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Posted: 3/8/2006 5:44:23 AM EDT
In these topics: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=75&t=437422, www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=439135 I mentioned I have a problem with beavers destroying my trees and flooding my land.  I've been trying to trap them with a conibear 330 trap for the last two weeks.  So far, I've gotten 2 juveniles and 4 empty, sprung traps over that timespan.  The other times they did not set the trap off.  They are still active in the area as can be seen from the newly felled trees.  I was told they would be easy to trap, but so far, it's been more difficult than I had expected.  Anyone have any advice or instructions so I can be more successful?  MJD
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 5:48:08 AM EDT
[#1]
dynamite



Link Posted: 3/8/2006 5:52:15 AM EDT
[#2]

How are you setting your trap? If this is a fairly small creek with obvious beaver runs you ought to be able to set your trap in the runs and slides (slides are where beaver have worn down a spot where they slide from the bank into the water.) If it is legal in your state (or you  have a permit for problem beaver that makes everything legal) you can also tear a good sized piece out of the dam to let water out. When they sense the water level dropping they'll come investigate. You can set traps in such a break, but we have often had to dig our traps out of the newly rebuilt dam (which is really hard work). I just sit on the bank with a shotgun and wait for them. Their eyesight is really pretty bad.

You said you're catching only juveniles so far. Are you certain you have a 330 conibear? It will be 10" x 10". If you have a 220 (7" x 7") you may be using too small of a trap. Check that first.  

IM me if I can help you any.
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 5:58:16 AM EDT
[#3]
Chocolate, roses, wine..........

oops, carry on.
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 6:01:29 AM EDT
[#4]

Quoted:
How are you setting your trap? If this is a fairly small creek with obvious beaver runs you ought to be able to set your trap in the runs and slides (slides are where beaver have worn down a spot where they slide from the bank into the water.) If it is legal in your state (or you  have a permit for problem beaver that makes everything legal) you can also tear a good sized piece out of the dam to let water out. When they sense the water level dropping they'll come investigate. You can set traps in such a break, but we have often had to dig our traps out of the newly rebuilt dam (which is really hard work). I just sit on the bank with a shotgun and wait for them. Their eyesight is really pretty bad.

You said you're catching only juveniles so far. Are you certain you have a 330 conibear? It will be 10" x 10". If you have a 220 (7" x 7") you may be using too small of a trap. Check that first.  

IM me if I can help you any.



I am definitely using a 330, it measures 10x10.  We tore 2 holes in the dam and put in some PVC pipes to allow the massive pond they made to drain.  We put the traps right in front of the pipes.  We thought that when they came to plug the pipes they would be trapped.  That only worked once.  We can't tell where their slides are any more now that the water level has receeded almost 2 feet.  When do the beavers usually come out?  We've been outside on the bank from 7PM to 10PM to watch for them, but they never showed.  Since it's a residential area I can't use a firearm so I've resorted to a bow with some 125 gr. 1.5" cut broadheads and these traps.  Let me know.  Thanks.  MJD
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 6:05:07 AM EDT
[#5]
They usually come out after dark. But, I often see them in the daytime also. I have a big problem with them in a rural area. We have shot at least 7 of them. I have not trapped any of them yet.
Good luck.
LR
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 7:04:49 AM EDT
[#6]

Quoted:

I am definitely using a 330, it measures 10x10.  We tore 2 holes in the dam and put in some PVC pipes to allow the massive pond they made to drain.  We put the traps right in front of the pipes.  We thought that when they came to plug the pipes they would be trapped.  That only worked once.  We can't tell where their slides are any more now that the water level has receeded almost 2 feet.  When do the beavers usually come out?  We've been outside on the bank from 7PM to 10PM to watch for them, but they never showed.  Since it's a residential area I can't use a firearm so I've resorted to a bow with some 125 gr. 1.5" cut broadheads and these traps.  Let me know.  Thanks.  MJD



Thanks, this helps. First of all, I've had trouble with traps set in front of breaks, too. Beaver tend to come from upstream pushing mud and rocks with their head and paws sort of like an underwater bulldozer. Often they push this stuff straight into a break, and this is how traps get built into dams. Very, very annoying. Beaver can be active just about any time of the day-- we've killed them in broad daylight or as late as 11pm. They're probably out after midnight, too, I just don't care to look for them that late.

If this is a fairly narrow creek you are trapping, set your conibear in the middle of the deepest part of the creek and fence over and beside it with beaver sticks pushed into the bottom-- this should force them to swim through your trap. Alternatively, if you find evidence of them going up any side branches do the same thing there.

You can also try to set traps in their den entrance (providing this is legal), but if they are in a bank den and not an obvious lodge they may be very hard to find.

