Anchoring a conibear

[nube]

How do you do it? I set my first beaver 330's today and it was a pain. I set them in a small canal the beavers dug from one pond to another. The lakes have ice but the canal was kept open by the beaver with their lodge only 100 yards away at the most. The canal is about 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep and I placed 2 330's in it. They were not very solid and it was tough to get the right depth on the traps.

Also at what depth should I place the trap? I put the top of them about 8-12" under the water at most. Also used sticks on the sides to guide beaver into trap. I also stuck some twigs and grass just above the trap in the water hopeing the beaver will just swim under water and through the trap.

Any ideas of if this is right let me know and how to anchor a conibear to a pole would be nice.

One trap I just put a pole over the canal and hung a trap with wire on the springs
The other I tried to make a square frame and lower it in the canal and it was nothing but problems.

[nof60]

Originally Posted by nube

How do you do it? I set my first beaver 330's today and it was a pain. I set them in a small canal the beavers dug from one pond to another. The lakes have ice but the canal was kept open by the beaver with their lodge only 100 yards away at the most. The canal is about 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep and I placed 2 330's in it. They were not very solid and it was tough to get the right depth on the traps.

Also at what depth should I place the trap? I put the top of them about 8-12" under the water at most. Also used sticks on the sides to guide beaver into trap. I also stuck some twigs and grass just above the trap in the water hopeing the beaver will just swim under water and through the trap.

Any ideas of if this is right let me know and how to anchor a conibear to a pole would be nice.

One trap I just put a pole over the canal and hung a trap with wire on the springs
The other I tried to make a square frame and lower it in the canal and it was nothing but problems.

Put to big sticks through the coils on the springs and wire toegther at top like a triangle. Put some parsnip and beaver call or castor on the trigger. Submerge trap at least 6 inches under water

or

bend springs to and run 1 pole through both springs. put across small stream digging down ends so trap is submerged.

I run a wolf snare wire from trap to a big log or whatever in case something other than me is checking traps so beaver and trap dont get drug off

[nube]

Thanks, Maybe I just need practice lol I looked pretty bad. My main thing I didn't know was if I should put traps under the water or just at the top. It would be interesting to know how they are swimming up and down the canal. Some of the canal is covered in snow so in the one spot I cleared a hole 2 feet wide in the snow over the canal and that is where I put the tree over it and just wired the trap about 8 inches under the water and put grass and dead branches for a couple feet along the hole on the top of the water to force him down under the water. I thought of putting 2 traps on top of eachother in one spot but I am greedy and want to see if I can get a double and tried 2 spots that are 15 yards apart in the canal at the skinniest parts of the canal.
I can't see them swimming right down to the bottom and under the trap. I think at the most there is only about a foot of water under the trap to the bottom of the canal. Traps should be right about dead center of the water in the canal. I'm excited about checking them tomorrow.

[Thunder Elk Hunter]

Set the trap so the trigger catch is on the bottom and so the trigger wires are just under water or just above the water line. Put a bent willow or stick over the top of the trap so the beaver will duck to go under the stick and into your trap. Put so dry sticks through the springs and rings of the trap. Beaver like green sticks.

[KegRiver]

You say anchoring but it sounds like you are asking about stabilizing the trap.

I will reply on that basis.

What I would do in that situation is take a six foot or longer dry willow that will fit through the loops of the both springs.
Slid it through the loops till the trap is approximately in the middle.

Then I set the trap and lie it across the beaver run (canal) so that the trap is about the middle of the run.
Next I push a thin stick down beside the set so that it angles such that it passes between the ends of the set jaws and down into the mud.
One on each side. These stabilize the trap and act as guides.

Additional sticks are used if needed.

Next I make a mound of dirt about six inches high, toward the shore side of the run with the trap blocking the path from the main pond to the mound.

I place a lump of beaver castor taken from a different area onto the mound.

