# Question for the beaver guys



## woodsrider (Feb 6, 2009)

I been trapping on and off since I was young and have a fair amount of traps but nothing that I guess you would call beaver size. Biggest conibears are 160s and biggest foot hold are offset mb650. My boss recently had a pair of beaver move in on the stream that goes through his yard and property. They built two dams and it’s flooding his yard and and some of the areas I deer hunt. I have watched a few videos on making sets with footholds. So my question is are my mb650 big enough? I really don’t want to go buy any new traps for something I might not use again. I take care of any critters that cause issues which are usually muskrats and raccoons and in return I hunt his property. It’s in macomb county. I know where they are feeding and there is a cross over on one of the dams. I have not seen any lodges so I’m assuming the are in a high bank that is on the stream. Any suggestions would be great.


----------



## Biggbear (Aug 14, 2001)

I think MB650 are on the small side for beaver, but if that's what you have why not set em. If you set em I would run drowner rigs. 330's aren't that much money, and setting the cross over on the dam, or castor mounds would be deadly. You can set the 330's again in the spring on castor mounds to take out anything traveling through as well.


----------



## rob0311 (May 11, 2012)

I could loan you a mb 750 or 330 or 2, I have had luck using 220’s in tight spots. Crossovers are great spots for a 330. If he’s letting you hunt his property I would invest in a couple footholds and a couple 330’s. Think of it as a cheap investment into hunting property. Bank dens can be easy to find or impossible to set if it’s a deep water run. If it stays running water there may not be a feed pile.


----------



## woodsrider (Feb 6, 2009)

I was just on fnt trading Post website and I think i am going to invest in a few 330s. I went through some odds and end traps that I haven’t looked through in years and found two #4 jump and 1 #4 double long springs. Who knows maybe I will like beaver trapping. Also I guess you can never have too many traps. Thanks for the offer rob. I think I will be set to give a shot after I order a few lures and conibears.


----------



## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Good move getting traps, if beavers moved in there most likely be more.
Uneducated beavers can be easy. Educated ones will frustrate the heck out of you.

Order some castor lure, Backbreaker is a good one. Beaver have an excellent nose. They love fresh poplar but will eat most any Woody plant, grasses, fruits, aquatic plants, corn, beans, etc.

Good luck and have fun


----------



## rob0311 (May 11, 2012)

Fnt ships fast, you can have stuff at your door in a couple days. Beaver trapping is fun but very hard work at times. I have taken my wife with me a few times. Get some hip waders if you can. I go through chest waders like toilet paper. Be careful walking also, them little saplings act just like a good viet Kong pungee pit. Just the right height to trip on and fairly sharp. I had a hell of a time picking off the last beaver out of a colony. Castor mound right when the ice went out and a 750 did him in. They get wise to conibears real quick. Their nose is great as stated, I usually wear gloves on my sets. I want them to only smell my lure or bait where I place it and not on my trap or sides where I touch grass or mud. Have fun and show them beaver pics. The best thing about trapping beaver is the jokes. And don’t turn your nose up and a good beaver roast!!!


----------



## Urriah (Jul 26, 2013)

#4 jumps work fine. That's the primary leghold I use when beaver trapping. The #14 jump has accounted for untold numbers of beaver, and that's the same, just toothed. They can be a bugger to set though...


----------



## woodsrider (Feb 6, 2009)

I picked up three 330 conibears from bens great outdoors today and will be ordering some lure soon. I should be ready for when the season opens.


----------



## welder72 (Nov 5, 2015)

If you have any snaring experience,snares are a good,low cost option.


----------



## piscatorial warrior (Sep 14, 2011)

Another thing you might want to consider is that Beaver is very good eating. I know that people will tell you that "this" or "that" is good to eat when really, it tastes like crap. Beaver IS very good on the table. I would choose Beaver over Venison any day. It makes an excellent stew, just make sure not to cut into the castors when cleaning. The backstraps and hind legs are where the best meat is. Some people like the tails. I tried tail once and didn't like it much.


----------



## FullQuiver (May 2, 2006)

Yes your MB 650"s will work very well..

Now I know what I am going to say cuts against the grain of many and what is common sense but I have caught tons of beaver, like most of my foothold catches with 1 3/4 Victors that were four coiled and laminated for predators with center swivels.. You just need to set your sets up for front foot catches and have enough cable and water to drown your catch every time.. My catch rate is close to 100% with the right sets.. 

