First Time Beaver Under Ice

[HunterDave]

Connected with this XL one today as well as a Small one and a stick.
Gonna have to tan that Small one I guess.

[The Spruce]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Got home from holidays Monday night and started putting out a few beaver sets Tuesday afternoon. Two beavers on the boards tonight.
With no holes in these two, I think that I finally have my fleshing on a beam method working for me. I use the inside curve of my sharp Post Fleshing knife for the fleshy part down the back and a my cheap dull coyote fleshing knife for the fat along the sides. I just can't bring myself to dulling down the outside curve of the Post Fleshing knife and using just the Post for everything.

I'm looking for new areas to trap beaver within 50kms or so of Morinville if anyone knows anywhere.

Looks pretty good, hard to tell until mostly dry though. I would suggest removing the ear buds. Can be done with fleshing knife , I just remove them with a scalpel. They will dry a lot faster, and the ears won't rot over time. Looks like you are sewing the leg holes too, I would just nail them, makes no difference in overall grade, takes less time. If you are going to sew them, work in a circle and tie them up, they look neater and dry better, and its faster.

Spruce

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

These two beaver puts me over the top and I can retire now.

I've yet to catch one that fits on the 3XXXL ring. I came close last year with my biggest so far, a 59 lber that fit on the 2XXL last red ring. You can see the nail holes on the board on the left. It makes me wonder just how big a 3XXXL beaver is and how old it'd have to be. Something else to strive for.

I've seen maybe a dozen 3XXXL over the years, a couple of which I caught myself. I don't know about weight, we never weighed one but we did weigh a an 82 inch hide one time, the unfleshed/rough skinned hide itself weighed 26 pounds as I recall.
I'm guessing the whole animal weighed around 100 pounds, but that's a guess only.

[HunterDave]

Any tips or tricks to make the fur look a little better on pelts after they've been boarded and dried? I have a couple that still feel and look a little greasy. Borax?

[Tfng]

Pointer told me sawdust, I haven't tried it yet though. I haven't been putting up any lately.

[shakeyleg02]

Originally Posted by TFNG

Pointer told me sawdust, I haven't tried it yet though. I haven't been putting up any lately.

Yup sawdust works nice shines up the fur nice also

[pointer]

Originally Posted by TFNG

Pointer told me sawdust, I haven't tried it yet though. I haven't been putting up any lately.

I got sawdust every where it's great on coyotes

[HunterDave]

Thanks for the tip, I'll give sawdust a try. I've used borax on coyotes and it works very well. I'm not about to experiment on a perfectly good beaver pelt though. Sawdust it is.

[parfleche]

Hardwood is best Dave!

[HunterDave]

Well, I might as well spend some fur money and buy some hardwood sawdust I guess. Maybe get some mesquite so I can use it in a smoke box on the BBQ. I never thought that I'd be buying sawdust but in the long run it'd probably be cheaper and easier than running around looking for a hardwood pallet to turn into sawdust.

EDIT - Just checked the price for mesquite.....Hickory it is.

https://www.halfordsmailorder.com/eS...ethod=Contains

[pointer]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

Well, I might as well spend some fur money and buy some hardwood sawdust I guess. Maybe get some mesquite so I can use it in a smoke box on the BBQ. I never thought that I'd be buying sawdust but in the long run it'd probably be cheaper and easier than running around looking for a hardwood pallet to turn into sawdust.

EDIT - Just checked the price for mesquite.....Hickory it is.

https://www.halfordsmailorder.com/eS...ethod=Contains

I wouldn't buy it just go to any RTM home place and ask they will give you what you need or that's how I get mine

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by pointer

I wouldn't buy it just go to any RTM home place and ask they will give you what you need or that's how I get mine

What's RTM? I'm pretty sure that I could get softwood sawdust at Home Depot in St Albert if I wanted it. Poor man's hardwood?

[7mmstwguy]

Any cabinet business will have hardwood sawdust..rtm is ready to move..I didn't know there was a difference in how they draw moisture?? Cut up a dead poplar, pretty sure some pallets are made of hardwood..just cut some up and make your own... lol

[The Spruce]

Never used sawdust before on a beaver before. Use it all the time on Mink and Otter, never once on beaver. Not sure why you would use it? Beavers don't exude that much oil when drying if fleshed correctly. I usually just wipe once with a rag. Always remember that an oily hide (skin side) is a good thing, dry unhealthy looking hides get down graded. Lots of guys add bear grease to get the shine back, not add something to remove it. My opinion on that.

Edit-for fur side, I wouldn't worry about it. They will get stacked and handled 100 more times before auction. Anything you do will be undone. Whatever you use, you will never get out of the under fur, and beavers are not drummed.

Spruce

[7mmstwguy]

He wants to make the hair look nicer..like drumming..I just give mine a quick comb..

[6.5swedeforelk]

I'd be wary of the resin pockets in softwood.

Think of a balsam fir hitting the headsaw.
Cough medicine flying everywhere.

[The Spruce]

I just give a good brush when removing from board, that's it.


Spruce

[pointer]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

What's RTM? I'm pretty sure that I could get softwood sawdust at Home Depot in St Albert if I wanted it. Poor man's hardwood?