If you kill an adult, remove the castor glands and use them to lure in the others. The glands are located on both sides of the animal's anus and are greyish/greenish in color. They are usually pretty big and wrinkly looking, and have translucent white oil glands attached. You can build a mud pile a foot high and two feet in diameter, then put a gob of castor on top to attract the others. Do this in a side branch or other protected area where you can set your trap to restrict access (like with a beaver stick fence.)

Keep us posted.

They'll pretty much keep rebuilding until you kill them all. They are really stubborn little jerks.
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 7:05:22 AM EDT
[#7]

Quoted:
Chocolate, roses, wine..........

oops, carry on.



Beat me to it.
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 7:06:43 AM EDT
[#8]

Link Posted: 3/8/2006 7:20:02 AM EDT
[#9]

Quoted:
Thanks, this helps. First of all, I've had trouble with traps set in front of breaks, too. Beaver tend to come from upstream pushing mud and rocks with their head and paws sort of like an underwater bulldozer. Often they push this stuff straight into a break, and this is how traps get built into dams. Very, very annoying. Beaver can be active just about any time of the day-- we've killed them in broad daylight or as late as 11pm. They're probably out after midnight, too, I just don't care to look for them that late.

If this is a fairly narrow creek you are trapping, set your conibear in the middle of the deepest part of the creek and fence over and beside it with beaver sticks pushed into the bottom-- this should force them to swim through your trap. Alternatively, if you find evidence of them going up any side branches do the same thing there.

You can also try to set traps in their den entrance (providing this is legal), but if they are in a bank den and not an obvious lodge they may be very hard to find.

If you kill an adult, remove the castor glands and use them to lure in the others. The glands are located on both sides of the animal's anus and are greyish/greenish in color. They are usually pretty big and wrinkly looking, and have translucent white oil glands attached. You can build a mud pile a foot high and two feet in diameter, then put a gob of castor on top to attract the others. Do this in a side branch or other protected area where you can set your trap to restrict access (like with a beaver stick fence.)

Keep us posted.

They'll pretty much keep rebuilding until you kill them all. They are really stubborn little jerks.



The creek is approximately 12 feet wide and we were using the method you described until we put the pipes in.  We killed the first one in this manner.  Good news is, they have a lodge that is easily seen.  Problem is, it's on a neighbor's property and we don't get along with said neighbor.  We were thinking about waiting until he left his house and then go back there and do a little "raid" on the lodge.  I was going to wear my black BDU's and my jack-boots, but that's a different story.  Anyway, thanks for the advice and I will be sure to keep everybody posted.  

Let me know if you want an unprocessed beaver pelt.  Will ship!  MJD
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 7:30:17 AM EDT
[#10]
Beaver Trapping  


Chocolate, roses, wine..........

oops, carry on.




I find that lot's of alcohol works pretty well too.  
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 7:36:11 AM EDT
[#11]

Quoted:

... it's on a neighbor's property and we don't get along with said neighbor.  We were thinking about waiting until he left his house and then go back there and do a little "raid" on the lodge.  I was going to wear my black BDU's and my jack-boots, but that's a different story.  




Now, don't go getting yourself into trouble. I am imagining a dude in full camo BDUs and facepaint tossing a flashbang into the den and then ordering his team to clear it out. The entrance to that den will likely be a couple of feet under water, so you'll need a good arm for that flashbang.

I appreciate the offer of the pelt(s), but I don't really have anything to do with them right now. It's been a while since I skinned one of those things, but I do remember having to use coleman fuel to get all the oil out of the pelt. It's sort of like someone took a big rat and rolled it in crisco.  
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 8:01:29 AM EDT
[#12]
Dad's typical SOP was to trap the runs that were available first.  After you catch a few you drain the pond(by breaking the dam) and trap the entrances to their dens.  Usually large holes under the bank.  They're hard to access until you drain the pond.  I don't recall him trying to trap breaks in the dam.
Other option is to buy some beavor castor and make fake castor mounds on the bank right by the water.  Put a large foothold (#3 maybe, been a long time) in the water where they will swim up to the mound.  Attach the foothold to a drowning wire.  Drowning wire is just some wire tied to the bank at one end (tree for instance) then you put a heavy weight on the other end and toss it in deep water.  Put a slide lock on it and attach the trap to that.  Beaver can go out but not come back.  Slide lock can be as simple as a washer bent 90 degrees, hole drilled in each side.  Put the drowning wire through one hole, washer will go one way but lock up when it tries to go the other.  Wire the trap to the other hole.
We also occasionally put footholds at the base of slides, in the water.
Just FYI, in Missouri it was illegal to put 330's out of the water.
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 10:30:55 AM EDT
[#13]
I did some traping with my dad last year.  I don't really have any dos and don't for ya other then what was said above.

