# High-Water Marks



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Water's been high and I was wondering what might veer off the Looking Glass River and head up creek to me. Not what I was hoping for. Looks like the rascal just came ashore once, but it damaged several trees. If it gets worse, I'll have to cook up a plan.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Keep us posted Glen. That beaver done messed with the wrong guy.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Keep the smoker stoked.


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## dwtrees (Mar 5, 2012)

Don't worry, they will be back. Looks like they are just testing for later eating.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

You have one trap... It will be a piece of cake.


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

good luck.....order up a little "Dobins Backbreaker" good lure for fur In the morning!!!!!


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I was hoping you'd be in the neighborhood, Jimmy.

Don't have the right trap for this job, if it comes to that. But, I can hide and watch with the best of 'em.


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

find where the critter is exiting and entering the waterway and snare it's sorry a$$..............


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

what 220 said, get a few snares they are quick, cheap, and easy to conceal. I was extremely lucky this year, found a few spots that had been left alone for awhile so the beavers were undisturbed so to speak. the jaw limit in Pa. is 6 1/2 inches, the main reason I went with Sleepy Creek #4 Double Long Springs they are just under that 6 1/2 size. MB750's or TS85 traps are much bigger jaw width and will accommodate the big footed beaver much better and being a coil trap they can fit in a smaller area vs the DLS's which need a large area to set up in a bed. DLS's set in the bed nice but you just need to gouge out the bank to make room for all of the steel to set level. as always set the dog left or right of the trap bed so the beaver goes across the open trap to avoid jaws from pushing the belly, leg out of the trap when closing.

place trap in 2 to 4 inches of water with a single small stick just at the edge of the water poking out like a spear to make the beaver put it's front feet down in the water. it seems beaver like to torpedo into the bank with feet up and beach themselves then put their feet down which can result with a snapped trap with little or no fur in the morning just sprung steel.

this was not a productive set but an idea of a few that did work. trap is set off to the side from the middle of the slide on the bank. the poke stick in this case was dipped in backbreaker, but set up to have the beavers take a whiff as they passed by which made them pause "i think" putting their feet down and snap. the mud mound "mock castor mound" has beaver castor and beaver oil setting on top. the trap is actually setting wrong in picture due to the dog is in a bad spot, when closing it has a better chance to push the foot away rather than closing on the foot cleanly. this was a terrible set, the trap bed had roots and just all wrong but as always go with what ya got. here is my drowner set up it's 1/8th cable on a Rail Plate, the cable is run through the swivel at the end of the chain chain so it slides down to the plate and then binds up not allowing the beaver to come back up for air.

good luck


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Just went down to the water and I'm thinking the critter may have moved on after the water level dropped. Doesn't appear to be any new damage but either there's more than I first thought or it's snuck back in. Don't see any runway, which makes me think it happened only during high water. Still observing.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Checked again this morning. No further action.


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

pity, you know where to go when the water rises........good luck and as always pic heavy!!!


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Dang thing is back and wiping out more trees! Gonna set up my trailcam to see if I can pattern the critter so we can meet.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

It likely found a good spot to call home or so it thinks.


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

glen i'm not to far from you I have two 220's a 22-250 and I full tank of gas in the truck get the grill fired up it's BBQ time


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I'm taking a day off from turkey hunting and will set up the camera today. It appears the beaver is using my makeshift bridge, which leads directly to the trees being destroyed.

Pokey: You are welcome to stop by any time but I've got the firearms part covered for the trespasser, thank you. But, you can set a trap or two. I don't have the savy or trap for this kind of work.


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

go get em Pokey........those critters are very destructive. good luck Glen pity you have to take the day off from Turkeys. are they still in season up that way???


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Turkeys are in season but not beaver. Just had a run-in with the monster. Caught it in the act. Surprised both of us.

Fired a warning shot with my 10mm Glock and last saw it holding its breath under water downstream. That thing is HUGE!


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Where is Mike Nelson when you need him ! !


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## pokeyjeeper (Sep 5, 2013)

we will see if your warning shots worked first glen :m16:


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

they have some BIG back feet, hard to believe they can weigh so much for such a compact animal. good luck with your trees trapping season is a long way off....


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Just set up the camera yesterday and the chisler showed up near sundown. Tearing it up!


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

What are the MDNR rules for his future ?


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I recall that there has been some clandestine operations on problem beaver by the DNR, when a similar issue arose years ago. The neighbor couldn't get across his culvert to get to his house; beavers kept plugging it up. I think someone trapped it/them and trapping guidelines may have been overlooked. Not sure I was supposed to know anything.


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