I've been trapping a lake the past couple years. I can't figure out a good way to setup drowners for beavers. The depth tapers out too slow for drowning rods. I've tried using a cable, but the bottom is so muddy/mucky that I sink up to my knees before I can get out far enough to set the drowning end. I've been limited to bodygrips. Does anyone have any suggestions? I feel like a boat or canoe is the only option. I guess I could try holding them alive, but I like taking advantage of our 48 hr check on lethal sets.

my guess is either walk out as far as you can then toss the drowning weight from there or a kayak maybe.. Thats a tough situation to be in

Long wood stakes for the drowning end, walk out as far as you can and then reach another 6-8' with the stake. If that won't get you in deep enough water, use weights and throw them as far as you can. One advantage of a soft, mucky bottom like that is that you don't need as heavy of a weight, because it will sink into the bottom.

Also, if you set for front foot catches you don't need as deep of water to drown them in, which may help you out.

Watch out for tossing out weights if the bottom is that soft. The weight can sink in so deep you won't be able to pull it out. Then you'll have a real problem on your hands with beaver, trap and weight all stuck on the bottom out there. Ask me how I know lol

Floats with conibears if the law allows or floats with foot traps out in water deep enough to drown.

How far out is deep water?

A 16' cable only got me knee deep

Do you have to drown them? I catch a lot of them with a #3 Bridger CS and a 10 foot cable.

Sounds like id just run a ton of snares if you cant find good enough spots for body grips

Some places you just can't drown em.

I dont have to drown them, but its more economical if I only check every other day. But if I get out more traps, catch more beaver quicker, and pull traps sooner, it may balance out. My only other issue with live beaver is the public eye. I trap all public lakes so there could be problems there, but ill just have to be careful and check early.


When long chaining or cabling off, are #3 size traps preferred over #5s or 750s? I've noticed broken bones on front foot caught beaver with the bigger traps. Seems like they could twist off fairly easily.

I can't snare on these properties unfortunately

In very soft bottoms, a single truck rotor (like a rotor from a one ton or bigger) will suck down and hold most beaver under. I can toss one 20 feet or so. If you must set these flat shallow areas, and you can get to knee deep water 16 feet out, set it up with the drowner and try for a front foot. If you get the front foot it will work, and with a good back foot hold it is not going anywhere. Personally I would use a full size beaver foothold of your choice, because if you get a front foot it is a drowning set, and if a back foot you want a big trap for the best chance of a good hold.

You will have to check daily though. If you cant check daily, those spots are about done when they get wise to BGs and you cant use snares. Move to another lake. Assuming you are fur or hobby trapping.

Now if these are nuisance beavers, first of all I would have a serious discussion about the consequences of limiting my equipment by not allowing snares. Consequences like me not taking the job. I dont recall ever having a landowner do that if the beavers were actually a big enough problem to throw money at them and call me. I show up with every tool allowed by law including a tritium dotted shotgun.

Dale Billingsley has a good video on YouTube on long chaining beaver and why he prefers a #3 Bridger trap.

I've always tried to drown or catch them in 330s before this year.i watched dales video and thought I would give it a try. I made up some 10 ft 1/8th inch cable attached earth anchors.this was just a trial so I only rigged up 3 of them. I've ended up with 8 beaver and didn't have any trouble with pull outs or wring offs the biggest was 62lbs.iam hooked on using more of these next season.this was using bridger #3 coilsprings.

How did you anchor that earth anchor in deep water?

Maybe you misunderstood what Iam doing.iam using earth anchors on the bank attached to the 10ft cable and attach the trap to the other end of the cable.iam not drowning them,there alive either laying on the bank or swimming.

He still has to check daily with the smaller trap and your front foot long-line method, and he has enough water to drown with a front foot catch. In some situations holding one alive by the front foot is no problem, but he had said he is in a public area where that might not look good or invite tampering. Thats why I suggested a full size beaver foothold for this particular situation. If set up correctly maybe 75% will be front foot and drowned. The other 25% might unintentionally be back foot catches so the bigger trap will help get a good hold and they will be waiting as long as the “public” factor does not cause a problem.

Put a window weight on trap chain it will drown in knee deep water.

Whenever I needed to do that, I just made an extra long driver. 6 ft grounding rod usually, but a person could build them whatever length they needed. While I preferred wolf fangs, I used Berkshires for deep anchors, because I found Berk's easier to build drivers for in a pinch.

I stopped using deep earth anchors years back, because I started deep staking and rarely looked back.

Just how big of a man are you??? I hope you played college ball and have dang good excuse why they aren’t watching you on Sundays!!
I’ve used truck rotors for coon drags and if you’re chunking them 20ft, you are the MAN!! I even used one for a coyote and he didn’t budge it.

Rather than using a leg hold, you could use a short snare if legal in your state, with a short snare, knee deep water should be enough to keep them submerged.

Not big truck rotors, but the bigger small truck rotors, if that is even a thing... Most rotors in the local shop’s pile are two sizes, and the larger size from pickup trucks weighs maybe 15 pounds maybe 20 pounds (been a long time since I weighed one). But I can heave one 20 feet. And the shape helps it cut into soft mud. On a hard bottom it takes 2 of those (i jave had singles dragged up on the bank on sandy bottoms too) but in soft muck one rotor seems to do the trick around here. Im just an average mid-50’s guy, and Im not playing any ball of any kind these days..

Another option I just remembered that I have done a few times successfully- put on waders and go out 6 to 10 feet and dig a hole. I like at least mid-thigh to crotch deep, but if the bottom is soft and not too many tough roots, it only takes ten minutes or so to dig a nice “well” for the bottom weight. I used chain slides for this because rods have a hard time making the bend down in the hole. But a weight on a chain works great. Not always an option, but it can work in some cases. Take a shovel, a hoe, and and beaver rake and tear at it.

I use old brake rotors- but they can sink in some muds and be terrible to get out. I just put long cables on them and I trap out of a canoe. I set the weight on the front of the canoe and paddle backwards till it gets tight and falls off the front.

I've just been using 10 to 15lb boat anchors. Work excellent in mud and grab vert well.