We had a big problem with them cutting down many large trees, so it was time for them to go.  Here was one of the big ones we got.  Sorry about the quality of the pics, they are from my cell phone







We took the pictures next to it at different angles so you can see how big the thing is.
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 10:44:37 AM EDT
[#14]
We had a beaver problem in back of our house.  My wife wouldn't let me kill them so I bought a live trap.  I bated the trap with weeping willow branches and I was shocked to find it worked.  I did some research and found out that they really like weeping willow branches for some reason.

I caught two live beavers.  Those things are just downright mean.  
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 10:50:17 AM EDT
[#15]

Quoted:
We had a beaver problem in back of our house.  My wife wouldn't let me kill them so I bought a live trap.  I bated the trap with weeping willow branches and I was shocked to find it worked.  I did some research and found out that they really like weeping willow branches for some reason.

I caught two live beavers.  Those things are just downright mean.  



I would have done that, but in my state it is illegal for individuals to relocate beavers.   The state can do it, but I'm not calling them.  I suppose the DGIF is concerned that people will move them onto others land and they'll cause problems there.  

TruePunisher, that's one BIG beaver!  Hope I don't catch any like that.  If I do, I'm taking it to the taxidermist to get it skinned.  Wouldn't want to let that nice pelt go to waste.  MJD
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 10:57:27 AM EDT
[#16]
The best luck I had trapping beaver was using leg-hold drowning sets baited with aspen poles. I never used conibear sets for beaver. Got a lot of muskrats and martins with conibear but found the drowning sets to be vastly superior for beaver. YMMV.
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 10:58:02 AM EDT
[#17]

Quoted:
TruePunisher, that's one BIG beaver!  Hope I don't catch any like that.  If I do, I'm taking it to the taxidermist to get it skinned.  Wouldn't want to let that nice pelt go to waste.  MJD



We stuffed our beaver HA HA I said stuffed a beaver

Sorry

I looks cool, my buddy is a taxidermist so we got it at cost.
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 11:01:53 AM EDT
[#18]
can't help but i like the beaver stories.
they look like interesting animals but then so do groundhogs.
we don't have anything that cool in Texas.  just nutria which are just a big rat.

give them hell!

ps.  if you have a pelt you can spare i will be happy to take it.  
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 11:02:37 AM EDT
[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
We had a beaver problem in back of our house.  My wife wouldn't let me kill them so I bought a live trap.  I bated the trap with weeping willow branches and I was shocked to find it worked.  I did some research and found out that they really like weeping willow branches for some reason.

I caught two live beavers.  Those things are just downright mean.  



I would have done that, but in my state it is illegal for individuals to relocate beavers.   The state can do it, but I'm not calling them.  I suppose the DGIF is concerned that people will move them onto others land and they'll cause problems there.  

TruePunisher, that's one BIG beaver!  Hope I don't catch any like that.  If I do, I'm taking it to the taxidermist to get it skinned.  Wouldn't want to let that nice pelt go to waste.  MJD





If you can live trap them then I will take them.    I have a place that used to have beavers but some asshole cleaned them out this trapping season.    I am about 20 minutes south of Fredericksburg.   If the beavers don't dam up my place I still have a swamp.   I would rather have water in it and fish to eat the mosquitos.    I had tree problems also but i learned that a beaver crawling out of a pond soaking wet and dragging everything he owns does not care for an electric fence.    Needless to say they stopped eating my trees quick.


Link Posted: 3/8/2006 11:45:19 AM EDT
[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
We had a beaver problem in back of our house.  My wife wouldn't let me kill them so I bought a live trap.  I bated the trap with weeping willow branches and I was shocked to find it worked.  I did some research and found out that they really like weeping willow branches for some reason.

I caught two live beavers.  Those things are just downright mean.  



I would have done that, but in my state it is illegal for individuals to relocate beavers.   The state can do it, but I'm not calling them.  I suppose the DGIF is concerned that people will move them onto others land and they'll cause problems there.  

TruePunisher, that's one BIG beaver!  Hope I don't catch any like that.  If I do, I'm taking it to the taxidermist to get it skinned.  Wouldn't want to let that nice pelt go to waste.  MJD





If you can live trap them then I will take them.    I have a place that used to have beavers but some asshole cleaned them out this trapping season.    I am about 20 minutes south of Fredericksburg.   If the beavers don't dam up my place I still have a swamp.   I would rather have water in it and fish to eat the mosquitos.    I had tree problems also but i learned that a beaver crawling out of a pond soaking wet and dragging everything he owns does not care for an electric fence.    Needless to say they stopped eating my trees quick.





