Under Ice Beaver 2018

[HunterDave]

This winter I was in Cabela's and I spotted a package of 2 Eskimo ice fishing tent screw in pegs and thought that they'd be handy to take out blocks of ice. I never liked messing around with a bar to get them out, it's a PITA. If you want to make life easier for yourself these work as slick as snot on a rooster's lip. Drill in about an inch to get the peg started and it screws right in. The block lifts out really easy and you can use the peg afterwards to anchor your cables.



I hadn't trapped beaver in this area for two years and they built this new lodge. The old lodge is behind it slightly to the left with all the weeds growing out of it. The ice around here is about 14" thick but only 6" - 8" at the runs. Typically, to find the run, I just dip my chainsaw bar into the ice and see how far the bar goes in until it hits water. It wasn't very hard finding the run to the feed bed at this one though.



Beaver have been out through the hole chewing on the fresh twigs sticking up from the feed bed. They even have a nice trail headed back towards that treeline.



Based on the thickness of the ice, the beaver are coming in on the left and the thick block of ice on the right is the farthest edge of the run. I figure the entrance to the lodge to be somewhere between where my footprints are on the left and that patch of snow on the bottom side of the lodge. I'll leave that alone for now. Cables anchored to the ice fishing tent peg at this location.

[kingrat]

Good God although I love looking at pics and reading the stories that looks like a pile of work for a 10 dollar beaver Dave. I'll wait for the ice to melt.

[AlbertaAl]

I'll give you credit for the enthusiasm and passion for the sport.
It's not about the money - it's all about the passion.
Good luck and keep creating your memories.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by kingrat

Good God although I love looking at pics and reading the stories that looks like a pile of work for a 10 dollar beaver Dave. I'll wait for the ice to melt.

Some bear hunters want their bait by end March. I'd wait too if not for being able to sell the carcasses. It's not really that much work, I was there and back in a couple of hours taking my time and it was a nice day to enjoy the outdoors. Humping out to the hut pulling the otter sled was the hardest part but 400M isn't worth loading/unloading the sled. I can use the exercise.

[parfleche]

I have to agree , it is a lot of work , BUT there is just something that makes it all worth while . I also enjoy trapping under ice and these critters do not stink like the big dollar coyotes !
And there is always a chance a fellow could get a 100 lbs Beaver , or even better a white one! also a five legged beaver . My heaviest yet is 84 lbs weight caught in the Elnora country .

[Big Grey Wolf]

Also we might get a horny 200Lb beaver instead of Stormy, now thats some beaver.

[The Spruce]

Sure am. LOTS of ice this year. LOTS of snow this year. Makes the Otter easy to find I guess. It will be a late spring, but a prolonged Rat season is worth it!

Spruce

[APAShooter]

Hey Dave... a quick tip on those ice anchors. I've been using them for years and what i did was weld a 5/8" nut on the top of the handle, dead center of the screw. Since you are already packing the cordless drill put a socket in it... you can screw them in with the drill. Works slick just watch your fingers when that thing gets spinning!!

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by APAShooter

Hey Dave... a quick tip on those ice anchors. I've been using them for years and what i did was weld a 5/8" nut on the top of the handle, dead center of the screw. Since you are already packing the cordless drill put a socket in it... you can screw them in with the drill. Works slick just watch your fingers when that thing gets spinning!!

Super idea......Thanks!

[AlbertaAl]

Originally Posted by APAShooter

Hey Dave... a quick tip on those ice anchors. I've been using them for years and what i did was weld a 5/8" nut on the top of the handle, dead center of the screw. Since you are already packing the cordless drill put a socket in it... you can screw them in with the drill. Works slick just watch your fingers when that thing gets spinning!!

I'm going to use your idea for staking some of my power ram and traps...instead if pounding in a stake...I'm going to screw it into the ground with the drill. Should make retrieval of the stake alot easier as well.
Will need a swivel on top to prevent the caught animal from unscrewing the stake himself.

[parfleche]

Now there is a plan Stan! I have never used them myself , but it should work, How deep can they be screwed in ? Dont underestimate a coyotes pulling power.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by parfleche

Now there is a plan Stan! I have never used them myself , but it should work, How deep can they be screwed in ? Dont underestimate a coyotes pulling power.

I noticed yesterday that with the ice rotting rather quickly the peg wasn't doing much in the way of anchoring the cable and I could pull it right out. As an anchor it'll work well in cold weather when the ice isn't melting but I'll be anchoring to a big log from now on. It still works great for lifting blocks of ice out though.

[HunterDave]

Nice catch today with this 62 lber. The XL one on the board was 38 lbs. Still looking for my first XXXL......Could this be the one? It's very wide across the back.

[parfleche]

Nice catch Dave! Looks like you are in really fine peaty dirt in there . When you go after these critters remember that it does not take a large orifice for them to get through , If they can get their head through they are in!
So no matter how little water they have they can still navigate the area quite well , Then its time to use the 280,s etc. I assume that one has really fine dirt in his hair ? When I hit this situation like you have I set about ten feet apart for doubles , It sure is a lot of fun doing it!
Dont know if you have tried this but at dusk if you sneak real quite to the lodge once it calms down , you will hear them vocalize , almost like , You Go ! No You Go and so on until one takes the plunge! You locate the runs OK that way also . You can sometimes be surprised to learn there is always a back door sometimes !

