I had one smart like that. It was a nuisance job so I needed to catch all of them. Once I got down to the last one (very likely the big female), it would not fix the dam anymore and apparently went back to using the original bank den which it created before flooding the place and built the lodge. I never found the bank den due to the jungle nature of the site. It would climb a steep bank to avoid submerged 330s, and knocked down snares later placed beside those 330s in the channel. I finally found the remnants of a snare which it was able to fray until it broke. It was set completely under water including the tie-off end of the snare.
It either died from the snare or left the county. There was never any sign of beaver after that. It still ticks me off that I never was able to lay my eyes on the orneriest witch that ever balled for beads . It took me 2 months to make this job end!

Paul I know for certain that beavers do use their front feet to move things to the side. I have watch them do it several times.

Beaver trapping is the best game going .....that you can make a few bucks at.

Oh I got one of those. She is wihly

4 years now. Last two years I've caught 8 kits each year

Last spring I caught 5 males from 39-48 lbs that cams to try to be her mate ( each year before I would catch her mate)

I've caught and kept one of her front feet in a #4 CS. And last year I caught and kept the tip of her tail in a 440 RBG

She packs seaweed around my 330s and the farmer says she's back at it ( she typically goes low after I start catching her kits )

Thinking she's huge now

You mean you have to put a deer stop on a submerged Beaver snare? Sounds a little crazy to me. I thought our car laws we're bad.

Caught a old female a few years ago like that in a snare and like you figure now when I see a snare 'pulled down' but not pulled 'out' away and off the support wire it's the beaver stopping and reaching with it's front paw to move the obstruction out of it's way before continuing on it's way.

Interesting, I bet it happened just the way you figured.

Those that think beaver are easy are right....until they aren’t!


Excellent thread!

He was using a cable restraint that was legal for land use.Wi.Does not require a cable restraint in the water.
He was using what he had and it would have been fine for a body catch.
Tom

Well this proves bvr trapping keeps us old farts young.......maybe slower but still youthfull....

Did a ADC job on a small private pond with a house in the center of the pond. Caught the male and 4 pups real quick. Landowner drained the pond. I set four snares in the holes leaving the house, completely drained pond. Took eleven days before the female would leave the house. Justification for charging mileage.

I understand. I have had to improvise at times myself.

Exactly... I don't do a lot of beaver snaring and when I do - the CR's work fine. But I'm obviously missing out on Paul's front foot technique.

Just make sure that non of that castor makes it into your Backbreaker lure.....cause you don't want that genetic material educating any other beavers through the country.
Good read.

Swampboogers get blamed for that a lot, when often it is in fact a smart beaver.

Had the same thing happen a few years ago, after pulled down snare for about a week, I finally got it by the front foot, I think she was pushing it aside with her foot and finally got caught in it.
They are not dumb rodents, and it can be frustrating, but they are in a small area and can be taken.
















had the same thing happe