I saw this set on the old T-man before the crash. It was done by Darcy Alkerton. I also saw it in Fur Fish and Game. So here we go.

I start by getting a fresh poplar pole about 3-4 inches in diameter. Cut it long enough so that it will be long enough, before you find the actual depth of the water. You will want to then cut it off so that it sticks up about 3-4 feet.

When selecting the area for it get as close to or in their feed pile as possible. You will be able to see the stems and tops sticking through the ice and snow if you have it. Chop a hole or cut it with a chainsaw about 1.5 feet wide by 2.5 feet long. This way you will be able to get the pole and snares in without knocking them off and be able to pull the beaver out later on. Push the pole that you cut through the hole until it touches the mud. Make sure it does not have a ot off stems down the hole. These will knock the snares off the pole as you lower it. Then push it in the mud a ways so that it will stand up and be solid at top and bottom when ice in the hole freezes. Pull the pull back out. You now have the water depth (from the top of the mud at the bottom to the top where the water ends. You then have to find the thicknes of the ice. Add this and another 4 inches on. This will be where the top of your snare will be. Cut a few slices of bark off the pole to make it look like the beavers have already started on it. This is one of the main attracters.

When you have the depth you will then be able to find out how many snares you need to put on. First have your safty wire (a strong cable that will run from the bottom of the pole, holding all your snares, and tie to a seperate support stick a the top so you dont lose snares or pole. Then slip/attack snares to cable. You will have 2 snaes per row. One on each side. Make the diameter of the snares 8-10 inches. You will want them 4 inches bellow the ice and 4 inches above the mud. Depending on the depth you may have one row of 2, two rows of 2, three rowes of 2, etc. Use some wire to hold your snare loops onto the pole. Make the wire wrap around the pole but not over the cable. This will prevent a beaver from knocking your other snares off the pole. On a snare pole people have caught as many beaver as there are snares.

When you have all you snares on lower the pole into the water and push into the hole you made in the mud. Get another pole to go across the hole. Tie you support wire strongly to this. This horizontal pole will be what will keep the beaver from dragging everything under.

If you want you can covver the hole with spruce bows, grass, or etc and then cover with snow. This will prevent the ice from freezing thick. When you check you wont have to chop through nere as much ice.

Only check the pole every 5-7 days. Beavers are sound shy and will not come out of their lodges for sometimes up to 3 days.

Here are some pictures of a set that would be ready to lower under the ice. (The ribbon shows where the ice would be).





Hope these plans help you
Any questions just pm me
Happy trapping.

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What if someone doesn't own a chainsaw??

Hey what I use to use this set up is a Hand powerd Ice Auger they work fast and slick so another tip from a good Trapper best of luck

Bryton i also said "chop" with an axe.
An axe is all i use and the ice isn't near as thick over a feedpile or run as it is over the normal water.
Hope this helps.

OK, thanks.

no problem

ttt

i have some conny,s through the ice caught the first one real quick but since then it has ben dry i check every 48 do you think maybe i am around to much?

thanks ruger

Ya
I go every 5-7 days.
No sooner than 4 days.
Some times they don't leave house for 3 days.

Neet post,
Thanks

Okay I have a question that I can't figure out. So all those snares are attatched to the one cable, and when a beaver is caught won't it slide up and down the cable messing up all the other snares.

I have seen this set before and have always wondered. Also how is the cable attatched to the bottom of the pole so if the pole gets chewed in half the snares won't slide off the bottom of the cable?

Thanks grinner 9

cool thanks for sharing

Oh I get it. The snares are wired to the pole and attatched to the cable. That makes sense.

Hi Ya'll ive used that same set up was shown to me by rally hess.or looks to be a real close setup. anyways Grinner the pole is usually a dry one i tyed bait onwhere he has all the swivels in the center.kept them from munchin the main pole.

No problem
Hope it helps you out everyone

Does it make a difference if you stagger the top and bottom sanres? I just started snaring under the ice(put first sets out today in fact) and I put the top two snares across from each other and then put the bottom two perpindicular to those. Is this wrong?

No it will work perfectly fine possibly better. When the beavers are by your pole they will circle it. Might even have a better chance of catchin one.
Happy Trapping.

What type of snare lock works the best for this set?? Thanks

I use just a simple Cam Lock but most would work. I also use 3/32 cable about 5 feet long.

Don't forget, the ice can be pretty thin around feed beds.

Nothing like an unexpected midwinter bath.

lets get this put in archives

Would this setup take more than one beaver per check? Or in other words once a beaver gets caught will it disable the other snares?

When scouting out potentially thin ice for the first time, I only go maybe a few feet to a few yards at a time, before doing about 3 solid whacks with my chisel. If water fills in, I check closer. I also carry a long pole with me to assist in getting out if I do go through. I also dress to be prepared to go through. I generally feel acceptably safe with 2 good inches of ice. If I know it's shallow, I might take my chances. Once I establish safe areas, and then set locations on a swamp, I stay where I've already been and get to it.

I think being dressed appropriately and prepared to go through, if it happens is important. You wouldn't want to panic about it. Just get out and go to the truck...which I try to keep at close hand during the early season. I also would think twice about going on thin ice when it is really cold...10 degrees and windy and 30 degrees and not windy are too very different things. I figure the pole I carry will get me out. Beaver swamps are not usually so deep that a long pole wouldn't reach bottom and the water usually isn't moving. If it is moving stay away. I've heard of some with a pair of screw drivers and other things to assist yourself in getting out. Keep a complete change of clothes in the truck at all times. I've done a lot of white water canoeing, which happens to be best early in the spring. I've dumped as early as the first week end in March. I would recommend wearing duofold long johns, two pairs of wool socks, a pair of regular pants, flannel shirt, wool sweater, and then wool pants, a wool jacket, wool gloves, and a wool hat. Basically wool. That fancy new age crap isn't the same. Really cold water will take your breath away. The most important thing is to not panic.

Yes you can get more that one beaver. Some people have got as many as their are snares.
You could make loops out of cable that go around your pole and then attach your snares to these and the safety wire going up the pole incase they chew through your pole. This way the beaver will not knock all your other snares off.

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