I haven't been here in awhile, but found this post as one I can relate to.

Over the past 17 years of trapping beavers full time, I've encountered the occasional "experienced" beaver. They can be a formidable challenge.

Here are a few things I've learned....

A beaver doesn't have to experience the smack of a body grip trap to know it poses a danger. I've encountered pairs of beavers that have never known a trapper's tools. In this situation I've sometimes caught a single beaver in a body grip when I had multiple sets in that colony area. The other beaver would not come near a body grip trap. This second beaver had never been subjected to the whack of a body grip, yet it knew the danger it posed. I'm sure the second beaver was in the immediate vicinity when the first beaver was caught in the body grip. It saw its mate in distress and also was aware of the body grip that had its mate in a death grip.

As was mentioned earlier, beavers will sometimes also ignore snares. I don't believe these beavers know anything about a snare, but rather, are fearfull of anything new added to its environment, such as a pole driven in as a snare support. These beavers will go around anything new added to their environment, whether it was introduced by man or nature. After a time of seeing it there, it will become accustomed to it, but it may be months. I've heard of people who left a body grip in the same place for months, and eventually the educated beaver will go through it. I think that it eventually saw the trap as a natural part of its environment and was no longer fearful of it.

One of the tricks I use on a lone smart beaver is to first drain its pond. Then I will drag a log over the main channel, if there's not one there already. With the pond drained, I'd set up a snare so that it will eventually hang in the choked down channel, however the snare isn't set. The beaver will go about repairing the dam and when the pond level is right where the beaver is still going under the log, I'll merely postion the snare that was there all along, but not set. I've caught many a smart beaver with this technique.

I can vouch for that.........the old fart walked me thru it a few years back.........lol

.......If you won't sukk up to Wuzzard...I will...lol.....

Thank you Paul Dobbins.
I greatly appreciate you taking time to answer this post, as I know you are extremely busy.

Like many, I learned much of my beaver trapping techniques, from Paul's dad, Charlie Dobbins in the many years I knew him.
Over the years, conversations with Charlie helped improve my methods in both fur trapping and ADC work for beaver.

I also own many of Charlie's books and tapes, including his Summertime Contol beaver tape, featuring Paul.
Hal Sullivan has a nuisance beaver tape out. Clint Locklear has out two, as do several others.
There is something to be learned by each of these, if you watch it with an open mind!

I get calls on beaver that have had trappers either, catch and lose it, miss with a fired trap, misuse lure and/or wrong type of set at the wrong time of year or D) All of the above.

The one thing I do, is not try to "fur trapper catch" a spooky beaver. I always have the mindset, that I only have one trap and/or snare that I can only place in ONE LOCATION!

I sic myself into picking the only perfect 8" on the entire creek, pond or lake.

Although I may set several more sets, that's the one, I always set first!

I have found that spooky beaver can at times be quite challenging, unlike some of the others, that are easy to catch as a muskrat.

Vinke, your camara must be broken....I hear you're slammin; some nuisance flat tails up in the Northwest...

Vinke? Vinkeee? Vi....
Ah, nuttin'!

LT Grey, charles dobbins taught me to use sac oil to get the last ones or the hard ones . use sac oil from beaver that aren't from the same area .

1 drop is all it takes .

I dont have to clean up after others often, usually my own messes which, thankfully, are few. And the beaver pic above is my latest mess-up. Had this guy snared at a castor smear set with a snare, not sure really what to call it as it came off Paul's nuiscance beaver trapping video. Ground was softer than I thought it was and pulled my stake.

Soent the next half hour after I checked that set having to blindly poke around the lodge for anything that felt like a run and with a the pond raised and me being limited to land...was a pain. Awkwardly placed a 330 and job complete.

Satisfaction at it's finest!

The Last One?
Any one have a Muskrat lure (cherry) made by KEN PERKINS of NY?
If you have any or know the formula Please Contact me?
Best lure I've used for BEAVER get's that shy one.
Bob Evans cwcp

Bob, I have a cherry paste with real red cherries and cherry extract...might be similar, not sure. I've seen several other cherry muskrat lures around.

Because I love ya LT!!!!!! i took my camera .....

This is the remake of the set.....The creek is "tide affected" so the trap is set to the left in the hole...that is "blocked by a slight mound of mud...
The mound IMHO help prevent a miss fired traps in fluctuating water conditions....I have a front foot, back foot and a dry set...
I also found that i have to replace my rubber often using long chains and now wrap it with friction tape...



The result using apples.....In the spring I find that Apples will take the female when nothing else will...
Is she lacking vitamins?/// lol.......



milken emmmmmm......



My version of Charles and Halls stump set........
Ruff up the area...
****set should be made were you think a beaver would "Naturally " look....sharp bend in creek, intersections,high area of straight stretch



The edge is lined with cut branches to simulate small saplings that have been eaten....
The tops of the branches are use to simulate sapling waiting to be devoured.....
Works best on banks that do not have Lots of trees...
Add wood chipper and you will pick up every passer by...



No lure..........

Dave, did I ever give you any of my "rottin' red apple" lure to try...It wasn't made for beavers. but I have guys catch beaver on it all the time!

Anyone else on here. doing summer beaver control?

I have been trying. One place the beaver has been holed up for 2 months. I have had a pair hole up for 5 weeks, prior to this one. I am glad that the owner is able to help with trap checks.

I feel that where most adc beaver trappers, that come with the fur taking mindset of the job, mess up is that they actually don't know that their is that last one. 2 weeks after they have gotten paid more trouble arises, the customer loses all confidence in their trapper and hopefully calls me. With me saying that I was wondering what kind if any guarantees you all offer. I deem my jobs complete after 2 weeks with no fresh sign but i may have already been there a while because i want to be sure i'm done.

Summer beaver do not move as much as they do in fall and spring.
Something to consider when doing this type of work.

Black berry vines and Woodchipper is a pretty good combo.....

You drinkin' again Dave?

Strung out on Starbucks.........LOL.....

Well the more things change, the more they stay the same!