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Go up or down stream about 30 yards from the bridge. Most thieves stop look over the guard rail and if they don't see anything they move on.

Caven's 'Gusto' smeared liberally on the bridge abutments or other places Johnny might put his hand down as he descends to pilfer the trap.

Jack

What the Beav said.

Sit under the bridge a beat the snot out of them

Or Trail camera too high for them to reach


Sorry just don't have the problem here as of now

You're not ROW trapping or bridge trapping then.... you're trapping private ground with permission or you're trespassing.

We don't seem to have an issue with trap thieves when the market is this low around here, especially spring beaver trapping. We'd only be out a snare or two if they did.

I suppose land mines are illegal La Aix?

Don’t walk along the shallow bank and make tracks. Go to the where you want to make a set and and step in right there. Footholds on drowners or snares can be hidden fairly easy

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How do you know that the ROW Isn't 30 yards off the road?

I've run a drowning rod back up under the road so the catch is hidden where Johnny Sneakum doesn't normally look

Used cheap traps and stop Trapping at bridges that they disappear from. That’s what I do. Pretty rare it’s messed with though. It’s usually teenagers I think. Rarely more than 1 bridge that it happens at.

I got one that stole 7 traps so far with a fox and a fisher. Its really upsetting me, then he stole two of my game cameras when I tried to nail him. So I went out and bought a cell game camera( the ones that send u a text picture) should get him in a few days! Ill keep you updated, Game warden is on stand buy to charge this guy big time.

The ROW here is, I believe, 66 feet wide, 33' either side of the center line of the road.

You can't will them all. lol

gettem,nothing worse.

Row trapping is pretty restricted to the actual ROW in MO. 30yds would be trespassing in most instances in MO. Plus, we have a few restrictions on traps when ROW trapping. I think ADC's point was, you need to know what is allowed as ROW trapping in your state. Someone else's good idea could be illegal for you.

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Well how deep Is your ROW or are you just using that term loosely? There are states that as long as you are In the water you can move up and down stream at your pleasure.

What we use to do was to make one blatant set. It stuck out like a sore thumb. We had a wedge shoved under the pan so It wouldn't go off.
I believe that after a thief checked a empty trap for awhile he just gave up checking.

But of coarse If the guy Is a trap thief that won't work to good. But most thieves are In It for the fur they are to lazy to actually set and tend traps.

You could try planting a couple gators y'all are famous for down there. But it might make checking traps a bit more difficult.
Seriously, there is not much that you can do until you have a problem and not much you can do when you do other than not trapping that spot. The ideas you originally posted are about all you can do if it's beaver you are after. It's hard to hide a 330 or a dead beaver in a 330. I would try a foothold on a drowning rod or cable and hide set up as best I could.