Under ice beaver

Never have trapped beaver under the ice. Have a spot that I want to try. After a big cold front with highs in the negative temps, are the runs and openings still pretty simple to locate? Or will there most likely be just too much ice with such cold temps that it wouldnt be possible to locate?

Mature colonys it is easy to find the main entrance run even in dead of winter.since there wont be a lot of ice there.
If just a pair of beaver there will be more ice to cut.You can still find the main entrance run by sounding the ice.There will be air bubbles trapped between the ice and the water which will make a hollow sound when you tap the ice with your feed hook.

No need to locate entrances or runs. Just put a snare pole midway between the lodge and the feed pile:

Yep snarepoles work great too.

Look up 330 maniac on YouTube to see how he finds the runs and sets up BG's under the ice. He's got tons of videos on trapping under the ice.

I caught my first under ice beaver with this set over 50 years ago.

Sometimes it easy to find them close to the lodge, but when I cut a hole to drop sets it’s full of branches and I have to go further out. Bait the bottom jaws, not the trigger. A lot less empty traps. If you’re doing the hanging sets, don’t use a saw to cut open the hole if you know you have something……lol. With H stands they’re deeper, but the hangers I had the other week, they’re closer to the surface.

Baited sets produce better when set just under the ice.
When setting snarepoles in deep water I put two snares on top and 2 on the bottom,none in between.
occasionally a snarepole set in deep water will produce two beaver-one on the top and one on the bottom of the pole.
Unbaited dry snarepoles can be set in the entrance and catch beaver,but traps set at the entrance are more efficient as you can catch 2 or 3 at a time out of the one hole..
When setting under ice a feedhook is necessary to remove feed that is over the hole in order to set it.

When using hanging BG traps and the bait stick is on the trigger, water movement by swimming beaver will often fire the trap.

What do you use for a feed hook? I’ve got a broom handle with a hook screwed into the end but I use it to search or hook traps in the water. Don’t think it’d be strong enough to rip at a tangled mess.

Looks like a bill hook sharpened and set in a hollow aluminum handle from a pike pole.Easy to pull up or cut feed that is in the way when dropping in the traps at the entrance.
The hollow handle makes it easy to sound the entrance run.makes a distinct sound when you tap the hollow ice.

Look for the feed bed. There will be a run around it for BG. Very easy to locate.

Good call on the 330 maniac videos 20scout. I’ve been trapping beaver for a long time and have always shied away from the ice . I’m probably going to stay off the ice , but I feel like I could find them under the ice if I had to .
Thanks.

P.S. wish I could still set a 330 the way he does .

That's an excellent DVD. I don't think they had the tall stands back then?

Love his vids! I don't get the ice here normally, but I've learned alot of things from them.

Interesting man and certainly a legend.

https://alexanderfh.net/tribute/details/2941/John-Thorpe/obituary.html

I liked Boco suggestion on sounding the ice. After you hear it. You won’t forget the difference in the ice how it sounds with air. Especially when you cut there with a chisel. The later in the year. It becomes a blow hole of air. From the beaver use and decomposing bark Fresh willow, birch, Aspen is a killer late into the winter as bait.
Good Luck to you

Check out 330 maniac on YouTube. Lots of under ice beaver trapping and he explains a lot of what he's doing

Thats a great set!

What about Muskrat411? 330Maniac is the man no question; but he dont have 3' of ice to deal with. I better get out and snare some beaver and give you the carcasses for bait. Buy some respect.
Just kidding not sure if I can even find a beaver lodge. Between the die off and all this snow I have not seen much for beaver. I saw one healthy lodge behind Helen's though. Should be enough beaver in there for a little respect. Also try that set out that Archeryguy posted. Looks like a fun set.
That video by Johnny Thorpe was the first success I had with beaver. Before using the swinging 330 set I used to set my 330 like a flag on a pole or try make a ladder. They both work OK but Johnny Thorpe's sets are way better.
Plan for weekend catch some respect beaver!

That is a great vid, thanks Hern!

Had too throw my 2cents in on the Swinging Suzie beaver trap.

Thanks for all the responses. We have had below zero temps the last week or so here. Will those bank den runs have thin enough ice over them to be able to chip through with a spud bar do you think? Same with near the lodge??

The ones I've checked have all been thick, but I don't think I'm dealing with a big population. All the vids I've watched you should have thinner ice on the runs, given there are plenty of beaver using them. I still think that these situations create a problem here, because it is not "normal".

Define thick…lol!
[video:youtube]https://youtube.com/shorts/WnkHf6rVqVg[/video]

Thick would mean the same thickness as everything else. I'll watch your video a little later, I'm assuming it's THICK! lol

Even after a week of -40 active runs still have ice thin enough to chip through.

Even after a week of -40 active runs still have ice thin enough to chip through.

Only about 5” but not using the saw on these sets, the taller H stands seem to keep the catch down and have never nicked a beaver in one of those.
So far the only thin ice I’ve found is near the lodge and it was too close to get a set in, further out towards the feed bed the thinnest was about 6”. I’m guessing otters punched a hole last week because there was running water and otter alotta activity around. Ice level was a foot lower this weekend and one was frozen to the top exiting the lodge. What a bugger to get that one out! Little bit of damage from chipping but it ain’t like a chain saw slash…lol.