I rig my traps with six feet of aircraft cable attached to one spring. On the other end of that cable I form a loop like a cowboys lasso.
After setting the trap I drop the cable noose over a nearby stump. root or other solid anchor.

Finally I splash water over everything to wash away any scent I may have left.

I do have photos of the whole setup but they are old film photos and I haven't managed to get them scanned yet.

I hope my description is clear enough.

Best of luck

[winmag]

i would set the same as Keg's just make sure you set light [last notch] and file the notch on the latch so it sits tight on top of trigger that way the trigger wires will have maybe inch play [sway] so the trap fires quicker . You will get better neck kills versus body grabs on faster beavers in a canal set between the ponds. Nothing i hate worse then having welt lines on a big finished beaver pelt

[Thunder Elk Hunter]

Will take pictures tomorrow if there is a spot similar to yours.

[nube]

Thanks guys. When a beaver is going down a canal that is 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep do they usually swim on the surface or do they usually swim under the water for the most part? I wonder if I should have just had my top jaw of the trap just under the water with a stick on it and hope that he didn't swim under it. I guess tomorrow will tell if the plan worked or not

[rockymountaintrapper]

with all my respect and not trying to be a wise guy here but after readingsome of this nube spend some of that money and take an ATA course

[Thunder Elk Hunter]

Originally Posted by nube

Thanks guys. When a beaver is going down a canal that is 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep do they usually swim on the surface or do they usually swim under the water for the most part? I wonder if I should have just had my top jaw of the trap just under the water with a stick on it and hope that he didn't swim under it. I guess tomorrow will tell if the plan worked or not

If you use a little scent have the top jaw above the water, as I noted before just have the trigger wires just below or at water level.

[nube]

Originally Posted by rockymountaintrapper

with all my respect and not trying to be a wise guy here but after readingsome of this nube spend some of that money and take an ATA course

With all my respect and not trying to be a wise guy either but why not contribute a few ideas to the thread!
I have trapped muskrat , weasel and snared a bunch of coyotes before. Never needed much of a course for that. This beaver thing is something new and decided to give it a go in a blink of an eye because I happened to have a couple 330's and found the right spot. No harm in giving it a go I thought. I would love to take a course if they had one in Edmonton. Not sure i want to drive 2 hours or more for the amount of beaver trapping I plan on doing.

[nube]

Originally Posted by Thunder Elk Hunter

If you use a little scent have the top jaw above the water, as I noted before just have the trigger wires just below or at water level.

Thanks a ton for the info guys. Thunder you sound like you have played this game before. Thanks for the help.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by nube

Thanks guys. When a beaver is going down a canal that is 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep do they usually swim on the surface or do they usually swim under the water for the most part? I wonder if I should have just had my top jaw of the trap just under the water with a stick on it and hope that he didn't swim under it. I guess tomorrow will tell if the plan worked or not

The width and or the depth don't seem to make any difference to the success of the set so long as the beaver can't easily swim around the set.


They usually swim on the surface, if not disturbed.

I forgot to mention that I like to set my pole just at touching the surface of the water, or floating on the water.
That way the beaver will dive under the pole and right into the trap.

If you watch a beaver moving around it's pond it will dive under sticks that block it's path and surface on the other side. In other words, they only dive deep enough to get under the obstacle. I don't remember ever having one dive under the trap, but I suppose it might happen. If they were spooked before diving.
Diving under sticks and through openings is part of a beavers everyday life. That is what my dad taught me and it seems to be true.

[The Spruce]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I forgot to mention that I like to set my pole just at touching the surface of the water, or floating on the water.
That way the beaver will dive under the pole and right into the trap.
Diving under sticks and through openings is part of a beavers everyday life..

Nube,

This is the key. You must string a log infront of your trap so the beaver dives under it...and wham. This will increase your hook ups 100%.

[nof60]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

The width and or the depth don't seem to make any difference to the success of the set so long as the beaver can't easily swim around the set.


They usually swim on the surface, if not disturbed.