[HunterDave]

BAM!

[parfleche]

Nice job , it appears to be a female.

[Camdec]

Very nice Dave! I had planned to give er a go but too much snow here and I can’t get the lazy switch turned off.


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[AlbertaAl]

Nice catch Dave - should be worth 10 bucks

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by AlbertaAl

Nice catch Dave - should be worth 10 bucks

Hey now, that’s a $30 pelt all day long. With the carcass, castor and skull i’m Friggin rich.

[fordtruckin]

I’m assuming from your set up that you use snares over Conibears? I’m looking at trying my hand at beaver trapping next winter and am trying to figure what to use. I was figuring using 280 or 330s but have no clue about snares etc...

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

I’m assuming from your set up that you use snares over Conibears? I’m looking at trying my hand at beaver trapping next winter and am trying to figure what to use. I was figuring using 280 or 330s but have no clue about snares etc...

There's not much money in trapping beaver under ice but if you enjoy the fresh air, a bit of exercise and the solitude of the bush, it's a nice way to relax and still accomplish something.

This is only my third year trapping beaver under ice but I have experimented with many different types of sets. I like an H frame or single pole set on runs from the lodge and a feed pole/dead pole set for snares on the edge of feed beds.

Here is an H frame that I built from dead branches and four 3" screws. I wire the tops of the springs on my 330's just above the top cross bar so my 330 hangs in the middle of the box. The cables that you see coming out of the ice in my other picture are attached to the trap chain on the traps and then anchored to something solid. If the frames aren't frozen into the ice and you happen to catch a beaver by the foot they can make a real mess of things before they expire.

This is my "go to" set in the run from a lodge. At some locations I can put as many as 4 sets side by side while at others I can only put one. I have one spot right now that's so narrow that I just wired a 330 to the side of a dead pole and stuck it in beside the run.



There are numerous snare sets that you can use but this one is my preferred method......one feed pole between two dead poles. The only thing that I'd do differently from the diagram is to overlap the snares about an inch and add one more snare either side so it's right below the bottom of the ice. I'm not sure why the fella that made the diagram didn't do that, I've found that beaver prefer the upper portion of the feed pole over the bottom of it. A beaver can chew through a 4" poplar in minutes so it's not a good idea to attach your snares to a green pole IMO.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

There's not much money in trapping beaver under ice but if you enjoy the fresh air, a bit of exercise and the solitude of the bush, it's a nice way to relax and still accomplish something.

This is only my third year trapping beaver under ice but I have experimented with many different types of sets. I like an H frame or single pole set on runs from the lodge and a feed pole/dead pole set for snares on the edge of feed beds.

Here is an H frame that I built from dead branches and four 3" screws. I wire the tops of the springs on my 330's just above the top cross bar so my 330 hangs in the middle of the box. The cables that you see coming out of the ice in my other picture are attached to the trap chain on the traps and then anchored to something solid. If the frames aren't frozen into the ice and you happen to catch a beaver by the foot they can make a real mess of things before they expire.

This is my "go to" set in the run from a lodge. At some locations I can put as many as 4 sets side by side while at others I can only put one. I have one spot right now that's so narrow that I just wired a 330 to the side of a dead pole and stuck it in beside the run.



There are numerous snare sets that you can use but this one is my preferred method......one feed pole between two dead poles. The only thing that I'd do differently from the diagram is to overlap the snares about an inch and add one more snare either side so it's right below the bottom of the ice. I'm not sure why the fella that made the diagram didn't do that, I've found that beaver prefer the upper portion of the feed pole over the bottom of it. A beaver can chew through a 4" poplar in minutes so it's not a good idea to attach your snares to a green pole IMO.

Thanks for the info! That h frame looks simple enough to make.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Thanks for the info! That h frame looks simple enough to make.

Get yourself a few 330's and have at it. You don't need anything too fancy.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Get yourself a few 330's and have at it. You don't need anything too fancy.

That is the plan. Any tips? The area I plan on trapping hasn't had anyone in it for a few years. It's part of a beaver study area which is fairly heavily monitored. Permits for the area are either for 5 or 10 beaver which my guess is since nobody has been in there my area biologist would be fine with permitting for 10. Even if I only get 20$ a hide 200$ would more than pay for my fuel. Plus make a few landowners happy who have not been able to get beaver kill permits since the beavers aren't on his land but the adjacent forest service.

Is there a market for the carcass of the beaver? I hear they are supposed to be good for baiting bears...too bad you can't bait bears in Montana.

[TrapperMike]

Dave why go to the trouble of building the h frame when you have the deep stabilizers. I use them all the time and they work great.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by TrapperMike

Dave why go to the trouble of building the h frame when you have the deep stabilizers. I use them all the time and they work great.

I only use them for under ice and the water is deeper than the stabilizers are long in a lot of places that I trap. Provided that there are dead trees around, I'll make the frames when I'm setting. It doesn't take long and there's less to lug around. The main reason is the depth of the water though.

[TrapperMike]

I use them in open water situations all the time. Work great where logs cross over channels or in front of bank runs.

[Welder1]

Keep up the good work, looks like fun.

[coyotekiller]

Awesome job Dave keep up the good work