I have a potential client who would require live trapping and relocating beaver. I have my routine and pricing for using connibears but believe time and effort just to live catch would cost considerably more. Does anyone have advice on this pricing differential?

Are you talking snares or cages? or both? If cages, would you have to invest in them for beavers? Does this location involve hiking in to set, and then hiking a live beaver out? Do you have a place to relocate beaver? Would you require a higher relocation fee due to increased distance traveled in order to relocate? I can think of quite a few scenarios that would cause a steep hike in pricing.


In any event I would recommend pricing it separate. Coni vs. live. The customer should listen to the fact there will be a steep increase in price due to increased time, effort, and resources. Resources meaning finding suitable habitat for beaver where they are not destroying one's property or flooding public roads. One cannot (or shouldn't, rather) just let a beaver go anywhere. Beavers obviously need water and space. A price hike should be explained necessary due to you letting the beaver go in prime habitat where the beaver has the best chance of survival.

I understand the accessability, relocation and live trap cost issues as part of the increased cost. (no snares) What I guess I'm really asking is how much more time does it generally take to cage trap problem beaver as opposed to laying in 3 or 4 conibears and having the problem solved in two nights? Is cage trapping an efficient ADC tool?

Absolutely. Hopefully Mr. DeKalb will chime in here and you'll hear from a real pro.

Cage trapping can be even more efficient. I now actually prefer Kirk's cages to 330s. In my book the trade off is weight carried in vs setting 330s (I hand set) otherwise no difference other than I think Kirk's cages being more open gets less refusals. Cages also up the ante with a live beaver acting as an attractant for nearby sets of any type.

Time and cost will be dictated by the location itself in the types of sets that can be made, types of traps you have available, accessibility, and whether the beaver have been bothered (being trapped before or shot at).

For instance: If the area is a deep hole with steep drop offs and no places for swim through sets, you will need to use floating sets in preferably tall cages using scent or probably the best sets, in that situation, is a Koro or handcock trap wired to the bank to prevent drowning. The problem in situations with no swim through sets or trail sets is the use of scent or visual attractors them selves. Time of the year affects also, how they work and how effective they are.

If the location is shallow water and a stream that numerous sets can be used making the location very good for what ever methods, you just have to decide your capabilities.

If anything, catching them live, if you have the locations to set, and the best traps available for those locations you may be more productive than with conventional sets.

You have to keep in mind water temperature and outside temperature extremes and limit exposure to those extremes when trapping for relocation.

Things you probably are already aware.

For live trapping there is a bit more work involved for sure, handling the live beaver and moving them. You can snare them, quite easily and inexpensively as I have done hundreds of times, in the early 90's. You just need a transfer cage and a snare set up with an extension cable and a quick link disconnect. I used large 14x16x36 Williams type cages as a transfer cage. You don't really have to charge a whole lot more for removal if you do it right and you find someone who wants the beaver. You can charge a removal fee and a relocation fee to offset the extra work without adding much to the removal price by charging for the relocation to the new site too.

Though it would appear to be a strange dichotomy, 330's are a very good tool to live trap and relocate beaver in a pinch, or even by design. I don't know of anyone but me who has done it, but I found it to be acceptable, many times. The only thing I would do is use a body gripper with some miles on it, weaker springs, and probably stay away from a brand new magnum. You can set up body grippers in runs, "puddle" the house with a pole and run them into the traps while you are there. When they are first caught they will move for only a short while. I usually let them stop moving, especially if it is a big one. When you take them out of the traps they may appear to have expired, but their hearts are still beating and they are fine though there is no respiration. You can then give them a chest compression which will bring them back to live. Within a few minutes they will be ready to take your arm off.

About conibears: In observing beaver for nearly 50 years, 330's definitely do get refusals. I have watched beaver swim up to 330's, turn and swim back where they came from. Beaver will sometimes go up and over 330's too. If beaver know what a 330 is, "square shy," from popping one or watching others get caught, they will not enter it a second time unless you can find a natural location, a tight spot they have been going through where you can completely camouflage the trap. Beaver will purposely push poles into 330's and will try to kick them with a back foot. For anyone choosing a conibear, make sure you are using a magnum. A beaver kicking a magnum will often end up wearing it, ending the job in what could have been an extended nightmare with a standard conibear that will often be fired, lying on the bottom. Magnums have gotten me out of a lot of binds over the years, saving lots of time in trips with educated beaver. Also, it choosing a body gripper, check the laws of your state to see if a 660 is legal. Using a 660 mag puts openness on your side along with a tight closing trap that really holds and will get you out of a bind with a smart one. I can agree that a wide open cage is great, a trap that duplicates a 660 will serve you well. Unlike walking on land where beaver stand up, when beaver are swimming a channel they flatten out and are only a few inches high. Over the years I have taken beaver in 10 inch high 330's, 8 inch high 280's and even 7 inch 220'. It is the width that is all import in and under water t to cover a run no matter what the device, cage or conibear.

In using any device, even when placed in a super location, even when that device has made repeated catches, the set may suddenly "shut down," while you have essentially done nothing wrong or different. The shut down can be an issue with a beaver catching on to your program, lure-castor, the location, the device or the combination, which is a great reason to have many devices to choose from in your arsenal and be ready to reach into the bag of tricks to bring out different sets, one at a time. Don't throw everything at them all at once.

I will catch them for the same price but I don't have anyplace to legally relocate them to.
I tell them that the beaver has a nice home now and seems happy. If they think that much of him they should learn to live with him. Plant him some food, put some out, give him supplies to work on his lodge. I could illegally relocate them but that would be very unethical I could lose my ability to do this work if convicted. Unless the person giving me permission to relocate had a lot of property I still think it would be unethical to relocate a beaver.
I would be very disappointed to find that the beaver destroying trees that may take a human lifetime to replace were put there by a tree hitman hired for a few hundred dollars.
I wouldn't relocate a beaver. I thank God for putting them here and I'm going to let him/her decide where he lives.

There is a beaver management plan on USFS land that states where beaver may be relocated.

Thank you all for your insight and suggestions.

Ole

pricing shouldn't matter. charge by the hour

with a lot of cages it is easy,,,........

Too bad people are not like beaver.........

Beaver are stupid until educated,,,,,,,people get stupider with education............

just cage trap him, take him somewhere else, and enjoy fresh beaver meat.