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Beaver - Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond? #1147306
01/24/09 03:17 PM
01/24/09 03:17 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,748
West Virginia,age 49
cathryn Offline OP
bvr-takr-upr
cathryn  Offline OP
bvr-takr-upr

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,748
West Virginia,age 49
have any of you guys who trap beaver noticed a diffrence when it comes to using lure on river beaver and pond beaver?

in your experience do river and pond beaver work lure with the same intensity ?


IF IDIOTS GREW ON TREES THIS PLACE WOULD BE AN ORCHARD !

Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: cathryn] #1147335
01/24/09 03:30 PM
01/24/09 03:30 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,293
minnesota
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goldy Offline
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goldy  Offline
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minnesota
I've never noticed a difference. I use the same lures for all my beaver trapping.


"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: goldy] #1147342
01/24/09 03:31 PM
01/24/09 03:31 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,304
Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
Jtrapper Offline
trapper
Jtrapper  Offline
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Posts: 21,304
Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
Same effectiveness unless they have been trapped before. Some beaver just don't care for beaver lure for whatever reason.


Not my circus, not my clowns.
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: Jtrapper] #1147391
01/24/09 03:55 PM
01/24/09 03:55 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,262
Lakeland,Minnesota
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Bogmaster Offline
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Bogmaster  Offline
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Posts: 5,262
Lakeland,Minnesota
Pond,lake,river ,creek or bath tub--no difference.
Tom


If my feet aren't wet,I must not be trapping.
Tom Olson
MTA life member#100,also WTA life member
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: Bogmaster] #1147495
01/24/09 05:01 PM
01/24/09 05:01 PM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,144
louisiana
K
Kirk Offline
trapper
Kirk  Offline
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Posts: 4,144
louisiana
I havent noticed any differece either


Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: Kirk] #1147685
01/24/09 06:57 PM
01/24/09 06:57 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,748
West Virginia,age 49
cathryn Offline OP
bvr-takr-upr
cathryn  Offline OP
bvr-takr-upr

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,748
West Virginia,age 49
so all the beaver you guys have caught have worked lured sets?


IF IDIOTS GREW ON TREES THIS PLACE WOULD BE AN ORCHARD !

Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: cathryn] #1147770
01/24/09 07:44 PM
01/24/09 07:44 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,293
minnesota
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goldy Offline
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minnesota
I don't use lure for every set, but the majority.


"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: goldy] #1147937
01/24/09 08:53 PM
01/24/09 08:53 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 750
Minn.
StatelineRunner Offline
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StatelineRunner  Offline
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Posts: 750
Minn.
No difference,maybee you should try a fake castor mound,sometimes the critters almost tell you what to do..

Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: StatelineRunner] #1147973
01/24/09 09:04 PM
01/24/09 09:04 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,262
Lakeland,Minnesota
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Bogmaster Offline
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Lakeland,Minnesota
About 95% of the beaver I catch, are taken in castor mounds of my making.And I use lure at these sets.
Tom


