I'm putting together drowning poles for beaver,so how long of a chain for the trap do I need. Now I have a total of 14 links with 3 swivels.

I use 6-10 feet of cable ran through the small hole on the end of the swivel it works just fine for a lock. I crimp a loop on both ends one for a weight if I decided to even use one normally I just let them stay alive. Any particular reason you want to haul around rods?

Make them as long as you want. If you want to shorten the chain. A carabineer can be used to shorten the chain to the desired length. Thi s gives you flexibility with staking location and changing water levels

This!

Thank alot I thought a short chain.

IL try your way IL just 1 . I rather have the beaver dead when I check it.

[quote=Dstone1992]I use 6-10 feet of cable ran through the small hole on the end of the swivel it works just fine for a lock. I crimp a loop on both ends one for a weight if I decided to even use one normally I just let them stay alive. Any particular reason you want to haul around rods?[/quote
I use rods because it is the ethical and humane trapping practice. It is not that hard to haul rods around. I would never make a set that I know isn't going to dispatch the beaver. I have had a couple times a beaver was alive when I checked, that is why I check traps daily.

The shorter the chain the less water you need to drown them, the longer the chain the more flexibility you have to move the trap. Personally I use very short chains (usually about three links and the drowner) because I often trap in small mountain creeks where even the ponds are shallow. Front footed beaver I can drown in 18" of water, it isn't that uncommon for me to make sets where I need to target the front foot exclusively because there isn't enough water to drown a hind foot caught beaver. If I was trapping all deep water a little longer chain would be more convenient.

^this^

On drowners I don't always get the ideal three to four foot depth just off the bank. Often it's only deep enough at the very end of the rod. So I need my chains as short as possible or the set won't work.