# Tips for beaver trapping.



## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

The guy down the road by the black owns a small portion of corn field woods and both stretches of river. There are probably 30-40 beaver slides within 200 feet. I want to try to trap a few later in January after deer season dies down and the hunters are out of there. Any suggestions? Snares or foot traps? And I can just buy a fur bearer permit right? I have my hunting license.


----------



## leupy (Feb 12, 2007)

#220 0r #320 conibears work the best.


----------



## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

leupy said:


> #220 0r #320 conibears work the best.


but the have to be under water


----------



## I_Shock_Em (Jul 20, 2008)

A fat wallet, a nice car, and a few drinks should help you catch a few...


----------



## Java line (Mar 14, 2012)

The big conibears work but are expensive, snares are cheap and easy. Just my $.02


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Snares are cheap & easy, but some buyers don't like the mark they leave on the pelt, especially if they get it mid body & hurt that strip in the middle of the back.
If the water is shallow enough, a #4 or 5 double coil would work well with a slide cable for a drowning set. If there are that many in that stretch, any one of the methods mentioned should connect.


----------



## bmiller (Apr 19, 2011)

If you use snares and catch one, the others will be really skittish. Better to use a number 3 on a drowned wire. Won't freak em out as much. But I do like snares.


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Java line (Mar 14, 2012)

I was thinking January the water freezes and would be hard for a drown wire and you were just looking to catch one. 


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

The 330 Conibear is your best bet. The 220 would work, but its a little small for beaver. No you don't have to have them under water. Beavers aren't all that smart and you can actually funnel them to walk right through the trap. If you're going to use a leg hold trap with a slide wire make sure your anchor points for your wire are solid. I mean rock solid. Beavers are VERY strong and if your anchor points (especially the anchor out in water) aren't solid you'll end up with a beaver on shore when you show up to check your sets, and it is NOT easy drowning a beaver. It's amazing how strong even a smallish 25 lb beaver is. 

You mentioned January and frozen water. Have you found their feed bed? They should be starting to build them pretty soon. If the water freezes over solid the beaver won't come out from under the ice. They'll just feed off of their feed bed from under the ice. Have you seen their lodge yet? One of the better places to set traps are at the edges of the lodge where it turns to the bank. And that number of slides doesn't necessarily mean a lot of beavers. 3 or 4 beavers can make a lot of sign. After all...... beavers are busy as a beaver. lol And if its a long walk from where your traps are going to be to where you'll be parking, you may want to think about skinning them in the field. Either that or take one of those cheap old plastic sleds that you can tie them to, and just drag them out on it. Trying to carry out 2 or 3, 30 to 50 lb. beavers is a major chore.

Good luck


----------



## hedhunter72 (Sep 16, 2012)

if your under 21 you have to complete a trapper safety course, 330s have to be totally submerged 220s have to be in water ,if you can find bank den holes set them up with 330s,in the river you can make some castor mound sets or sets at the slides if they dont freeze up


----------



## hedhunter72 (Sep 16, 2012)

your pretty close to sterling trap supply, good people to buy from they have all kinds of used and new traps there,they can help ya get set up


----------



## Sharp Charge (Jun 24, 2009)

I_Shock_Em said:


> A fat wallet, a nice car, and a few drinks should help you catch a few...


That's pretty much what I came to say. haha


----------



## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

to start off,Legally 330s must be completely submerged, 220s must be in water, I do alot of beaver trapping, and the area you are explaining will most likely not have the sign it has now when beaver trapping season comes in, beaver are using the slides to get standing corn, in January most likely the corn will be picked and the beaver will have no need to use the slides because there is no standing corn. You may get lucky and the farmer may not pick the corn due to the drought this year, but that will be very lucky, 1 beaver can make alot of sign and slides, if you are just starting I recommend using snares,cheap and very easy to use. Look on you tube how to snare beaver, much easier than me trying to explain without pics. Beaver will most likely be in the area but like I said I have serious doubts they will use the slides come January good luck!


----------



## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

Oh boy..... I wasn't aware that the 330's had to be under water. I don't remember that being the case the last time I trapped beaver, which was back in the early 80s. My apologies. I'd never intentionally tell someone to do something illegal.


----------

