I recently got contracted to trap a 100 acre plot of land. Numerous wide ditches, irrigation ponds and drainage pipes. I haven’t seen any sign of beavers besides old chew marks or gnawed trees, but nothing new or alarming. I got a big whiff of castor yesterday while I was running some dp’s to maintain coons, but I didn’t see anything. I made some mock slide sets and make some small castor mounds to see if that will bring them near anything, but I don’t have high hopes. The landowner is 100% positive there are beavers still currently there. Any advice you guys can give me would be great.

If you smelled castor they are there. Maybe the core area is upstream or downstream but they definitely will move up or down at will.

If you smelled castor theres a beaver around.

I'd be setting traps...tomorrow

Go get yourself some fresh cut poplar...then peel the bark a wee bit...then shove some of those poplar sticks in the mud at the waters edge...in various places....3-4 spots. If they are gone in 1-2 days...you got work to do

The nice thing about beaver is you usually can catch them where you want.

Last week I took a look at a wide, flowing, deep slough/creek where one of the landowners said he was having beaver problems. Looking at it, it was all frozen over with absolutely no sign of beaver chews, feedbeds,...nothing within sight up or down the slough. The banks are super steep with either riprap or thick brush, and I took a serious head-first tumble trying to get down to the shore to check out the ice. One landowner told me when they put in the riprap they removed a beaver house and "put it over under that big tree so that's probably where they are." The ice conditions on this slough are historically very bad and there just ain't no way I am going out on it.

I think this is going to be a no-go till at least Spring, if even then.

Moosetrot

Are ya going to mail him some poplar? He's in South Carolina where the food of choice is sweet gum. I think about the only poplar down there is Yellow Poplar. I don't know that the South Carolina beavers would show an interest in the aspen/poplar of the north.

Right-o. We have tons of sweet gum and white oaks where I’m currently trapping.

I would be curious on that as well. I keep seeing folks referring to using poplar bud oil as a lure but I've never used unless it's part of the Dobbins line of lures.

Gum, privet or maple down here.

Got one job open now where the crazy bucktooths are working water oak, go figure.

I have 0 experience trapping beavers but I have a friend who works for the state trapping beavers and he kind of gave me a crash course. He said stick to the signs, but I just can’t find any. Plus we just got two days of really heavy rain so there’s still tons of debris moving along some of the creeks.

Hey Boss.....I see a new business idea here....I’ll send a sampler pack of poplar....drives them crazy up here

Okay, minus sign look for pinch points and channels if the water is a small creek or ditch. These are perfect for conis, snares or cages. You can create these points with blocking or fencing but use care as beaver are somewhat easily educated to this trick. Basically I'm talking blind sets on travel ways. If you use lure place it up or down stream not on the set to keep them moving through the set.

Next look for points along the bank that would be visible at beaver level when coming up or down the creek. These are the places to key in on for castor mounds. Set with footholds if depth works. Basically a mound of mud up on the bank seasoned with some castor. Create a slicked up muddy pullout in line of travel to the mudpie, possibly a second if there's a possible second route in or out. Trap placement best for a back foot is roughly one cubit (fingertip to elbow) out and one hand width left or right of centerline. Water depth needs to be a minimum of one hand span, thumb to pinkie extended, deep at the trap. You want it to swim over the trap and drop it's feet as it breasts out at the waterline. You can control the exact spot with the use of breasting sticks, pencil sized sticks driven at an angle to poke the beaver in the chest right at the water line. Use a big trap for this, turn it sideways so it comes in over the levers to grab that big back foot from the sides. Also make a solid bed or bowl with a good outside rim to prevent flipping the trap.
You can do this same set with peeled sticks and food lure near feed beds or food sources. Just cut you several thumb to broom handle sized green sticks of a preferred food. Skin a bunch of them letting the peeling fall where you want them to come and prop a few stripped white sticks up as a visual.

That's the basics. If you're dealing with a hardwood swamp or other big water you may need to learn the lost lure or floating sets.

Footholds need to be on drowners or long chains if no entanglement. You can go for front foot by moving the trap up but is generally not advised unless you can get it down a drowner. The front wrings off easily. Drowning depth is thigh deep minimum with short chains.

One thing on pinch points, if it is deep place the coni or snare deep on the bottom with a good sized limb, dive stick, over the top to force the beaver to go under. Beaver invariably go deep when they have to do this. Otter not so much, they just duck under an obstacle. Keep this in mind if you are trying avoid or catch otter.

Also if you use a snare or coni on the mudpie or bait set I have better luck shifting it out away from the waterline catching them coming in or off the set at speed rather than the slow walk right at the waterline.

Sample pack of popplar funny stuff

Beavers make dams.Go out in the bush and find the dam-break it,then check it a couple days later.
Great place to catch the beavers too.

If you smelled castor, a beaver has been there recently. May not be living right there, but it's in the vicinity. It's getting the time of the year where they're putting out scent markers down here in the south.

That they are. Getting a little frisky.