# Beaver Trapping Advise Needed



## Mick105 (Jan 6, 2012)

I just got permission to trap an area with quite a bit of beaver damage and two huts. I was unable able to get close to the huts during open water due to water depth and lack of boat/canoe. Now that the ice is thick enough I walked out there but couldn't find any bubble trails or food cache nearby I did not cut holes yet to locate the entrances. The huts are sever hundred yards apart on a good size lake. My Beaver trapping experience is minimal and only on smaller stream that rarely freeze over. I will be using snares and 330's. Now on to my questions. 1.) How far from the hut are the feed piles generally located? 2.) If I cant find a feed pile where should I set up? Or how should I set up? 3.) For muskrats I set my traps just under the ice, should I do the same for beaver?

Any advise is greatly appreciated!


----------



## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

haven't trapped them yet, you tube has plenty of videos to watch on the matter. can you walk around the lake, find where streams flow into the lake or any open water areas where the beavs are working the banks for saplings and such. when on the ice wear your life jacket just in case, carry a spud to check ice thickness by tapping spud to find the trail ways or the thinner ice. when you think you have a run check it with spud find the center of the trail, run long stakes through the springs of your coni bear to hold it in place on the bottom in center of the run make sure the trap is wired or cabled to long pole on top of ice with other sticks in front and behind to act as a reel....stake it for bear and you'll have fur waiting on you in the am...good luck post pics. keep plenty of dry clothes in the truck!

I have two #4 sleepy creek double long springs and two 700 body grip sleepy creeks for next beaver season in Pa., can't wait to get back into hunting/trapping again!!


----------



## Mick105 (Jan 6, 2012)

Jimmy I was able to get some sets in before the ice but didnt connect. There is only one stream flowing out of the lake and that is where I had set. Now that they are locked under the ice will they still go that far from the hut? Its probably 250 yards between the hut and stream which is also froze over.


----------



## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

finding the feed piles is going to help, once located you'll be able to identify the travels paths to the feed piles and the snares and 330s can be placed in those travel routes.....................


----------



## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

mick, I have no idea how long those bio chain saws can hold air!!! there are guy's here that know better, hope they chime in, i'm on that learning curve also. check the regs. book about how far from the hut you can set your steel, give extra yards to be safe. you tube... "boss of the swamp" an excellent way to spend the day watching his videos. try setting "legal distance" from the hut with a GREEN fake plant leaf zip tied to the triggers of your conibear in the center of the run if you can or just under the ice in a suspect spot, the beavs should dig the greenery when all of their real.... tender plants/leafs/bark are gone. like 220 mentioned, find the feed piles they will be within range of their air holding abilities, when you find the feed piles be very careful as the ice WILL be much thinner due to the air bubbles and traffic from beavs.

good luck standing by for pics of the catch!


----------



## Bait washer (Feb 26, 2013)

If your trapping deeper water where you can't force a beaver through a body gripper or

force him down where you can put a small log across on the bottom where his chest will hit and he puts his foot into a leg trap use baited pole sets.


----------



## Mick105 (Jan 6, 2012)

Well I dont have any pictures yet but I did have a snare pole chewed off. I was able to locate the feed beds after spudding nearly 30 holes. The snares must have been knocked off by the beaver giving him access to the pole.

Jimmy- The ice was about 1-1.5'' thick at the feed bed. Also thanks for telling me about boss of the swamp. I leared a lot from his videos.


----------



## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

good deal take pics of your sets, you must have popeye arms after that session with the spud!

sorry you lost one, did you use fresh cut poles if so use the seasoned "dry" ones next time as you know they will chew through the fresh!


----------



## Mick105 (Jan 6, 2012)

I did use a green one and scraped it at the level of the snares. I saw this on a web site a while back. I thought I'd give it a try but now have all sets on dead poles.


----------



## Mick105 (Jan 6, 2012)

For those of you interested still no beaver but I did get a muskrat today. I'm Probly going to shift my traps around Monday and see if that helps


----------

