First Time Beaver Trapper tips for sets

[Hank8]

Hello,

I have trapped for a few years now and I'm just starting to get into beaver trapping. I located a spot this week with scent mounds and a few slides going in and out of the river (pictures attached). I won't be able to get traps out until next week so I thought I would post on here and ask for advice before I start trapping. I have a few 330 conibears as well as some coyote footholds and snares. I've done a lot of reading on how to approach different sets but I wanted to see if anyone had some advice based on the specific sign I have found. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, Thanks!

The slide is on the opposite bank in the third picture.

Hank

 

[summs]

Not an experienced trapper, but have done beaver a time a two. In NJ, we have to draw a beaver permit that's only good for that zone. Max of 8 beavers. So I cant do it every year or as much as i'd like. We also dont have the population to support that.

That said, NJ does not have a den set restriction. Best odds are find a den entrance, make a stick funnel into 2 funnels, set 2 connibears in said funnels exits.

Besides the caster mound, foot hold set with your caster lure on it, I dont see sign i'd set on. Look for the feed stash. Will be in the water and look like a bunch of sticks with the bark stripped off, nice and yellow. Take a stick, strip the bark and wire tie it to the bottom of the connibear and set that on the outskirts of the feed pile.

 

[EdP]

A 330 about 2/3 in the water at a slide is the easiest way to catch them. You may need to guide them in with (dead) sticks. Fix the 330 in place with sticks through the springs angled inward to the jaws. Attach a cable to the chain to get enough length to anchor the 330 securely to something on shore. A few green sticks at the shoreline as bait or a castor mound won't hurt but isn't necessary. If the slide is being used it will be used again in a day or two.

Land foothold traps are often too small to be ideal for beaver due to jaw spread limits in state trapping regs. A number 3 or 4 foothold set in the water with a drowning slide wire is much better than what you can probably use for coyotes on land, but check your regs on trap size limits and also what is required for bodygrips in water.

You can also set snares on trees like the one being worked in your last picture. You can probably find youtube videos on how to do that. Got to get the snare height and loop size right. You can do snares at slides too. They work very well on slides going up a slope.

 

[Habitat#1]

We do the 330 on bottom of slide,check your rules some states I think they have to be submerged.I also set snares but usually where they are up on bank at top of slide.Don't make loop too big or you will body catch him so make sure you take a gun to check them.Castor scent helps