I have a couple that I know work, but I'd like to know if anyone has some successful sets that lure beaver without using a castor lure? I'll be moving traps soon to new areas where likely other trappers have spooked the beavers with castor mound sets. 330's are not an option (shallow water and ours need to be completely submerged). I'm bridge trapping so I need to get them to come to me. Pictures would be great if you got them, but good descriptions are welcome. I could always use a few new ideas...

~ADC~

looking forward to this one so dont hesitate to post what you know ADC....it'll be my first year trapping beaver. Buddy wants to wait till ice out and canoe trap, I'm hoping to get some under ice trapping in over the next month or so.

Havent tried this yet, but I am looking to make an artificial den set. Basically a very large pocket set lured with sac oil.

http://www.wolfernation.com/viewpage.php?page_id=10

Here is a link to part 1 of a short video segment i did last year. Don't know if its what your looking for or not. This set could be made with snares or footholds as well

I have been catching beaver this spring on just a peeled poplar stick on a bare mud bank.

Those sets have been producing the first night too. Couldn't believe it, and how well a beaver can really see.

Did this trying to avoid the coon/castor situation. Definately worth a shot, and wouldn't hesitate from now on to use this to catch beaver in footholds.

X2 - Works great in the spring when they desire fresh food rather than stale feed pile material.

try a blind set near a actively chewed tree just put to traps with short chains i know i guys that uses this with good luck the get trap shy by the water but bot so much on a buried land trap

PM Send ADC

how much of the stick do you peel? just plant them in the mud?

Sack oil works as good as castor and does not seem to stop beaver from coming back to a set that has missed like castor will. A very good beaver trapper here uses sack oil only. He sells his castor.
His favorite set is a bit like a castor set. Fence the approach. Put sack oil on a long stick. Push it into the ground where you would want the beaver to come too. The main difference with this man's set is he sets his no5 longsprings out of the water in the middle of the fence that is also out of the water. He likes sandy shores for this but it can be made with dirt shores also. He maintains he has hardly any misses with this set compared to putting the trap in the water.
He did a demo of this set at the regional NTA in John Day Oregon this last summer.

This is my go-to set !!! A real killer, it keeps dogs off your mounds and out of your footholds. Just peel the stick all the way around about 2" so it shows the white and lets the oderriffous out of the poplar so they can smell it as well as see it,and leave the peelings there too. Just jam the stick in the mudpie and a foothold in front under 4" of water. They work the set hard, chewing the stick and bumbling around and stepping on your pan.A good 1" diameter stick 18 " long works for me.

What is poplar you guys are talking about? Is it the same as we call white birch trees? I normally use willows for similar baited sets you speak of.

~ADC~

I think it's actually a type of Aspen. Some up here call them "popple". I think most any lighter (softer) wood would work well. I know others that use birch. However, put the right smell to it and I/d bet anything would work.

Don't have to use poplar what ever your beavs are feeding on will do the trick. Heck I've done it with cedar but I mainly use willow. Or another trick I use is a furring strip (cause they really stand out) with a little anise or even nothing depending on how shy the beaver are.

Trembling aspen (poplar) is the beavers preferred food here.

Sac oil only worked 2 nights ago on a pond, but not on the river (I heard one diving on the river while setting it-might have spooked him).

What about a cinnomon stick stuck in a mound? Worth trying?

Try oil of spearmint mixed with the soft green feces from the colon, and mineral oil.Beavers are coprophagic.Do not use the dry feces that looks like compressed sawdust.

Coprophagic means what Boco? It doesn't come up in dictionary search.

Beaver reeat first time thru feces as they can get more nutrients out of them a second time

So what beaver lures are there (commercially made that is) that you are sure contain NO castor? Caven's Bounty Beaver is the only one I've seen that specifically says it does not contain castor. Some of the others say "food type" lure but that doesn't mean there is NO castor in them, or does it?

~ADC~