Locklear's video turned me on to this and Billingsly's showed how to keep the beaver acting naturally, and a good set for this. If they are thrashing after the first bit you are not going about this correctly. I also use offset traps for this. Just like foot trapping canines it can be done humanly without undue stress on the animal. Nobody is using BGs and drowning footholds regularly on coyote.
There is a learning curve with this and I typically back it up with all blind sets within 50 feet or so, all of them kill sets except the one. None of them lured except the one. You need to be committed to the 24 hour or less check as well.
^^^good reply![/quote
I had the opportunity 5 years ago to witness the milling effect in broad daylight with one in a pawhold swimming in a circle. The other beaver just swam back and forth. Then the light bulb went on, My best so far from one location is 4 after one prior check of 3. The BG set on a parallel approach close to the bank edge seems to get hit the most. Takes a little forethought to set it up.
Posted By: Wolfdog91
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/11/20 03:18 AM
Don't mention locklear around Beav lol, gets him typing
Posted By: Taximan
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/11/20 04:13 AM
I think it's past his bedtime,Wolfdog.
Posted By: The Beav
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/11/20 02:17 PM
Every time I hear or see the name I picture him pulling Into a small town In the 1800s selling some type of cure all remedy.
Posted By: Mac
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/13/20 01:45 AM
I respect Boco and The Beav and their beaver knowledge, but you are being closed minded on this issue. I have taken 5 of 6 beaver in a colony in one night keeping one alive on a chain. In another case I caught all 4 in the colony in one night. This is huge when running ADC. I also have used it running a fur line, most often on a dead end line or spur on my line. Less often I have done it in a large area of shallow water with a snare, usually freshly flooded.
Locklear's video turned me on to this and Billingsly's showed how to keep the beaver acting naturally, and a good set for this. If they are thrashing after the first bit you are not going about this correctly. I also use offset traps for this. Just like foot trapping canines it can be done humanly without undue stress on the animal. Nobody is using BGs and drowning footholds regularly on coyote.
There is a learning curve with this and I typically back it up with all blind sets within 50 feet or so, all of them kill sets except the one. None of them lured except the one. You need to be committed to the 24 hour or less check as well.
Wow great explanation. Thank you.
Mac
Every time I hear or see the name I picture him pulling Into a small town In the 1800s selling some type of cure all remedy.
That is pretty funny. I do like his predator baits and lures though
Posted By: Mr. Ed
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/22/20 04:09 AM
I leave about 24" of chain with a dbl swivel minus the one J hook on the end. Then I add about 3 links of chain with a split washer and swivel on the chain so I can put it at the perfect length. This way I always have the right length of chain to reach the slide wire.
Posted By: Wolfdog91
Re: Chain lenghth for beaver - 06/22/20 04:39 AM
Every time I hear or see the name I picture him pulling Into a small town In the 1800s selling some type of cure all remedy.
You be amazed how much you'd agree with him on alot of his stuff in the last three or so years. Swear on a few of his pods casts of late I thought you had wrote him a script