Beaver Trapping

[leechmann]

If anyone is interested in a thread, on how to trap beavers under the ice, I'll take some pic's tomorrow. I set out a small line today, and if you folks are interested, I'll go through the entire process, from when you first enter the pond, to finding the runs, to setting up a teepee set, to bringing the critter home, to putting it up. Let me know if your interested. Tomorrows the first check.

Thanks

[Powerstroke]

leech, I would be very interested in this. I have a spot up near Aitkin that has a terrible beaver problem and we have been unable to secure a permit to shoot them. The DNR insists we should try trapping first. I would like to know more.

[Huntin&Fishin]

yea that would be neat!

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Absolutely Leech, this will be cool. Thanks for the time and effort. Spit

[huntingmaxima]

count me in. i would appreciate it. thanks in advance

[leechmann]

Ok guys, I'll get things going tomorrow, by tomorrow night, I'll have some information posted.

[leechmann]

OK, here are some beaver trapping Pictures. First I approach the beaver hut, tapping the chisel on the ice, listening and looking for thinner ice. When you find a beaver run, the ice will be thinner than in other areas. Sometime less than an inch of ice, so be careful when walking around the hut. When you find a run, feel the bottom of the run with the chisel. Alot of the time a well used beaver run will have a hard bottom, with sand and gravel in the bottom. I wear wadders and lower myself into the hole and feel for the doorways with my legs. Be careful that the runs are not to deep so you are over your wadders. Once you find the doorways, you lower a teepee set down into the hole, blocking the doorway.

Here is a picture of a teepee set. I will break this down and show you how to make this is anyone wants that info. I lower the teepee down into the hole that I chopped and into the run. This trap blocks the doorway. The trap will be located at the bottom of the run, which is where the beavers will be traveling.

Then I place a bigger beaver log on top of the ice to stablize the teepee. I then wire the set the a log that is frozen on the beaver hut. I had planned to take more pictures, but ran out of batteries, so I will try to fill in some details in the next few days. Anyway your set should look like this when you return the following day. Then you chop the ice out of the hole and look at your traps. Being careful when you pull the trap up, if the rear end of the beaver is frozen to the ice, you will have to chop some more ice and bring it home with you, and thaw it off the beaver.

Ok, on the next day you pull the teepee out of the hole and there you have a beaver. You need to take the beaver out of the trap imediately so it doesn't freeze to the trap. Then take the beaver over to a snow bank and rub snow all over the beaver. This takes the moisture out of the fur. It makes the beaver hide look great. It will help keep the beaver from freezing to your sled or the box of your pickup. I like to put snow in the bottom of my Otter sled to make sure the beaver doesn't freeze down. Then go ahead and reset your teepee. I have caught up to 14 beavers out of one hut.

I'm sure I left out a bunch of stuff, so ask questions. I will fill in some areas, with some more pictures and I will go through the skinning and fleshing process too, if anyone has interest. Let me know what you think. Thanks

[zent]

Leechmann, Thanks for the great post, keep it coming.

[leechmann]

Hey Guys, just got back in

from checking my line. Here's a picture

of tonights catch.

The first pic is of my buddy's dad and I, very tired as this was just after the last check,and long walk out.

The second pic, is an image showing me giving

the beaver a snow bath, freeze drying all

the water out of the beavers fur.

Ok beaver trappers, let get a discussion

going here. Show off some of your pictures

and help some of the new trappers get going.

[Grayfox]

Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge with the rest of us. Is trapping around the hut the best place to set your traps under ice? I've only trapped one this fall and that was before ice and in a run leading up to a cornfield.

[leechmann]

Yes, trapping around the hut is the most productive location. The beavers usually have active bank dens too. If you look at the pond the beaver is in, look for a steep bank on one side. This would be a good area to check for a bank den. Walk on the ice along the edge, tapping the chisel. You will find an area of thin ice, and usually deeper water, which was dug out by the beavers. This run will go up under the bank. This is a great location for a trap. Quite often, you will catch the adult beavers away from the hut, and are less likely to catch the kits. I like to set both the main runs at the hut and the active bank runs.

[picksbigwagon]

awesome pictures, I won't pick this hobby up until I retire (insert 20+ years) or until my kids get interested, which could be as soon as next week. Keep the photos coming.....catch any stinkers yet?

[leechmann]

Caught a few stinkers earlier in the season. They are all holed up now. Although they will come out if we get some warm weather. Just water trapping now. I am going to set out a fox and coyote line soon. Thanks.

[Nightcrawler]

Leechman, great post, I used the bank runs mostly ,like you said fewer kits and left seed for next year.

never used you teepee, used a single pole with a side stick to keep trap from swinging, quicker when -20 out .

nightcwaler

[dirtydan]

Hi Leech,

Can't wait to check traps again. I have my wind back.

FYI I registered on the site.

dirtydan

[leechmann]

Hey NightCrawler, good to hear from you. I agree with you. There are other ways, and faster ways to position the trap, besides the teepee set. If the runs are shallow, I prefer just positioning the trap on the bottom and sliding a 1 inch stick through on each side of the trap, running the stick through the spring, and then twisting it back towards the trap, which holds the trap in place and also guides the beaver through the body of the trap. The one advantage a teepee set has on most of the other sets, is that you can place a trap, on the bottom of a run, in 6 or 7 feet of water. Places that you can't even see.

P.S. Nightcrawler, I should dig into my photo album and post some of the picks of when you and I trapped Aggassi Wildlife refuge together. That would be fun to jabber about the old days.

