Suggestions for a set

[RockinR92]

Hello everyone, tried posting this on my phone twice so sorry if it pops up multiple times.
Im newer to trapping and learning constantly and trying to learn as much as I can. I set this trap on a dam break yesterday and came back this am and the beaver went around my trap, patched some of the dam below it, and then stuck this log inside my trap. Just curious if I could've done something different? Any advice or suggestions on something to try or maybe something I did wrong? Anything would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance, Cody.

[lewy]

Not my favorite cage set for several reasons
1- exactly what happened to you, beaver shows up with debris and screws up the set
2- you have created a spot where all the current wants to run and will carry natural debris into the cage collecting on the trigger and eventually causing the cage to fire
3- the cage is not submerged subsequently requiring daily checks

That being said it doesn’t look like you did anything terribly wrong judging by the picture’s

[RockinR92]

Thank you Lewy! Any suggestion on another set that you would try other than this one? I reset it this am, not sure if I should have or maybe tried something else?

[Humptulips]

Can you find a channel above or below the dam to set in? That is my preferred set.
If not that, is there a used crossover? You can make a one way set on the upper side of the dam that will drown. Set the trap on the upper side angling down into the pond with the dam end of trap slightly out of the water and fence it so a Beaver coming from below will dive into the trap. Not as good as a channel but if you don't have a channel, it is a way to make a lethal set and go to the 72-hour check. A beaver's struggles will drag the trap down slope into water to drown it. It is a one-way set but if a beaver goes down stream it must come back up sometime.

[RockinR92]

Thank you Bruce! I looked for channels above but there’s a big deep body of water above it and then it branches off to multiple run offs and didn’t see any that looked like a heavily used traveled path. The channels that I did see were very deep and wider than the trap? I tried setting one in a channel about 20-25 yards above it earlier this week but to no avail. T I did not see a crossover in the middle of the dam. All I could see is he was coming up on that corner,so that’s where I set my trap.
Bruce do you think I should pull the trap and let him build the dam back again and then try that one way set like you talked about? Also should I be using castor or an attractant? Thank you so much Bruce.

[Humptulips]

Thank you Bruce! I looked for channels above but there’s a big deep body of water above it and then it branches off to multiple run offs and didn’t see any that looked like a heavily used traveled path. The channels that I did see were very deep and wider than the trap? I tried setting one in a channel about 20-25 yards above it earlier this week but to no avail. T I did not see a crossover in the middle of the dam. All I could see is he was coming up on that corner,so that’s where I set my trap.
Bruce do you think I should pull the trap and let him build the dam back again and then try that one way set like you talked about? Also should I be using castor or an attractant? Thank you so much Bruce.

I wouldn't leave the set there and they will fix that spot. I probably would not use castor unless I had a larger trap. Then you could make a scent set on the bank but you should have a larger trap like 15x15 or bigger. Sometimes it is difficult if you can't find a channel.

[Trapper John]

Cody,   
Put the trap parallel with the dan and break the day to let water run under the trap. 
Stick a couple of sticks (1" or larger) on the water side. 
The beaver can't get to the broken dam, so he has to walk the dam to see how to fix it. 
At this point he would have to walk into your trap.  Let hope he doesn't bring in any repair material with him.
Good Luck, I have caught them this way.

If this doesn't work, I would wait, find where it is crossing over and set the trap on the downstream side.  You should catch him here.
JC   

[RockinR92]

Cody,   
Put the trap parallel with the dan and break the day to let water run under the trap. 
Stick a couple of sticks (1" or larger) on the water side. 
The beaver can't get to the broken dam, so he has to walk the dam to see how to fix it. 
At this point he would have to walk into your trap.  Let hope he doesn't bring in any repair material with him.
Good Luck, I have caught them this way.

If this doesn't work, I would wait, find where it is crossing over and set the trap on the downstream side.  You should catch him here.
JC   

Oh ok never thought of that. Thank you John!