random question thread

[greenhead_killer]

so, as a still somewhat new trapper, i have thought about starting this thread for awhile. instead of starting a new topic for every question i or anyone else has ( this thread is open and available to all), i thought a running question thread might be fun. consolidates some pages and will stand as an available tool for anyone looking.

that being said, how quickly will beavers re populate an area you have trapped/trapped out? reason i ask, i have an opportunity to trap on private ground during the season. its two leases. first one, they avg pulling out 5-8 beavers a season, every year. small lease. second lease is quite big and im told the previous trapper was consistently pulling 50-70 beavers a year, every year off this place. is that normal to have them re populate that quickly and be that proliferate in there? or is the other guy maybe skewing the numbers? seems odd to trap them out and yet they replenish to almost exact numbers every year. im new so i havent said anything. these are nuisance trapping areas so taking them all is fine. just curious what the more experienced guys on here think

[Norman89]

I have been trapping the same farm every year, single creek less then 500 yards long and consistently pull 6-10 every year. Trap for the neighbors, less then 200 yards of creek and 3-5 every year. Just too perfect of a location, and to many other colony's nearby that get kick out the young in spring time that repopulate it again. Muskrats seem to take a year to come back strong if you pull a large chunk of the population, and otters move way more then people think. Beavers seem once they establish a location you can trap it year after year and more beaver just move right in as soon as they wander through it see it is empty

[greenhead_killer]

Good to know. Did not realize they were that efficient! Almost like a rodent! Haha

[Humptulips]

I think it matters a lot on the location's proximity to other good beaver habitat and the overall beaver population. Close proximity to a river with other beaver populations untouched they will just keep moving in even during season. Headwaters of a small stream and you wipe them out it might be a while. Isolated spots they might never come back if cleaned out.
I nursed a small beaver population into a good trapable population on a isolated stream that connected to no other water. Stream went underground. Some cougars set on the stream and killed all the beavers one year. 25 years later there are still no beaver there.
Other places on the lower river you could kill every beaver and there would be more next year.

[Timberstalker]

Cougars love their beavers.

[greenhead_killer]

river trapping-im seeing and finding slides coming out of the river, fairly steep banks, and they are all new and active. cant get a trap in the water due to angle of the bank. do you guys set a cage trap on the trail or how do you set that? probably not a great explanation of the situation but thats what i got. coming off the main river, headed up to feed. small channel on the other side but no where to set in there and they arent going into the channel anyhow.