Interesting discussion. It sure makes me wish my back would allow me to trap beaver again.
Most of what I'm reading here seems good to me. Although I made my sets differently than is being presented here, I do know trappers who make sets that way, and I know they catch beaver with them.
A lot of what I learned to do was done out of necessity. Back in the day we simply couldn't carry a power saw and there was no one selling pre made snares back then. Even the way we fleshed our hides and stretched them was as much a function of necessity as it was of good results.
One thing I really wonder about. In the video, the man made a huge hole.
I learned that there was an advantage to making a hole just big enough for making a set. We cut holes about eight inches by three two feet if possible, A because a smaller hole was faster and easier to make and to clean out.
B because a smaller hole froze down faster.
C because if a beaver were to get caught before the hole froze, a smaller hole made escape harder.
I also wonder about the amount of wire the man used. No doubt it is necessary with the way he makes his sets.
Our method required no extra wire for anything.
We made our snares with wire pigtail attached as I have show in photos I've posted of my snares.
We did not space our snares out from the pole, and it worked well for us, maybe spacing them out from the pole would work well where no guide pole is used as he did with his sets.
We used guide poles and did not space our snares out from the pole.
And we used a dry snare pole and a green bait pole. Only twice in my life have I had snare poles chewed off, and both times it was because I had inadvertently set the pole in the middle of the run, not to the side as I had intended. and in both cases, no catches were made until I move the pole to where it was supposed to be so no beaver were lost.
That was part of the learning process.
Most of what he said is true from my experience and even his sets would work well enough as near as I can figure. I just make mine different, that's all.
It's been nearly twenty years since I taught someone how to snare beaver.
This winter I'm helping a local fellow learn how to trap Marten and I've been advising a young fellow further south on some trapping techniques.
It's not really the same as being out there, but it's a close second and I'm loving it. So much so that I'm seriously considering making a trip south to help a young trapper learn the trade.
Honestly, right now, if I had the resources, I pack up and head south, to help where I could and tag along where ever I'm tolerated.
Unfortunately, CPP does not allow for that.