First Time Beaver Under Ice

[Tfng]

Originally Posted by waterninja

OUCH!!! Another obvious thing that I never thought of. Might have to rent or borrow a chainsaw for a couple hours. Does cutting through ice harm/dull/damage the chain more then cutting through wood?

I know from experience that cutting ice and water is hard on the inner bearing in the clutch. I had to replace mine after using it for cutting ice. I'm greasing it more often and will see how that works out. I'd borrow a saw but only from a really good friend....

Have you got conibears? I'm certain you could get a hole opened up in the entrance of a house easily with a spud. The one yesterday I could put my spud through the ice in one shot. Gang set the entrance and collect your beaver. Trapping beaver in the entrance supposedly can make the rest of the colony shy, if you just want one or two beaver go for it.

Edited to add. Not all saws have a way of greasing that bearing without taking the clutch apart. My Husqvarna has a grease port through the end of the crankshaft.

[Tfng]

This is what I'm talking about Waterninja. Thanks to Boco!

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbt...ce#Post4369941

[bill9044]

I am no expert but I suggest a bigger hole it sure pis ses a guy off when you gotta cut a bigger hole when you get a catch and the spud or saw goes down the back of a little valued beaver pelt. If you have a big hole cover it with snow fill the hole up. The snow will insulate the water and won't freeze as quick. I have never tried the plywood I'll giver a try.

[Tfng]

I know you guys think I'm crazy and I probably am. Sometimes the best lessons are learned the hard way. Remember though that my snares will easily pull off the pole when a catch is made allowing the beaver to go down the pole.

Bill I'd haul cardboard before I hauled plywood.

[parfleche]

No I did not recommend Camlocks. I said to use ADAMS locks , cheaper and will hold any Beaver you ever trap under the ice , But its your choice your money ! And for checking snares under ice I use a small one inch diameter stick and poke down around the snare pole , IF you have a beaver you will feel it and not spring your snares. Same in a 330 set If you have an animal same technique , feel crossways in front and behind your trap , so you don,t fire it if empty .
As for retrieving the beaver when frozen in , you have to get the idea just where the animal is frozen in as far as direction , begin at the anchor pole and work outwards , .

[Tfng]

Begin at the anchor pole and work outwards. So obvious but I probably wouldn't have done that. Thanks!

[Tfng]

Dave I'd be tempted to set a few conibears in that long shallow run. I'm not sure if the beaver would freeze in though? It's obviously heavily travelled.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by TFNG

Dave I'd be tempted to set a few conibears in that long shallow run. I'm not sure if the beaver would freeze in though? It's obviously heavily travelled.

I was thinking that but I was concerned that I might mess things up by making the beaver trap shy or something. I'm pretty darned sure that I'd catch something in there that way but that was what I was thinking. What do you think about it? No worries about the Beavers freezing in I don't think, my ax went through the ice just tapping on it.....it's thin rotten ice.

[waterninja]

Originally Posted by TFNG

This is what I'm talking about Waterninja. Thanks to Boco!

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbt...ce#Post4369941

Thanks for that link.

[rbsask]

Couldn't help myself and checked the snare poll I set yesterday, bottom two snares on the bottom were pulled tight, no beaver.

[Tfng]

Originally Posted by rbsask

Couldn't help myself and checked the snare poll I set yesterday, bottom two snares on the bottom were pulled tight, no beaver.

That's too bad! I'm itching to check mine as well but I'm trying to resist!

What type of cable are you using?

[rbsask]

It was on the way to my coyote snares so I checked. I'm using the same as Ryan the deer break aways for the ram power snares.

[HunterDave]

A few pictures from today. This is the lodge that I'm starting at. If you look carefully you can see my blue and yellow work glove hanging on a branch on top of the lodge. It puts it into perspective as to how huge that thing is.



TFNG, using the tip of the chainsaw bar instead of the auger was a much better idea, thanks. The main run where the branch is sticking out of the ice in the middle of the picture was easy to find, the ax when through just tapping on the ice, but the slough is really shallow and there's only about 1' of water under the ice right out to the shovel. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for but I found deeper water to the right and left of the feed bed. I'll have a better look when I put a couple of feedpoles in.



Breather hole on the edge of the reeds on the main run to and from the feed bed.

[waterninja]

Originally Posted by TFNG

I know from experience that cutting ice and water is hard on the inner bearing in the clutch. I had to replace mine after using it for cutting ice. I'm greasing it more often and will see how that works out. I'd borrow a saw but only from a really good friend....

Have you got conibears? I'm certain you could get a hole opened up in the entrance of a house easily with a spud. The one yesterday I could put my spud through the ice in one shot. Gang set the entrance and collect your beaver. Trapping beaver in the entrance supposedly can make the rest of the colony shy, if you just want one or two beaver go for it.

Edited to add. Not all saws have a way of greasing that bearing without taking the clutch apart. My Husqvarna has a grease port through the end of the crankshaft.

Well, unless someone wants to come out with me and use thier chainsaw in exchange for bear bait, I would rent instead of borrow. Only plan on cutting 2 holes so shouldn't do any damage, but would hate to have to replace a buddies chainsaw.