I forgot to mention that I like to set my pole just at touching the surface of the water, or floating on the water.
That way the beaver will dive under the pole and right into the trap.

If you watch a beaver moving around it's pond it will dive under sticks that block it's path and surface on the other side. In other words, they only dive deep enough to get under the obstacle. I don't remember ever having one dive under the trap, but I suppose it might happen. If they were spooked before diving.
Diving under sticks and through openings is part of a beavers everyday life. That is what my dad taught me and it seems to be true.

This is what i was trying to describe in my second post but doing it and describing it are 2 different things. Put a carrot or parsnip dipped in beaver call or castor on trigger. triggers on bttom of conie. You can get those really wide connies now but I have never used them.

Also and I am sure you know this but

ALWAYS USE A SAFETY
and more important
ALWAYS HAVE A ROPE ACCESSABLE WITH EITHER HAND AND KNOW THE ROPETRICK...Practise it at home with a hand behind your back

you may pass out from a 330 slamming on you but if you know the rope trick you can get out and get help when you come to. Dont think it does not happen

[Labguy]

nube place a piece of plywood over canal in a few spots , then place your 2 trap's on the very bottom of canal , with 2 dead or dry sticks( i use rebar , or cole rod through coil's ,) beavers swim eithier on the surface or on the bottom alway's ....... you will not need any bait or lure when trapping underwater for beaver..... you only use castor on the bank or dam or house, and from a different colony , they are so territorial it is crazy 3 rules for beaver 1-never shoot what you can trap =success way higher!!!!! 2--beavers alway's swim on the bottom,, 3-- if you miss trap, they never forgetttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the log or stick across canal work's ,but makem go deep and you catchem every time bigger window for success

[nof60]

Originally Posted by Labguy

you will not need any bait or lure when trapping underwater for beaver..... :

My fur checque says different and while your dickin around with chunks of plywood I will be busy over here skinning beaver

[nube]

Well guys I had partial success today. I went and checked the traps. One was not set off but the other that I built the frame for was all beat up and the sticks I had standing up in the mud were all busted up. I was excited untill i pulled up my tangled mess with a muskrat in it lol. Smashed him dead center Then to make things worse I was dumb and had a piece of poplar as one of my poles to make the frame. HAHA the beaver came and chewed it all up!!! Rookie I reset it this time with the trap under the water trigger on bottom and a stick about 3 inches under the water over the top of the trap. The bottom of the trap is only about 6-10 inches off the bottom so I think I am good to go now. I also wired a chunk of poplar to the trigger this time as he seems to be hard after fresh poplar

Also got 8 more rats as well in one pond

[Labguy]

well nof60 probablly shot and trapped more beaver than you will ever see nobe was trapping beaver not muskrat's!! , bait on the trigger ?when your done skinning your 10 or 20 beavers , try to understand the idea to the conibear trap is to try to get them to commit into going right through the trap, this will ensure quality trapping and alot less miss traps, and not only does hitting a beaver on the nose teach them , but also hurt's them , and may die somewhere else, end result being wasted, but rookies may have not realized that fact yet, i was just being honest , and try'n to help out nubeoh ya nube if the land your trapping is yours or you have permission for awhile, that's why i suggested plywood , that way it is permanent, and always quick and easy and a lethal way to catch some flat tails, dont need much for plywood last i checked beavers trenches are only about 2 ft. wide, been there done it, have been called in where rookies have educated beaver's to the point where they are smarter, than there trapper!!!!!!!!!!!good luck trapping ladies , and gents!!!!!:sHa_shak eshout:

[Thunder Elk Hunter]

Here is the one set that I use. I have a scent stick in back of the log. Have caught 4 beaver there in the last 4 days.

[nube]

Awesome!! Thanks for the pic. That looks like it is a bit smaller water than I had. Mine was more grass as well. I think my problem is that the lake was loaded with rat and I kept on getting them first before the beaver showed up. How deep is that channel?

[Thunder Elk Hunter]

it is only about 2 feet deep