2022/2023 winter Beaver Trapping.

[TwentyFive-Yard]

I started a thread of the same nature last winter for beaver trapping, so let’s keep it going. There may not be many of us trapping beavers, but maybe. It’s been a tough go to start the season for me this year, but after 6 weeks with steel in the water, I finally got two last night. And luck was the theme of it. The first beaver got both of his front feet (hands) in the trap, likely trying to swim over it. Had it not been a Belisle brand, I don’t think this beaver would’ve been there this morning. Belisle are what I would call a magnum spring, not to be trifled with. Then on a different property I had a beaver caught by the tail. Near as I can figure, he saw the trap at the last second and banked hard to avoid it but got his tail in the trap. Not ideal for sure.

 

[packer58]

Nice, I trapped during the 70's and early 80's and it was a blast. Beaver, bobcat, coyotes, coons and a few muskrats. Back then there were no gray fox in Lassen county, Ca so me an my trapping partner would go over to the north coastal range and catch grey fox and fish for steelhead for a month .... boy those were the days ....

 

[TwentyFive-Yard]

Nice, I trapped during the 70's and early 80's and it was a blast. Beaver, bobcat, coyotes, coons and a few muskrats. Back then there were no gray fox in Lassen county, Ca so me an my trapping partner would go over to the north coastal range and catch grey fox and fish for steelhead for a month .... boy those were the days ....

Love Steelheading. Used to live in Michigan, and while the species isn’t native, it has become wild and self sustaining, no more stocking needed. Beast of a species.

 

[Hondo0925]

Nice work!!

 

[TSAMP]

I've been slaying the water trapping the last month or so. I'm pretty new at it all but my freezers filling up fast. This is a 65lber from yesterday.

 

[Timplant]

Northern Michigan bigs!

 

[TwentyFive-Yard]

I've been slaying the water trapping the last month or so. I'm pretty new at it all but my freezers filling up fast. This is a 65lber from yesterday.
View attachment 503699

Love it. Good work. My biggest so far in 3 winters of beaver trapping is 60lbs on the mark. That’s a huge tail on that beaver. What kind of trap did you get it with? Keep at it. And yeah, that freezer fills up fast, be careful because you’re gonna have a lot of work in front of you if you’re fleshing them and stretching them.

 

[TwentyFive-Yard]

Northern Michigan bigs!

I like using a sled to haul them out, but I’ve also floated them downstream with paracord attached to a foot while I waded with waders on. Love Big Michigan. I was a blueberry farmer in South haven area for a decade.

 

[TSAMP]

Love it. Good work. My biggest so far in 3 winters of beaver trapping is 60lbs on the mark. That’s a huge tail on that beaver. What kind of trap did you get it with? Keep at it. And yeah, that freezer fills up fast, be careful because you’re gonna have a lot of work in front of you if you’re fleshing them and stretching them.

330 on this one.

I'd love to see what folks do with their pelts, I have about a dozen im going to tan and give as gifts to some friends and their kids. I have one being full body mounted as well.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

Just trying to start my efforts. Bought my first trap a #5 foot hold and castor. Probably need to wait till spring to deploy her but very excited!

 

[TwentyFive-Yard]

Just trying to start my efforts. Bought my first trap a #5 foot hold and castor. Probably need to wait till spring to deploy her but very excited!

You’d be surprised perhaps, as far as using the castor to lure them in. But that also depends on where you’re trapping. Here in Montana I am mostly trapping through the ice, but on the spring creeks I can do it because there’s no ice. It’s pretty much getting past “prime” pelt season at this point, so if you have to wait for spring, that’s the way it is. What’s your plan for dispatching the beaver once in the #5? When I am using footholds below a castor bait mound, I like to use a dispatch/drowner rod. I will enclose a picture of the set up I was running last weekend. This is also helpful on “trap smart” beavers that have seen too many 330 conibear traps, such as the situation I am dealing with. Way too smart of a beaver.

An article/scientific report I read a few winters ago comes to mind. I was trying to understand as much about the behavior of the beaver as possible, and found my self down the proverbial rabbit hole. I will see if I can find that report. It analyzes why beavers are territorial and their use of the castor; scent fencing vs scent matching. Scent fencing meaning trying to keep other beavers (outside of their kin) out of their domain by using the castor as a warning to stay out vs scent matching where they are trying to size each other up to defend their domain. Actually quite fascinating of a concept. I won’t tell, you have to read it. I will say my kids and I witnessed a beaver fight in broad daylight a few springs ago, during the time when the 2 year olds get booted from the lodge to find their own territory.

Respect the Boundaries of The Beaver

blogs.scientificamerican.com

 

[TwentyFive-Yard]

Not the biggest beaver in the water, but got this one on a set under that big downed log, this beaver trying to get back into the lodge.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

Bro took it pretty hard great work!