If my feet aren't wet,I must not be trapping.
Tom Olson
MTA life member#100,also WTA life member
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: goldy] #1148098
01/24/09 09:39 PM
01/24/09 09:39 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 273
Hill City, Mn.
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Rally Hess Offline
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Rally Hess  Offline
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Hill City, Mn.
I believe there is a big difference, especially between pond and river beaver, and the time of year can also have a dramatic difference as to the way a beaver responds to lure. I have also seen a great deal of difference brtween the way a female, especially one that has pups in the lodge,will respond to lure that contains castor.
I find pond beaner to be very territorial, especially the males, and even more so during spring dispersal. The reason being that they are protecting the pups and females in that colony. I believe you can catch the males at this time of year standing on the bank waiving flags behind the set. Yea that is a bit over the top, but I have had many male beaver swim up to me while I was in the water wearing chestwaders. Why, because my lure pouch is in the front of my waders, and as most beaver trappers will attest, you tend to get plenty spilled on you while working a line.I tend to have a grease spot on the front of these waders when I am running hard and smell just like my lure. It is quite common in the spring especially, to have male beaver out snuffing at me from very close range, tail slapping and all.I've shot several of these beaver on contracts and any over two years old were all males. I've had females do this also but the two that did were both juveniles, and had never given birth, nor had pups in the lodge.
I've also spent many nights on small and large river systems trapping, and most always make a set that I can view from where I am camping.If you think you have a great beaver lure, that a beaver won't smim by, don't do this as it will show you just how many beaver are swimming by your sets, especially during spring dispersal.I've also seen females with pups smell a castor based lure approach a set from a distance of ten feet or so and swim directly back to the lodge. I'm sure it was the female because I watched the male get caught in a 14 jump I had set near the dam 20 minutes before. Took 4 days to catch her as she wouldn't come back to shore after that night. Finally caught her in a snare set in the water using the sac oil of one of her pups.
Consider what a scent mound is and what it represents. It is a territorial marker, to post notice to traveling beaver that that area is being occupied. It is a warning to travelors, particularly males that they should keep going and expect a fight if the dominant male catches you on his turf. I find this especially true of pond beaver within their ponds and somewhat true of river beaver during the spring dispersal.
I have found trapping contracts in early summer, while the pups are still quite small, very tough to catch a female beaver with castor based lure. The exception to that is a female who's male has been removed or killed during spring dispersal, or was trapped out the previous fall. It is common here to find ponds, usually within a mile of a road, that the male has been trapped already during fall or spring by road trappers, as they tend to cover more ground than the female or pups. I believe an adult female that has had pups once, quite often will pair with a traveling male and still breed in early spring. I believe this to be the reason for some of the exceptionally small pups in fall and winter.
A pond beaver with a family in the lodge is very, very aggressive, and tends to run off smaller dispersing beaver during the dispersal period. As the pups get larger, and more independent,the males tend to be less aggressive and seem to make less and less scent mounds. They may visit and remark them, but not on a daily bases like in the spring. I have found pond beaver overal much more aware of what is going on in their area than even lakes where there can be several colonies living like river beaver.
I find also that river beaver tend to live in close proximity to other colonies, often sharing a feed source area, sharing feed stations, even working on the same downed trees during the summer and fall periods.However when the female is bred or has small pups in the lodge, Spring and early summer, the territorial markers are warnings to other beaver and kept marked and enforced.
The female that is bred or has pups in lodge, when she smells a scent mound with castor based lure, avoids the odor most often, because it could mean a fight and her death or injury, which could result in the loss of her pups. I believe her sole purpose in life at this time is the care of her pups. I find it nearly impossible to catch a female, with pups, on a castor based lure. After the pups get more mobile, or after she has been on her own for a period of time she seems more susceptable to castor based lure. I find this often doing contract work in early to mid summer. I rarely use castor based lure during this time period for this reason.
If the colony or pond is new and contains just the 2-2 1/2 year old pair of beaver I don't find any difference in their response to the castor based lure, until the first set of pups are born.
If you are real interested in beaver behavior,and want to know how traps and snares get knocked down, the direction of approach, and how well your blocking sticks are doing, go make a few scent mounds with your choice of lure and watch them some night. I'm betting it will be an education.


Keep Your Boots Dry
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: Rally Hess] #1148130
01/24/09 09:47 PM
01/24/09 09:47 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,137
se. mn... age..64
Jim Blakley Offline
trapper
Jim Blakley  Offline
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Posts: 3,137
se. mn... age..64
Ufda...Rally quite a response ... To bad those were the only beaver youve ever caught.....LOL..... Very nice response wish I could write so well.... Jim..


.....Ive been at this Game for over 50 years and have no plans to stop................
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: Jim Blakley] #1148301
01/24/09 10:39 PM
01/24/09 10:39 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,800
Iowa (where the tall corn grow...
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Dave Plueger Offline
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Iowa (where the tall corn grow...
Took the words right out of my mouth Rally.....NOT

Im still wondering how many beavs Boggy has taken in bath tubs. LOL

Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: Dave Plueger] #1148337
01/24/09 10:54 PM
01/24/09 10:54 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,293
minnesota
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goldy Offline
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Rally's talking mostly about late spring and summer beaver though. Not when we are usually trapping them.


