Beginning beaver trapping

Started a beaver "job" today. I say it that way because the property belongs to a family member who lives out of state and we help look after the property.

Here's the main dam:

and a secondary dam:


The ditch forks right before the pond opens up and I made a set there:

Looks like you should be bream fishing in that mofo

Broke the dam slightly
Bank den?

There are not a lot of active runs or slides I've found. No crossover on the big dam but the smaller one has limited activity. I'm going to make a couple of drowning rods to use with a couple of Bridger #5's and may try something on the edge of the ditch above the higher dam.

I'd welcome any comments or tips from anyone with experience doing this. Yes, I know I'm killing the makings of a fine duck hole but need to save what timber is in there.

Have you spoke with North40 yet? I'm sure he could could help with this. Good luck.

Is that a cypress tree, or tupelo gum?

If you have connibears I'd brake the main dam a little and set a connibear out from it and fence it with limbs so the beaver will get in the connibear trying to fix the dam. You'll have to be careful not to break the dam to much because the beaver will float a big log into your trap. You can set a castor mound on the edge of the bank with a trap hooked to a drowning line. I would get up the creek and find a narrow spot in the creek and set a dive set with a connibear. I have caught a lot of beaver this way. Just set your connibear and put a limb across the creek so the beaver will dive under it and wham you'll have him.

In the middle of the ditch? That's a cypress but there are also lots of Tupelo Gum in there.

Thanks Inojohn. I made a small break in the small dam and set like you mentioned. No activity last night but not much change in water level. Today I made a break in the larger dam to move some water out.

I built one drowning rod today and I'll set it with a Bridger #5 and make a castor mound near the large dam. I'll make another one tomorrow.

I also put a 330 in the side ditch before the second dam. I choked it down with sticks and set the gap. I'll get some more 330's and try the dive stick set.

K your sets look good! The exposed 330's will work a time or two then the remaining beaver will get square shy and you'll have to hide them better. That's where the dive sticks help out. That one pic is definitely a bank den. A 330 right there will catch one or two then they'll abandon it until you pull the trap.

Good luck! Keep us posted also.

I set 5 traps on a ditch yesterday and I'll try to get some pics of it today. Hopefully there'll be a couple dead beaver waiting in them.

Tannerite.

Thanks. Thats a neat piece of property

Yes and a video camera

Cousin tried some on a dam the other day. Only 1 of 3 detonated. I think water seeped into the container. I'd either duct tape it to seal it or place it in sealed pvc to keep it dry.

Shove a big 5 pounder tannerite charge into that den bank as far as you can and still see it from a safe enough distance to shoot it. That'll wreck their world a little.

Reset the big dam after making a new break. They had a natural channel between the log and bank. Set a 330 under a dive stick. Also put a Bridger #5 on a drowning rod at a slide I made. Used a portable pocket to anchor the rod and put some Locklear's Unfair Advantage on it.

A bunch of folks that have never set a 330 here.

what type of trapped hooked to a drowning line.

Bridger #5 coilspring.

Yesterday's check revealed they had not worked the break in the large dam. The 330 at the smaller dam had been thrown with a stick and the dam repaired. Remade the set and moved the trap further out under a dive stick. Made another break to get the water flowing again.