Remember beaver like to slide right into the bank then put their feet down so you need to stop them short.. I make small punji like sticks 5-9 inches long and 1/4 to 3/8 inch in dia sharp on both ends one end for the bank and the other well you get the idea.. I whittle them out when I get bored and throw into an old coffee can so I have plenty laying around.. Use old dry wood.. put these about 6-8 inches in front of your trap pan with the pan being offset from your path.. Your beaver will slide into these with his tender nose not like them and firmly plant his feet right onto your pan if you do this right.. I have caught many many beaver with this technique using blind sets and castor mounds with equal success...


----------



## woodsrider (Feb 6, 2009)

Thanks for the advice I will give it a try.


----------



## piscatorial warrior (Sep 14, 2011)

It's Very Good Advice!


----------



## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

FullQuiver said:


> Yes your MB 650"s will work very well..
> 
> Now I know what I am going to say cuts against the grain of many and what is common sense but I have caught tons of beaver, like most of my foothold catches with 1 3/4 Victors that were four coiled and laminated for predators with center swivels.. You just need to set your sets up for front foot catches and have enough cable and water to drown your catch every time.. My catch rate is close to 100% with the right sets..
> 
> Remember beaver like to slide right into the bank then put their feet down so you need to stop them short.. I make small punji like sticks 5-9 inches long and 1/4 to 3/8 inch in dia sharp on both ends one end for the bank and the other well you get the idea.. I whittle them out when I get bored and throw into an old coffee can so I have plenty laying around.. Use old dry wood.. put these about 6-8 inches in front of your trap pan with the pan being offset from your path.. Your beaver will slide into these with his tender nose not like them and firmly plant his feet right onto your pan if you do this right.. I have caught many many beaver with this technique using blind sets and castor mounds with equal success...


I can attest that this does work. When was a teenager, I got a job trapping beaver for the county. We had a ton of beaver in the area and I had more spots than I had traps. An older trapper I knew who was very good, showed me this. In hindsight, he was probably tired of me borrowing his traps. Anyway, I killed 144 beaver that year and a bunch of them were caught in smaller than ideal traps. Also, with front foot catches, you don't need as much water to drown a beaver. After that season, I bought a bunch of beaver gear and haven't had to use small traps much, but still use that trick to insure front foot catches in marginal drown depths.


----------



## woodsrider (Feb 6, 2009)

Made 5 sets of three conibears and two castor mounds. Connected with one conibear and one castor mound. Used back breaker on the castor mounds. A brake rotor worked good as a weight for my slide rig. I appreciate everyone’s help


----------



## rob0311 (May 11, 2012)

Saaaweeeeet! You did better than me, I put in 12 sets in 3 spots, only connected on 1, educated another on a foothold. Pretty sure it fired on his belly. also put a giant hole in my boat and almost sank. Had to beach it pull the motor and close up the gash from a log just under the surface. The guy in the front went overboard. Fun day anyway. I will have better luck soon since I now have fresh castor to use.


----------



## Foamy (11 mo ago)

FullQuiver said:


> Yes your MB 650"s will work very well..
> 
> Now I know what I am going to say cuts against the grain of many and what is common sense but I have caught tons of beaver, like most of my foothold catches with 1 3/4 Victors that were four coiled and laminated for predators with center swivels.. You just need to set your sets up for front foot catches and have enough cable and water to drown your catch every time.. My catch rate is close to 100% with the right sets..
> 
> Remember beaver like to slide right into the bank then put their feet down so you need to stop them short.. I make small punji like sticks 5-9 inches long and 1/4 to 3/8 inch in dia sharp on both ends one end for the bank and the other well you get the idea.. I whittle them out when I get bored and throw into an old coffee can so I have plenty laying around.. Use old dry wood.. put these about 6-8 inches in front of your trap pan with the pan being offset from your path.. Your beaver will slide into these with his tender nose not like them and firmly plant his feet right onto your pan if you do this right.. I have caught many many beaver with this technique using blind sets and castor mounds with equal success...


Do you have a photo of this type of set ?


----------



## FullQuiver (May 2, 2006)

Foamy said:


> Do you have a photo of this type of set ?


I'm not one to take pictures. Sorry.


----------

