Found a beav while deer hunting

[klikboom]

This will be my first year trapping. I really want to trap a couple bobcats but some beaver pillows would be nice too. I haven't got any swim through traps as of yet. How would you attack this situation? There is a swamp totally dammed up. Some fresh chewed down alders saplings. Super brush area. I found what looks to be a couple entrances land to swamp on either side of the dam. The dam is under a lot of grown up bushes so I'd have to trample through the area to get to it.

[big wood]

YOU GOT TO FIND THE CROSSOVER TRAIL ON THE DAM, THEN FIND THE CHANNEL THAT IS BELOW THE CROSSOVER AND FIND A SPOT TO SLIP IN A SWIMTHROUGH

[Bigshooter]

YOU GOT TO FIND THE CROSSOVER TRAIL ON THE DAM, THEN FIND THE CHANNEL THAT IS BELOW THE CROSSOVER AND FIND A SPOT TO SLIP IN A SWIMTHROUGH

That's always a good spot.  Another good spot is like what your pic shows.  Anywhere that they are coming out of the water on a regular bases I would put a trap in the water and fence it off so they can't get around it.  And also put some castor on the bank where they are coming out.

[klikboom]

By below the cross over you mean a channel that run parallel to
The dam but under water? I like the idea of fencing off the entrance save for the swim through also. Do you use some wire mesh or logs for the fencing?

[Bigshooter]

Use sticks to fense it off and also be sure to put a dive stick above the entrance of the trap.

[big wood]

By below the cross over you mean a channel that run parallel to
The dam but under water? I like the idea of fencing off the entrance save for the swim through also. Do you use some wire mesh or logs for the fencing?

not parallel, perpendicular. The way the water is flowing. Most guys don't have a lot of the traps,although big shooter had given you good advice, I think the channel will up your odds because you are covering the main thorough fare which more than likely will be used heading to that spot you found and you might pick up your otter. If you have more traps by all means cover that take out for sure but he may not use that spot for a while

[Humptulips]

So if you have no swimthrough why not make a scent set. Find a place where they are leaving the water, where a trail is established and put in a large single door cage trap. Door end of trap should be in several inches of water, scent on a stick in the back. Beaver like poplar/cottonwood so put a few partially peeled cottonwood sticks in back with the scent and turn it into a bait/scent set.
I was out with Fatslinger on a complaint job a while back and she scored a big beaver in just that type set. Maybe she will chime in. She seems to have those sets figured out.

[fatslinger]

Bruce pretty well nailed it for the scent set. The trap needs to be stable (make sure it doesn't wobble at all) and place it right on the trail they use to enter and exit the water.
It's nice to have a strong, willing trapping partner to carry your catch back to the truck--thanks again, Bruce!

[fatslinger]

Couple of pics...if I can get them to load...

[klikboom]

I have 2 bobcat traps i picked up at the rendezvous this year, a scent trap would be perfect! Thanks for those tips.

[UrbanTrapper]

You have to be careful using a regular cage (and not a Koro or Hancock trap) with this set.  If the beaver can hunch up under the roof or door he can apply incredible force. Check your cages as early as possible every morning.  Fatslinger warned me but I just had to learn the hard way  I've had the doors blown off cages like the Havahart in the picture twice by beaver. After my first 'lesson' I reinforced the door hinge with a bunch of hog rings but then the beaver hunched up and bent/blew out the door locking assembly (see picture).

[Hannibal]

If you are using old style koro's, I would add two more locks. Beaver can push against the back of the trap and bypass the single lock

Also that  sign looks old to me

[klikboom]

I picked up 2 swim-through traps from Bigwood. These are out in the swamp as we speak. There was a fresh 4" alder chewed down in this spot when I arrived. Both the upper and lower swamps are now full. The upper swamp is too full for the chest waders I'm using.

Do you ever bust out a dam to get them to come fix it? Also, with a situation where there is an upper and lower swamp, do beavers approach dams from the down river side also?

I laid both traps basically in-line because it was so brushy I didn't have another spot. Also, the first trap I put right on the bank just under the water, but the bank is steep so the cage is at a pretty steep angle. Do you prop up the trap to make it less angled or do you just match the natural slope?

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

 

[Hank]

You have to be careful busting up a dam. You need a hydraulic project approval (hpa) from fish and wild life before you can do that otherwise they can slap you with an (hpa) violation.

[klikboom]

No beavers, but one of my traps was set. The one that was further in the water was set but empty. I found another spot to put it in another section on the spilling over side of a dam. Man those getting deep , barely below my waders.

[Hannibal]

Busting open a dam is the first thing some trappers do (especially the usda). ==== educated beaver

[klikboom]

I didn't bust open a dam but do you mean they are educated in that they are then trap wary?

[Humptulips]

It has been my experience that when you break a dam the beaver comes packing sticks to repair it and shoves them in your trap. Pretty good setup if you want to catch sticks.
look for the crossover on the dam. Of course a swim through works best if you can find a channel below the dam but you can set it even if there is no channel.
In a case like that I will set the swim through so the door closest to the dam is just under water and let the other end settle to what ever depth. Guide sticks and a dive stick over the end of the trap and when they reenter the water after going over the dam they will dive into it.
Recently had a beaver job where there was a crossover like that at a road and had a swim through set like that at each side. Had a couple doubles there.
The crossovers are usually your best bet if you can figure out how to set them. Beavers will be going back and forth regularly.

[klikboom]

There are two dams that I am investigating. The first appears to be very functional and old. I busted the major brush to get to it and there was no visible cross over path on top of the dam and there did not appear to be much activity around it like there was during October. It's too deep now on the dammed side for me to walk in an drop a trap.

The second dam is a large old log where a fresh tree was felled next to it. This is where I had my two traps. Again there isn't a well worn cross over that I see?

Can you find their beaver houses from the shore usually? It's so brushy I don't think I could pick one out. Can anyone share a pic of a house from a timbered area? Is this the most active spot to trap? I only have the 2 traps right now so I need to maximize traffic in my trap locations.

[big wood]

THE TRAILS OR CHANNELS IS THE KEY. KEEP LOOKING AND YOU WILL FIND THEIR TRAVEL ROUTE. THE MAY HAVE BANK DENS. USUALLY UNDER THE STUMP OF A BIG TREE. MAY HAVE A FEEDER PILE OUT IN FRONT. DONT GIVE UP YOU WILL FIGURE IT OUT. GOOD LUCK

[Humptulips]

  Most beaver dens are bank dens. They are very hard to set usually. If you can't find a travelway I'd give the scent set a try.