I got busted three times on this dam set. First two times trap was tripped with sticks. Third time they just stacked sticks on it until it layed over and was completly buried and never went off.

This is the first try and I think it was hosed from the beginning





This is the second and third try. By the time we left the water level dropped a little below the trigger. I thought it was perfect.Not so much. It was set off by sticks for the second time and then just layed over and used for rebar the third time.



I pulled the traps because of snow and a thousand foot climb on my wheeler. Not gonna happen! I do have other beaver dam opps but I have no clue how to do it right? Missed two other dam sets at a different place so I'm sure I'm doing something wrong!

Thanks for any input!

Don't know if I am much help or not, but here in Maine it is illegal to set on an active dam. However I do real well setting below the dam 5-15 feet or a good narrow spot in the current with two 330s side by side, completely submerged with a dive stick laying across the topof them. Then put a few fencing sticks on both sides of the traps and presto, double on beaver or otter.

The biggest problem I can see with your third pic is that any loose wood on the flowage will possibly drift into the trap and spring it with all that current before fr can get into it.

Bamm,

I would suggest, like mooseman, that you look for a place to set upstream from the main dam. It is not likely at a beaver will be going over the dam in the locations you set. They are more interested in packing debris into the dam. So what happened to your traps is exactly what I would have expected.

A scent mound set away from the dam, is another good set.

Also, you might go down stream from the main dam and see if there are other smaller dams that have a clear crossover trail. Then try setting on the down side of this dam where the beaver re-enters the water.

Good Luck!

Yep, that is a stick collecting magnet set right there. I would go with a caster mound just off to the side there. If they are coming to the dam they won't miss the mound and you won't miss them eventually. Foot hold would work at those dam openings set back about your forarms lenght from where there chest would hit the bottom. When they bring sticks and mud up, they will go over the top of the foot hold and then put their back foot down on your trap to start walking the stuff up the rest of the way to fill the hole.

-TJ

you could set horizontal to the dam and fence off out to deeper water. I have always had better success with the trap fully submerged with a dive stick over the top.

I am really successful this time of the year setting the main feed trails on dry land with 330's as well. Pick a few that they are really currently using and plop a 330 in there way. I will often set the trap right on the edge of the water or partially submerged as well when I do that a little Backbreaker behind the trap helps pull them in

TJ dam is not spelled with an N when referring to one that holds back water

Anyone have any good picks of Castor mound example's to put on ?

idk the laws in ak or how many humans your beaver have seen but if i had to set that i would make a fence from the hole in the middle of the dam to the out side trap and make a bigger hole in the out side flow and keep your trap in that spot.

heres a couple dam breaks we used no sticks just beaver

This little valley has four ponds side by side. This by far the smallest one.


first mound set we made


first beaver


end result in one night at two different ponds


This is all from last week before we froze hard and pulled the sets. 2 kits and 5 adults. Our biggest was 49 pounds and smallest was 16 pounds.

Is that "little valley" east of your location ?

Thanks everyone for your info. It will all help in one way or another on the next beav sets. I think I have the mound sets down but I really want that dam set to produce. We have a beaver next to the house I mess with sometimes (no traps) he's local scenery. When I mess with his dam he has it fixed within 2-3 hours. These other mound sets didn't produce until I made a few holes in the dam. Ice was moving in so the movement slowed way down and I figured they would be in a hurry to fix the water level dropping. Sure enough, mess with the water level and they came alive leaving sign all over the place. Easy pickins then!

Gary, thanks for the pics. I saved them for future reference.

White, $@&*!!%, maybe......

Yes it is. There are 6 active ponds total but without snow I can only get to 4. I refuse to hike over half a mile for a beaver. Especially after skinning and fleshing my first one, I thought, Who the hel does this???

I thought that looked familiar. I hear ya about hiking and packing beaver.

That wheeler that you are standing next to looks really familiar!!! I wonder why??? I used to have a wheeler that looked just like that, but the guy that bought it from me stiffed me.

I can't figure out where you guys are at in the shop. All I can figure is you guys are in the old wood shop and the wall has been taken out? But now I see that there is an extra overhead door there??? Are you remodeling?

You better watch your back side, White 17 sees all and knows all, and he probably has slightly more experience than you two youngsters combined. I can't remember who he is partnering with for his expansion plan to Bethel and beyond but I would be on the look out for unusual activity, and I don't mean terrorists, I'm talking fur farmers.

Oh and by the way.....get a hair cut!!!! Both of you!!!!

These are the sets I would use. You can not beat a submerged 330 with a dive stick IMO. Beaver is left under water away from birds or out of sight from people. You can add a cator mound on the bank and you're in business.