Bears?

[Jeremy S]

I've been scouting the creek and surrounding area I plan to trap this season and recently I've been seeing more bear sign. Does anyone have issues with November bears messing with their sets?

[jasnt]

I think humptulips did have a young bear pack off a trap once if my memory is correct

[Humptulips]

I've never had any troubles in Nov. but maybe because I haven't trapped in Nov. much in recent years and then never 'till late, like after Thanksgiving.
I did have a bear in a trap last March and the trap traveled several hundred feet before it got loose of the trap. It was kind of stuck in the door from the way it looked.
I have had more trouble with cougars moving my traps around. I recommend wiring your trap to a tree. Bailing wire will do but at least the trap will be there even if damaged a little.
Worst fro me was once I thought I maybe had a cub in a trap in march when I saw a bear near my trap and heard a cub bawling  from about where my trap was. I went home and picked up my rifle for safety sake but it was all a false alarm.

[Trapper John]

Ya I use to have trouble with both bears and lions in November when we use to be able to use foot-holds traps.  I caught a bear in a #4 one year that got out of my trap (Thank God) but before it did it kind of made a mess of the area before it left.
JC   

[Cylvertip]

Not in November, but how about Sunday? 

Set a WCO job for beaver Saturday evening.  Just as I was going to put the traps in, one of the neighbors comes buy to check on me and let me know there was a decent sized bear running around.  He had trail cam pics of it getting fallen apples, maybe 100 yds from the creek I would have traps in.  I figured my sets would be under water and didn't give it any thought beyond that.

I set several traps including two at the den. Just after finishing my sets, I tried to force the beaver out of the den by shoving a pole down through the top several times,  but no luck. One trap near the den was next to a slide, so I put a touch of castor up there to encourage the curiosity. Figured the traps would handle it and headed for home. 

Well, apparently they did....

From what I can tell, the bear came buy, maybe keying in on the castor, and proceeded to tear into the den after the beaver.  The beaver must have came out of the den and into the trap, or maybe it was already in the trap and the bear found it. It's a pretty small creek. Anyway, the set was torn to crap and it looks like the bear drug the trap with the critter  off, tangling and setting off the other set in the process. 
 
Now I need to see if I can go find the remnants and my trap. 

The good news is that there has not been anymore activity at the location and so the beaver problem is taken care of.  The client is a repeat customer several times over for the last ten years.  I should get my $, and hopefully not be short one trap.  Will let you all know what I find, if I do.

[Jeremy S]

The castor lure was my main concern... seems like hungry bears getting ready for their big nap would search any good smells out. I'm definetly going to wire all my traps down.

[Cylvertip]

Found my trap with what was left of about a 45lb beaver in it.  Bear carried/ drug it about 50 yds back through a salmon berry jungle. I may have heard it run off not long after I got there. it was a little interesting following the trail on my hands and knees.    Probably should have had my pistol on me.  Ooops.  I will see if I can add some pics

[Hannibal]

what  Cylvertip said,,,...

[Cylvertip]

Had another beaver pulled from a trap yeserday.  Looked like the beaver was still alive and that is what keyed the bear.  The three strands of bailing wire tie off were pulled tight.  Took me a bit to figure out what the neck happened at the set.  I thought a person had messed with it, but it wasn't adding up.  It is a nuisance job, so I am using conibears.  Looks like the beaver was caught low and that's why the bear was able to pull it from the trap.  The anchor sticks were chewed off below the water by the beaver.  That is how I know it was caught low and probably still alive.

[Machias]

 

[Cylvertip]

And another bear vs beaver last night.  Nuisance job with a conibear.  The tie wire was pulled tight like it was on a piano.  A 4x6 chunk of fur in one corner off the trap was all that was left.  Trap was in a dam that is the best place to cross the ditch for 1/4 mile either way easy.  Property owner was suprized.  They have sheep. They are putting up a trail cam today.