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Old 04-04-2017, 02:13 AM
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KegRiver KegRiver is offline
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Default Spring hunting Beaver

Another thread got me to remembering spring hunts I've been on.

The first one I went on was back around 1966. The thing I remember most about that hunt was the waiting for the Beaver to swim close enough to the bank for us to have a chance of retrieving it with a stick.

Most of the time that meant that the Beaver had to be no more then ten feet from the bank, or from shallow enough water for a person to wade out to retrieve it.

Out of necessity we learned how to call Beaver in close. The call was simply an imitation of the sound of a Beaver chewing on a stick and it was somewhat successful, but not guaranteed.

I loved those hunts. We usually went as a group, three, four or more local tappers, usually family members or close neighbors.

Years later I hunted a lot by myself and I thought a lot about how to get those Beaver that stayed out reach.

One day I was out fishing and I had one of those light bulb moments.
Why couldn't I retrieve them with fishing gear.

Obviously using a normal fishing lure was out of the question. It would sink below the surface and get caught on a submerged log for sure.
But being an inventive type the solution was obvious.

I made a Beaver retrieval lure.

I took a half inch diameter dry piece of wood about three inches long.
I drilled a 1/8 inch hole down the center of the piece, length ways.
Then I threaded a piece of heavy fishing line through that hole, tied on the largest treble hook I could find and tied a swivel to the other end and I had my Beaver retriever.

Next I took a collapsible fishing rod I owned. One of those with the sections that push inside of each other and so collapse down to about two feet long.

Then I made a hook cover out of a pill bottle and and off I went hunting for a Beaver to test my idea on.
Remember, up till then the Beaver had to be within ten feet of the bank or I wouldn't shoot it. And even then I would loose some that would thrash their way out of reach.

The first Beaver that evening was one cautious Beaver. It stayed well out of reach but eventually came within twenty feet. One shot and it lay still.

Perfect, now to see if my idea works. Out comes the fishing pole, off with the hook protector, extend the sections and cast.

Dang! That plug flew nearly 100 feet! I missed my aim so I had to cast again, but at least I didn't get snagged. That part works.
Second cast was closer to thirty feet and right on the money. My line lay across the middle of the floating Beaver.
I reeled in till the plug touched the beaver then gave a quick pull.
Success !

I was amazed at how well it worked. I used that system right up till I quit trapping. It never failed me, and it retrieved a few beaver I never thought it could. Like one I only stunned. Darn thing came back to life and made for the bottom but with my hook firmly tangled up in it's fur I was able to worry it back to the surface and finish the job and retrieve it.

So if you guys are spring hunting Beaver like I used to and having trouble retrieving them, maybe this would work for you. At least it's worth a try, right?

And by the way, I found that giving the hook a yank was not necessary and sometimes it would pop the plug right over top the beaver.
Just pulling the hook through the fur was enough, so long as one didn't pull too hard.
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Old 04-04-2017, 07:25 AM
bullgetter bullgetter is offline
 
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Been using a plug with three hooks on it for a few years. Finally lost it last year when the beaver I shot kicked in behind some willows. Water was too deep for my chest waders so I tried to thread the needle and cast my plug in. My aim was poor and I ended up snagging some brush and broke the line. Gonna build a new one this spring. I do find it best to use a rod with some backbone as it's near impossible to chuck a big plug with a noodle rod accurately.
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Old 04-04-2017, 07:43 AM
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Wolftrapper Wolftrapper is offline
 
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Great story and idea Keg. Brings back good memories. Thanks.
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Old 04-04-2017, 08:15 AM
calgarychef calgarychef is offline
 
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That does indeed bring back fond memories, I used to use my trusty Coleman canoe as we lived in a lake it gave me access to lots of beavers and muskrats. One day I walked a half mile to another slough that was chock full of rats and a few beavers. I shot a beaver and went back to the lake to portage the canoe over to the slough. It was a bloody long haul for a 14 year old kid, I dragged that canoe all the way as it was too heavy to lift and didn't have a carrying yolk anyway. In the spring when the rats were mating moot pretty good at squeeking them in andy hat was my first experience at really calling animals. I've been calling and fooling animals ever since.
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Old 04-04-2017, 10:26 PM
pikeman06 pikeman06 is offline
 
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We shot them in sloughs around Bashaw and only had about a week before they started to rub or shed. We shot them with 22's and would immediately wade out and grab a leg and bring them in. Occasionally they would sink but strangly enough we would find them dead but clamped on to a log underwater with their teeth. In high school at the time- shoot and skin and board 20 big fresh greasy beavers a night for a week straight. Thought nothing of it. About 1986 or so we averaged 60 through na fa and would ship them by the hundreds in big fur bags on the bus. Miss those days.
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Old 04-04-2017, 11:27 PM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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Last Friday I went to check four traps on wood stands made from dead branches in a lodge run and they were gone! I'd secured all of the traps to extension cable and anchored it to the lodge. When I started pulling on the cable I found that everything was still all attached, including the stands, but it was all tangled together and submerged under the ice......what a friggin mess and lots of weight to get out.

After untangling, pulling and sorting everything out, I finally started getting my stands and traps out one by one. Perfect catch 56 lb beaver in the second trap. As I was pulling the third stand over the edge of the ice up comes a big beaver foot in a 330 and.....bloop....the foot slipped out and gone. The darned thing had thrashed around long enough to destroy everything before expiring!

Tomorrow I'm going out to do my checks and set more traps so I'm going to try to retrieve it. I'm hoping that it floated up but with that ice cold water it may take a little longer than usual. I'd sooner that it floated up but I'm thinking lake trout ice fishing rod and a few jigs. It's too cold to go for a swim just yet....lol.
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Old 04-05-2017, 08:38 AM
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KegRiver KegRiver is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HunterDave View Post
Last Friday I went to check four traps on wood stands made from dead branches in a lodge run and they were gone! I'd secured all of the traps to extension cable and anchored it to the lodge. When I started pulling on the cable I found that everything was still all attached, including the stands, but it was all tangled together and submerged under the ice......what a friggin mess and lots of weight to get out.

After untangling, pulling and sorting everything out, I finally started getting my stands and traps out one by one. Perfect catch 56 lb beaver in the second trap. As I was pulling the third stand over the edge of the ice up comes a big beaver foot in a 330 and.....bloop....the foot slipped out and gone. The darned thing had thrashed around long enough to destroy everything before expiring!

Tomorrow I'm going out to do my checks and set more traps so I'm going to try to retrieve it. I'm hoping that it floated up but with that ice cold water it may take a little longer than usual. I'd sooner that it floated up but I'm thinking lake trout ice fishing rod and a few jigs. It's too cold to go for a swim just yet....lol.
If that doesn't work, a treble hook wired to a stiff pole might.

That's gotta be a sick feeling seeing it slip away. I hardly ever used Coni's under the ice so it's not something I have experience with.
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Old 04-10-2017, 08:47 AM
Homes Outside Homes Outside is offline
 
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Kegriver

How did you go about imitating a beaver chewing on a stick? Just a knife scraping on wood?
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Old 04-10-2017, 09:13 AM
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KegRiver KegRiver is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Homes Outside View Post
Kegriver

How did you go about imitating a beaver chewing on a stick? Just a knife scraping on wood?
A knife on a stick or by making a rapid sucking/clicking sound with the mouth.
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Old 04-10-2017, 07:39 PM
35 whelen 35 whelen is offline
 
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I seen a guy calling in beavers on a bear stand with one of those old black Combs running his fingers over the teeth

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