# ROUND TWO ON THE BEAVS



## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

after my second beaver catch at the end of December I had to take a break due to ice mostly not wanting to test my luck being new at trapping anything let alone walking on unfamiliar ice/waters since 20 years in Florida it was non existent . the weather has broken a little so as most of you guy's will agree cabin fever sets in after awhile when something can be hunted or trapped but due to weather the gear is in the fur shack or gun safe.

yesterday I went to scout a location that was giving to me by a Game Commission Maintenance Supervisor, here's the rub I got reamed a little because I parked on his grass and not the parking lot.....he was pixed waited 1 1/2 hours to let me know about it but after he had chewed enough of my back side he started giving up the information!

so fast forward to this morning at day break.....POUING RAIN I walk down the gravel road, the second set had muddy water big time but all looked okay with sticks and anchor point, found a snapped #4 sleepy creek DLS with a toe nail, little bummed but again my first year and first miss so I reset and go on, 4th set something is wrong with the set...... 330 Belisle holding my beaver from the #4 DLS SWEET! so out of 5 sets I missed one but caught the same one in the body gripper.

not a bad one hope tomorrow brings more good luck, at least the one that got away isn't going to tell it's friends.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Nice Jimmy... That's pretty good for only having five sets out. Now next season have 50 to a 100 sets out and you'll be up to your neck in beaver.


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

Congrats on the catch !!


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

Jimmy...stop rubbing it in...I am hurting enough inside!! hahhahha Nicely done. send me a message with your methods, I need some beaver meat for next season baits!

Larry


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

thanks guy's.

Larry, I have no method or any secret that I could claim as "my way" using those #4 double long spring sleepy creeks are not an easy task for me. being new to trapping in general, I'm just going with what looks good. most of the banks where I trap are steep, with short shelves and steeper drop off to the deep water. I will take a few pics tomorrow but again Disclaimer I'm a rookie!!! those DLS are sooo big/wide I can't place them correctly so the beaver goes over the open jaws "dog being left or right due to the small shelf area. I have to gouge out the bank and make a shelf to place trap side ways.... it's cattywompus mostly. the 330 Belisle was in a perfect spot the creek necked down with an old pine tree blocking half of the turn, only the run was open. the trap on reset is now 6/8 inches deeper due to the massive rain fall so I had to wedge a dive "tree" over the trap. only had two SC #4's for the first round during the ice out. I picked up two more for the finish, two are on RR Rail Plates "very heavy" and two are just on cable leads with eyes, all rigged with 1/8 cable....7x7.

first round with mock castor mound Dobins Backbreaker caught that 42 pounder at same spot a 15 lb cub was caught two days later I placed Tim Cavens Bounty Beaver, but I could still smell the Backbreaker. second round I used the castor and oil sacks from the two beavers I caught on first round. it yielded me a toe this morning, so this beaver pictured here was checking it out anyway. it's supposed to be nice tomorrow so I'll get some picks....I can't lie I love the smell of castor in the morning!!!!


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

I still admire your tenacity and awareness. You should be very proud of whats occured this season. Your no rookie in my book when you build shelves to settle in the long springs and use fresh glands to keep the beavers interest up!

Larry


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Nice catch Jimmy.


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

thanks youngdon,

Larry, thank you that means a lot!

still plenty to learn and I do appreciate you guy's letting me hang out with ya, I really enjoy your success stories...like I said before you guy's hunt stuff that hunt you back, how cool is that!!!!

Pa. has a jaw size limit 6 1/2 inch so the MB 650's/750's and just about everything else is too big.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Jimmy, I think MB650's are 6 1/2"... Jimmy is going to be one hell of a Mink trapper to, if I can find the book on Mink trapping my father wrote. Don't worry Jimmy it's in one of the boxes in the garage...you'll be the first to know when I find it.

P.S. Mink are a hell of a lot easier to skin and flesh...


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

I'm standing by for that book, your Dad was one trapping man...you are right I just looked the MB 650's they are under 6 1/2" but they are off set...if I'm thinking right I'd miss the toe hold all together?????


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

If you bed the trap nice and solid and have the pan set right, that shouldn't happen often. I bet Larry would agree if an animal feels the pan moving it will pull it's foot back....


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

yep 10-4 on that I would agree with ya there brother......guess I'm old fashion I just like those DLS!

is it weird that I want to make a peanut butter and castor sandwich????


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

LOL... Just get some raspberry ice cream... what do you think the natural flavor is... I think strawberry flavoring is castor too.


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

azpredatorhunter said:


> Jimmy, I think MB650's are 6 1/2"... Jimmy is going to be one hell of a Mink trapper to, if I can find the book on Mink trapping my father wrote. Don't worry Jimmy it's in one of the boxes in the garage...you'll be the first to know when I find it.
> 
> P.S. Mink are a hell of a lot easier to skin and flesh...