While I wish I could do that, according to the DGIF site under nuisance wildlife, www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/nuisance_wildlife.html, "Moving beavers to other areas is not permitted under Virginia code."  I'm still trying to find the exact statute.  Believe me, I'd love to offer a beaver for a partial trade on that G30.  MJD
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 11:51:05 AM EDT
[#21]
call Wynona
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 12:42:44 PM EDT
[#22]

Quoted:

While I wish I could do that, according to the DGIF site under nuisance wildlife, www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/nuisance_wildlife.html, "Moving beavers to other areas is not permitted under Virginia code."  I'm still trying to find the exact statute.  Believe me, I'd love to offer a beaver for a partial trade on that G30.  MJD




Well I was not going to tell anyone if you did not.    


I wonder what the trade value is on a Beaver?   You think I could teach him to eat out of my hands like my flying squirrels?  "Herder of Beavers"   Sort of makes me sound like a PIMP.  

Link Posted: 3/8/2006 1:02:30 PM EDT
[#23]

Quoted:

Quoted:

While I wish I could do that, according to the DGIF site under nuisance wildlife, www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/nuisance_wildlife.html, "Moving beavers to other areas is not permitted under Virginia code."  I'm still trying to find the exact statute.  Believe me, I'd love to offer a beaver for a partial trade on that G30.  MJD




Well I was not going to tell anyone if you did not.    


I wonder what the trade value is on a Beaver?   You think I could teach him to eat out of my hands like my flying squirrels?  "Herder of Beavers"   Sort of makes me sound like a PIMP.  




Well, the beavers I've seen have all been in pretty poor condition (dead and whatnot) so I don't think their trade value is all that high.  You probably could train one to eat out of your hand.  The question is, do you really want a buck-toothed rodent with big teeth getting close to your trigger finger?  Not me.  And yes, "Herder of Beavers" does make you sound like a pimp.  "Purveyor of Beavers" REALLY makes you sound like a pimp.  MJD
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 1:02:58 PM EDT
[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:

Quoted:
We had a beaver problem in back of our house.  My wife wouldn't let me kill them so I bought a live trap.  I bated the trap with weeping willow branches and I was shocked to find it worked.  I did some research and found out that they really like weeping willow branches for some reason.

I caught two live beavers.  Those things are just downright mean.  



I would have done that, but in my state it is illegal for individuals to relocate beavers.   The state can do it, but I'm not calling them.  I suppose the DGIF is concerned that people will move them onto others land and they'll cause problems there.  

TruePunisher, that's one BIG beaver!  Hope I don't catch any like that.  If I do, I'm taking it to the taxidermist to get it skinned.  Wouldn't want to let that nice pelt go to waste.  MJD





If you can live trap them then I will take them.    I have a place that used to have beavers but some asshole cleaned them out this trapping season.    I am about 20 minutes south of Fredericksburg.   If the beavers don't dam up my place I still have a swamp.   I would rather have water in it and fish to eat the mosquitos.    I had tree problems also but i learned that a beaver crawling out of a pond soaking wet and dragging everything he owns does not care for an electric fence.    Needless to say they stopped eating my trees quick.





While I wish I could do that, according to the DGIF site under nuisance wildlife, www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/nuisance_wildlife.html, "Moving beavers to other areas is not permitted under Virginia code."  I'm still trying to find the exact statute.  Believe me, I'd love to offer a beaver for a partial trade on that G30.  MJD



That is exactly what I learned when I called them.  Three beavers that were tearing up my woods and damming up my pond quickly got a fatal case of lead poisoning.    It took a while...but we got them all.
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 1:15:55 PM EDT
[#25]
 



_______________________________  

 
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 3:10:15 PM EDT
[#26]
They can't be that hard to get rid of.   Mine have a channel they use next to shore.   You can stand next to a tree and as long as you don't move they will just swim 5 ft. from you.   They have really poor eyesight.    i could have shot them 100 times over with a 12 guage.  


I was out planting trees one day at dark.   I ran across a muck pile and decide I would sit down and wait to see who came by.   Before I set down i took a leak right on the top of their muck pile.    I was about 10 feet from the pile and along came a small beaver.   He dove down to the bottom of the channel and came up to the water line with a whole hand full off muck off the bottom of the channel.    

Well he then proceeds to walk up the bank on his hind feet with the muck between his chest/head and his arms.   He came up to the pile and dumped his load of muck on it.   Just as soon as he did this, i saw his nose twitch and the son of a bitch hauled ass for the water and left.    I guess he did not care for me marking my territory.    

Link Posted: 3/8/2006 3:43:48 PM EDT
[#27]

Quoted:
Chocolate, roses, wine..........



Roofie...
Link Posted: 3/8/2006 5:44:47 PM EDT
[#28]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Chocolate, roses, wine..........



Roofie...



LOL!
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