"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: goldy] #1148353
01/24/09 11:06 PM
01/24/09 11:06 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 273
Hill City, Mn.
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Rally Hess Offline
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Rally Hess  Offline
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Hill City, Mn.
Goldy,
There are more beaver taken in Mn. during the spring season than the winter. Check DNR numbers they will confirm that.


Keep Your Boots Dry
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: Rally Hess] #1148373
01/24/09 11:16 PM
01/24/09 11:16 PM
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Posts: 7,293
minnesota
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goldy Offline
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minnesota
Yep I agree Rally, but weren't you talking mostly about after the pups were born in late May and June? Or did I just misunderstand you.

Last edited by goldy; 01/25/09 12:11 AM.

"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: goldy] #1148401
01/24/09 11:31 PM
01/24/09 11:31 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,293
minnesota
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goldy Offline
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minnesota
I reread it Rally. I see better what you are saying. It seems that any time of the year, rivers or ponds, if you are trying to catch them all, that female can give you the most problems. No Doubt.


You are also right about watching beaver work your sets. I've learned more about beaver trapping that way than any other way. VERY educational.

Last edited by goldy; 01/24/09 11:34 PM.

"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: goldy] #1148487
01/25/09 12:15 AM
01/25/09 12:15 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 273
Hill City, Mn.
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Rally Hess Offline
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Hill City, Mn.
I mainly saying a female with pups, and even one pregnant is a different beaver than one that isn't, and will respond to castor based lures differently.
Also I have tried to catch a spring male, that I saw on the bank on two occasions in the same spot. I used a snare witha scent mound on one side of this place I saw him and a foothold on the other. I could not get him in a trap or snare. He was a two year old male and I finally snared him going up onto the spot I scared him out of for two days. He was badly chewed, from entering larger beavers territory and wanted nothing to do with anything resembling castor. I believe this is common and accounts for alot of beaver being spotted during spring dispersal. I have caught quite a few of these chewed up 2 year olds in cross over and blind snare sets. My thinking is they travel during the day to lessen the chance of being detected by the dominate males in established colonies. Just go watch a river you have put scent mounds on during a major dispersal period, a real eye opener.


Keep Your Boots Dry
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: Rally Hess] #1148506
01/25/09 12:27 AM
01/25/09 12:27 AM
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minnesota
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goldy Offline
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I've never really thought of it that way Rally, that they would be afraid to travel at night because of dominant males. Could very well be. I know I've seen plenty of beaver in the spring out traveling in the middle of the day. I also rely on bait sets a lot, even in the spring. It seems beaver, at least where I trap, can't resist a green popple stick and a good food lure at any time.


"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: goldy] #1148515
01/25/09 12:35 AM
01/25/09 12:35 AM
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Posts: 273
Hill City, Mn.
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Rally Hess Offline
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Hill City, Mn.
I believe the eye appeal has more to do with the added attraction than the actual bait, especially during the day. The thermoclime(SP) is going from the land to the water in the evening hours as it gets colder, and from the water to the land as it warms in the day time. I don't believe our beaver are hungy often as here they just swam by a stand of poplar or willow a couple minutes ago. If I use bait, it is skinned up for the eye appeal on the scent mound, and is accessible from the water if I expect it to be used as bait by itself. By that I mean I put it so the beaver doesn't have to get out of the water to get it. An easy meal without the work, with no lure.


Keep Your Boots Dry
Re: Lure effectiveness on River vs. Pond Beaver? [Re: Rally Hess] #1148548
01/25/09 12:56 AM
01/25/09 12:56 AM
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minnesota
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goldy Offline
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I always use a small stick of bait with a castor mound for traveling beaver. But I will use plain bait with lure on dams on established colonies. I think any time you can increase the attractiveness of your set the better off you are. Especially in the spring on travelers. Like you touched on above, you just don't know for sure how a beaver is going to react to a castor mound. I really think the bait adds a lot of attractiveness. It's been proven to me that popple, where I trap, is like candy to them. I've watched beaver on mounds, with no trap there, grab the popple and go. Many times my bait will be gone if I have a beaver in the trap, taken by another beaver. I know this, it certainly doesn't hurt, it only helps.


"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety" Ben Franklin talking about guns
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