Ready to move homes it's just regular fine sawdust. Once your all fleshed out the sawdust is gone as well

[HunterDave]

Well, under ice beaver trapping is done for me. With these warm temperatures and getting even warmer this week the ice is getting rotten and opening up pretty quick. I took 4 sets off of a dugout yesterday and I wasn't very comfortable on there. Everything else is getting moved to locations where I can stand on shore. The beaver are starting to venture on top of the ice so it's time to clean the .22 mag.

I'd like to thank everyone for their guidance and tips, they really helped me a lot. I experimented with all of the methods described on this thread and I now have a very good idea of what is involved and what works best for me. Next year I plan on dedicating a month after coyote season to trap beavers and set a realistic goal for myself. Thanks again to all.

[7mmstwguy]

From now on is the easiest time to catch them..use some castor and a 330 on the shore..bingo.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by 7mmstwguy

From now on is the easiest time to catch them..use some castor and a 330 on the shore..bingo.

Toss a slashed bait stick on the bank behind the trap, you'll catch a few more that way.

This used to be the best part of the season for us, as in most beaver taken.
But beware, fur quality deteriorates quickly once the ice is all gone.

[HunterDave]

It was a nice way to end my under ice trapping with this 51 lb whopper today!

That main run in the picture had ice over it on Friday. She's melting fast! It's still not open around the edges but by the end of the week it should open up. It only gets better from here.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

It was a nice way to end my under ice trapping with this 51 lb whopper today!

That main run in the picture had ice over it on Friday. She's melting fast! It's still not open around the edges but by the end of the week it should open up. It only gets better from here.

Sweet!

[bill9044]

I'm no longer trapping chew out holes that the beaver have been chewing out of the ice. The ice is getting too rotten. My buddy fell through the ice up to his waist at one slough. So I'll post a few pics.


This lodge is over 6 feet from the waters edge

64lb beaver. The trap was placed in a chew out hole. 3rd beaver out of that hole.

The 64lb and a 40lb. Now to set some castor sets. I've noticed the beaver coming onto shore and putting fresh castor mounds. I gotta get my beaver work done so I can hammer some stinky old badgers.
Merry Trapping Guys.

[HunterDave]

Wow! That's a big beaver.....Congrats! I started a thread for people to post pictures of their Spring beaver. I'm hoping to see some real whoppers like yours.

[KegRiver]

Let's talk about spring trapping.

What do you guys do to keep your traps from getting pulled out of reach by the catch?

I know some trappers wire one spring to a large pole, others run a long pole though both spring loops while others stake the tether chain to the ground.

I've tried all of these methods and had less then desirable results with all, so I came up with my own idea.

I make a simple noose in the end of a five or six foot length of 1/8" aircraft cable. I then crimp the other end to one spring.
At the set location I simply drop the loop over a beaver stump or drive a wood stake into the ground in a convenient location close to the set and drop the loop over that.

I make no effort to keep the catch from moving the trap other then this and stabilizing the trap enough to make the catch.

The way it works is, the beaver gets caught and with nothing to restrain it, it will dive for deep water. By the time the beaver reaches the end of the cable the trap has pretty much done it's job so the beaver dies there, at the end of the cable in deep water. If you came along at that point all you would see is a place where beaver had climbed out of the water, a few scatters sticks and if you looked really close you might see a thin cable running out toward deep water.

So, this keeps the catch cool and out of sight. and all the trapper has to do to retrieve his catch is pull in his cable.

With the toggle pole system I've had the odd beaver pull the toggle a long ways which meant a lot of time spent searching for it.
Staking the trap lead to other issues. Like pelt damage cause by scavengers and spoilage due to heat from the sun.

As a bonus, I no longer need to spend time looking for an appropriate toggle pole. I can usually find an adequate anchor for the cable but when there is non, finding the right stick to use for a stake is far easier then finding a toggle pole. I only need a two foot long stick for a stake where a good toggle pole needs to be at least six feet long.

So what do you guys do and how well does it work for you?

[parfleche]

I see you fellows go to a lot of work building frames for your sets, out of wood and then buying the ready made ones ,Nice work ,

[7mmstwguy]

I use a 2x2 and 1x2 one through each spring..All my traps have a wire on them 6 ft long. I wire the trap to another stick..usually the guide stick. I am just starting to do video's..not very good at it.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZakzFvVXggA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qb52W24Hyk

[bill9044]

I use a 1/8 cable as well. I have them wrapped up in my box with quick clips ( snapping caribeaners) on either ends. Then around a tree or stump. Even a rebar steak. Then attach the other end to the trap spring and your trap goes nowhere. I have some long cables to reach from the shore line abut 30yards so I can hook to a tree. Nothing worse than loosing a 40$ trap over a 4$ beaver.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by parfleche

I see you fellows go to a lot of work building frames for your sets, out of wood and then buying the ready made ones ,Nice work ,

I grabbed some dead branches out of the bush and four 3" screws made mine. I like the idea of the metal ones but I wonder if the width of the wood poles doesn't help getting the beaver into the trap.

I secure my 330's with a coyote extension on a solid anchor, just in case. It hasn't been required yet, all instant kills. Better safe than sorry though.