....but be so careful of those nasty glands in the back. Wearing those gland scent to schooll gets you sent home...I know! hahaha


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

azpredatorhunter said:


> If you bed the trap nice and solid and have the pan set right, that shouldn't happen often. I bet Larry would agree if an animal feels the pan moving it will pull it's foot back....


Guys I appreciate the kindness 'when you say Larry would agree" but honestly Catrapper should be included also. He's one of heck of a trapper from what I read. Please keep him in on these conversations.

Fact is I have not set a water set except for nuisance summer beavers and muskrats in over 3 decades and for those its all conibears. I do remember Water sets allow for more movement in the pan then land sets, I also remember you don't want to use night latch grooves on the pans of your water traps as pan creep is a good thing. That's about all I remember.

I lied, I also remember very clearly, do not use old barb wire to tie your first beaver trap to a tree. A 40 pound very alive beaver in the water can pull hard enough they ruin gloves and cut up hands if the wire is barbed. Also Mom gets real mad when she has to by you new gloves and sew up your coveralls! hahaha


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

nothing today, the heavy rain destroyed my sets. remade the 330 that caught the beaver yesterday. left one 330 it was okay, reset my two other #4 DLS then pulled one #4 DLS for a coyote set.

here is what I did today, the one 330 with big limb across was snapped this morning from debris it was a solid wall of leaves and sticks from up stream.

330 remake,,,,, the big tree branch over top and 330 set on the run at bottom of creek.

two of the DLS resets with mock castor mounds....my home made gland lure on top of mud ball, the pic with rebar still showing is just that to show how I stake at the trap this one has the RR Rail Plate in the deep end.

last pic is dry set with plate, cable and DLS was going to take a pic of dry cable only with eyes on either end but it didn't make it home.....please see my "first coyote set" tell me what I can fix on it please.....all opinions welcome!!!!

thanks for looking.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Looking good, the one at the bottom of the run I would have put it in line with the run and some vertical stakes in so as to guide them towards the run and trap, same as the last pic. Good luck.


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## Larry (Dec 2, 2010)

Hey whats with all this clear water anyway? No wonder you do so well, its not feel and hope its right water trapping like we do it here in the land of Corn!


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

thanks Mr. Hassell, here is a pic from the backside, I'll take a wide pic tomorrow but the creek makes a good bend right there and the run turns with it. the 330 is setting in the middle of the run it looks off from the front but the from the back you can see the run leads right to the trap. here is what I saw this morning it was a wall of leaves.

Larry, that creek will make some good corn liquor.......


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

waiting on the weather again here are my Beavers so far....I am snake bit on these Beavers. three more new spots to try just not going to push my luck in new areas that I have not seen in good conditions. right now they are frozen, snow covered, and new to me......


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Well done, thanks for sharing.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

Nice Jimmy. I am a firm believer in covering traps with leaves off the bottom of the creek, I am not sure if it matters to the beaver, I just don't like people being able to see the trap.


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## Jonbnks (Jan 21, 2012)

Frozen can still be beneficial. Gives you a chance to look at the ice and see the bubble trails. You might even be able to see the branches from feed piles sticking up through the ice.


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

Thanks Jon, but.....I'm clumsy, I went through a spot the other day by not paying attention. it was only ankle deep, didn't even think I was on ice, thought I was just on snow....the first spot before the ice out, I knew where the feed piles were because I had been there in the early season. X2 on bubble trails we were looking the other day at a marsh quite a tell seeing the runs with all of the bubbles under the ice. It was warm last week with open water now things are freezing again, I'll wait it out.....


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

I hear ya Eric, I'm having a hard enough time bedding that big trap due to the small shelf areas on some of the steep banks. not a fan of leaving my trap in the wide open for all to see, but I think if covered it might give a better opportunity for something to go wrong for a pull out. since I can't get the jaws turned sideways the way I want them "in theory" I'm pushing the foot/bottom of beaver away as the trap closes as it is???

it's a process good practice for next year.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Agreed on the unknown. Just got my truck stuck in some goo after busting through. Had to get the tractor. Right now we're going into single digits, so everything should be good.

Jimmy, have you considered tanning and sewing? Beaver anything would be cool - especially, if you did it yourself.

Good going and good luck with whatever you get out of it.


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

I hear ya Glen, I'm not that talented, anything Beaver would be cool from mittens to the hat Slash from Guns and Roses wears.....think that's a Beaver hat???

just getting warmed up being my first year back......glad to have a little time to enjoy the hardwoods and like you said....who needs a job anyway!!!!

haha, if it was up to Obey-me I'd be working till I was 90ish.....without my guns!!!


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