Author Topic: Beaver Bait Station (Read 62511 times)

Cylvertip · « **on:** June 22, 2009, 04:00:11 PM »

Set my first camera out last week. I put it out in a spot where I have dumped 45 beaver along with other critters in the last year. I was hoping to get at least one of the bears that's coming in along with some of the yoties and maybe a bobby. I guess I needed to format the card on the camera before I left it, as it only took 40 pics over a two day period, and then stopped?

?

. I had a 2MB card in it with only 42kb used up. It should have taken a tone more images. ( Stealth 540IR)

I got this vulture that came in about an hour and a half after I set up. It or another came back again the next morning, and that was it. There is a 44 lb beaver wired to the tree in the middle of the shot. When I went in yesterday, the beaver was long gone and the double wrap of bailing wire was busted. I found fresh bear scat on an adjoining trail. I was not happy when I found out my camera didn't get any of if.

I re-baited with PB and some old canned goods that needed to go. I also added a second camera on the trail that I think the bear(s) are coming in and out on. I will check them later this week and see what I get.

The last pic is a pile of

(with my SAK for reference) from last year at the same spot. I saw that big boy one evening while dropping off protein supplements

. I dropped 100 lbs off that evening. It was all gone the next morning.

Cylvertip · « **Reply #1 on:** June 26, 2009, 10:55:03 PM »

Both cams worked!!!

Just caught a bear on the approach trail...

Cylvertip · « **Reply #2 on:** June 26, 2009, 11:24:18 PM »

And a yote at the bait station. Had about 40 pics of the doggy...

blindpig · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2009, 07:36:09 AM »

Cover up the beaver with some logs and sticks and the birds and yotes will leave it alone. Only a bear will be able to move the logs. Also maybe switch to a faster trigger speed. Sum camera's will only take a pic every three minutes where a faster trigger speed setting will take multiple pics, one right after another. The only down fall to the trigger speed is poor battery life. A 44lb beaver, wow didn't think they got that big, crazy.

Machias · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2009, 08:55:27 AM »

You do realize that is a crime scene...looks to me like that beaver committed suicide.

Thanksa for sharing the photos. You trapping the beaver on a nusiance permit, if so would love to see some of you before and after photos on your sets.

saylean · « **Reply #5 on:** June 28, 2009, 12:52:30 PM »

that would kind of freak me out seeing a beaver out in the woods like that at first. Glad to hear you got it working good. Cool pics~

markts · « **Reply #6 on:** June 28, 2009, 03:32:35 PM »

Nice nice ;)Mark

Pathfinder101 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 29, 2009, 08:04:19 AM »

How high was your camera set? looks like Pooh Bear walked under it..

Quote from: Machias on June 27, 2009, 08:55:27 AM

You do realize that is a crime scene...looks to me like that beaver committed suicide.

Cylvertip · « **Reply #8 on:** June 29, 2009, 04:15:26 PM »

Trigger speed - I have the cams set to take five and then sleep for 1 minute. I was having trouble posting a whole series, but have figured out how to reduce file size now, so here you go -

Beaver size - I weigh all of them that I catch for my personal records - I have gotten them up to 59 lbs here in Washington ( since I started keeping track about 3 years and over 100 beaver ago). My dad had caught them up to #110 lbs back in the mid west. The fur dealer he sold to gave an extra $20 for the biggest of the year. The year before he had caught one that was #105, but lost out to one that was #120.......

Nuisance Trapper - Yes, I'm a state certified NWCO ( Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator). I pretty much focus on Beaver in Snohomish County. In the last year I've caught almost 50 beaver for various clients. It's amazing how little water those buggers need to do a lot of damage. My trapping is only limited by how many phone calls I get and by how much spare time I have after work - year around. I keep my traps in until all the animals are taken or until the client wants to stop spending $$$. It generally takes me about 2 weeks to totally clear them out, but I just finished a farm that it took me a year to catch one animal - that was the one in the pic - it went to living in tunnels in very marshy area or would just leave entirely. I finally got him in the end though.....

The next job I do, I will try to take before and after shots of water levels and of sets. Right now, I don't have anything lined up. I use killer' traps exclusively as of right now.

Trail Camera Height - I've got them set about 5 ft off the ground. That bear was supposed to go up the incline to the right..

I guess I forgot to tell him that. I wanted them up higher to try to minimize critters chewing on them. The one at the bait site is tilted downward slightly to get that shot.

Pathfinder101 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 30, 2009, 01:08:48 PM »

I set mine at waist height...but then again I will probably go check it tonight and find that it got eaten (now that I opened my big mouth...)...

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #10 on:** July 12, 2009, 10:13:57 PM »

Why don't you skin those beavers. They make nice pelts.

Cylvertip · « **Reply #11 on:** July 13, 2009, 08:21:58 AM »

The fur is not any good this time of year - best from December into February.
Fur prices are in the crapper - that one may have brought $10 if caught during the winter.

There's a lot of work in taking care of the hide to get it to the point to get that $10 out of it. Tanning hides is an option - again when fur is prime in the winter. Getting them tanned can add up to a bunch of $$$ in a hurry. It still makes me ill to just pitch them but it comes down to time and money unfortunately. Skinning, scraping, stretching, drying, and the shipping that would be required are not worth the time away from my family and other endeavors at this point.

I've got another one "cooking" at the bait station right now. I'll get some pics up from the last couple of weeks and post some pics of the short line I've got out right now for beaver.

Machias · « **Reply #12 on:** July 13, 2009, 10:05:21 AM »

I generally catch about 20-25 beaver a year. I try and get my clients to wait until the fur is prime, but most of the time they just want them gone. Caught 2 coons and 2 skunks last week, it was a slow spring for me.

Cylvertip · « **Reply #13 on:** July 16, 2009, 03:48:23 PM »

Couple of does, one was big time prego, the other a yearling. They don't seem to be bothered by all the other scents that are at the bait site.

Couple of bears too. Pretty sure that these are two different bears. What do you all think.

Guess on size?

I also have some pics of my latest short beaver line ( 5 traps) that I will post in small game. The protein supplements for the bait station are coming in