[leechmann]

Hey DirtyDan, welcome to the FM website. I have to say it was really fun to take you and your dad out trapping, after dark. I'm always doing crazy stuff like that, but it's not too often I can talk someone into doing it with me. Thanks for carrying the biggest beaver up that hill. I told you that you wouldn't puke. That was a good test of endurance. Wecome again Dan.

[leechmann]

If anyone is interested in how to skin and flesh and tack out a beaver, let me know. I take some pics and make it part of this thread. Thanks

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Please do, I've dug out my Grandfather's 3 old 330's and am looking forward to seeing the complete process. Thanks for the time and effort Leech. Spit.

[leechmann]

Ok Spit, I just got in from skinning 2 beavers. My buddy took pictures of the entire process. I will upload the picks in the next few days, I am running low on time. After we go through the skinning process, I will go through the fleshing and stretching process. Thanks for your interest.

[fishermusk]

I have a guestion about under ice beaver trapping. I recently set 4 330's under ice 3 with baited triggers. The first check after 3 days, the three with baited triggers were all set off but held no beaver the fourth was in a run and wasn't fired. I reset the three and on the second check again after three days none of the traps were fired. How do you think they set them off without getting caught? The only thing I can think of is that as they passed them they may have bumped the trigger from the side. Should I abondon the bait on the triggers and set these in the bottom of the runs? Do you think I have educated them to be shy of the 330's

This is an wire grass swamp that the beavers have cut quite a system of channels in, the water is about 2 feet deep in the deepest spots that I have found. My next check will be thursday.

Thanks,

Good Luck,

Dave

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Ok, thanks Leech.

[leechmann]

Hey Fishermuskie, sometimes beavers set the 330's off when they are swimming with food, sticks in thier mouths. Sometime they hit them with thier tails and sometimes they just get lucky. I don't think you have to worry about making them trap shy. My personal opinion about the baited conibear sets is that they are a low percentage set. I would set a hot run before I would try the baited set. I have a couple of questions for you? What is the pedominant food around the pond. Are they eating poplars, or willows or what? Is there a feedbed by the hut. Are they living in a hut or the bank? Lastly, have you found a run which has thinner ice on it than the other ice in the pond. Answer these questions, and I think I can help you get after those peske beavers. thanks leech

[leechmann]

Hey spit, I am posting a series of pics which explain how to skin a beaver. Pic #1 Starting at the vent, slit the hide up the belly, all the way throough the lower lip, being carefull not to cut too deep into the chest cavity.

Pic #2, then starting at the base of the tail, slit the hide up to the vent, in the same line you make going up the belly.

Pic #3 Cut the hide around the base of the tail.

Pic #4 Cut the front and back feet off.

Pic #5 Start skinning the hide back on the left side. Skin this hide around the left legs, both front and back, continue skinning all the way around the to the middle of the back.

Pic #6 roll the beaver up on it's side so you can skin it to the center of the back.

Once you get to the center of the back, turn the beaver around and skin the other side. Skin around both the other front and back legs. Once you get to the center of the back on this hide, all you have left is the head. pull the hide towards you and let it hang off the table. see pic #7

Pic #8 Start skinning the head. First you will cut the ears and then the eyes. Take your time and cut the white line as the wieght of the hide pulls away from the skull.

When you reach the nose, cut straight down and the entire hide should be skun off.

Now it's time to remove the oil sacks. then the beaver castors. I use the oil sacks to make my own beaver lure. I sell the castors for about a dollar a piece. See Pic #10,#11 and #12.

Hope this helps, please ask questions if you have any. I'll post the fleshing pics in a week or two. Thanks

[fishermann222]

EXCELLENT job Leechmann. I watched a video by clint locklear the other night of him using his beaver fleshing knife that looks like an Ulu. WOW, it was IMPRESSIVE, check it out sometime if you get a chance.

Its called Speed Processing Beaver.

[fishermusk]

Thanks Leechman,

I was worried that I would have to wait till spring and use footholds. The area is a wire grass swamp that they have cut 2'-3' wide channels into to move about, so finding a run is easy as there are only channels and the water isn't high enough to flood the wiregrass. They are living in a hut,and there is a feed pile about 40 yards from the hut. All around the area they have cut down poplars and a couple birch, I used birch for baiting the triggers of the 330's. when I chopped through the ice to set the traps I was surprised how thin the ice was, and when I chopped a hole close to the feed pile it vented for a good five minutes, not just a little air but a LOT. So should I chop new holes and probe around with a stick to find hard bottom and set the 330's on the bottom, or could I use the exsiting holes? The deepest water I have found so far was about 2 feet.

Thanks,

Good Luck,

Dave

[leechmann]

Sounds like you're on the right track. if you use food for bait, i would always use poplar, its like a candy cane to them. Also if you are trapping the runs away from the hut, you may want to set the trap up off the bottom, just below the ice. The only time they swim the bottom is just when the exit the hut. i usually use a dive stick when i set away from the hut. Keep after them, your are on the right track, time is on your side. Let us now when you connect. thanks Leech

[fishermusk]

Thanks Leechman,

When I get a couple I will post before and after photos.

That is a good tip to have traps below the Ice I would have set them on the bottom.

Good Luck,

Dave

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Hey Leech, Thank you very much for the excellent pics and advice. What kind of knife is that with the rounded edge? I am looking forward to the fleshing pics as well. Thanks Again, Spit.

[leechmann]

I use two different knives while skinning the beavers. I use 1 with a longer narrower blade for opening them up. i also use this knife for cutting the feet off. Then I use an actual beaver skinning knife, which can be purchased from MN Trap line products for #12.95. (Called beaver knife)

Good Luck, Leech