Beaver Trappers

[bobm]

Alright you experienced beaver trappers, I've got a questions. I trapped one beaver out of a lodge that I know there were 2 in. I spent about a week trying to trap the other one to no avail. It kept setting off my 330's. I let it go for another week with plans to return and use snares under the ice. I returned to it on yesterday and it appears to be abandoned. There are no air bubbles at either den entrance or around the feel pile. Is it possible that the other beaver left? No one had been around the lodge for about 9 days and I would have expected some activity over that period of time. What do you think?

[John56]

Is there any beaver sign after the one you caught? If not you may just have muskrats setting off the 330s. I've had locations that only had one beaver, usually an old bachelor. Put a 220 in place of the 330, and see if you end up with muskrat. Stake good just incase there is a beaver left. Could be if there was another one it simply died of old age. or any other ills.

[bobm]

I did catch a few muskrats in the 330 but I know there was another beaver there as I could see it swimming around as I approached the lodge. Each morning , the 330's were set off and had debris in them so I pulled them. I went back a week later to see if there were any air bubbles under the ice at the run and there were not. The one I trapped was about 30# and I believe the other one was about the same size. This lodge is located on a lake within a city so it is unlikely (if not impossible) that it was shot or somehow dispatched by anyone else. The only plausible explanation is that it left the lodge but I do not have enough experience with them to know if this is likely. What do you experts think?

[woody]

Well I hate to say it but your first mistake was to trap the lodge first that edumacated the beaver that didn't get caught. If the pond has iced up good, try this. take a piece of 1 inch PVC pipe the length of the inside spread of your #330 and drill 2 holes in the pipe all the way thru, insert the trigger wires thru the pipe and bend them to hold the pipe, after all this which can be done in the warmth of your home ;D take the #330 out and hang it under the ice, wired to a pole or something on top of the ice. iffin there is any beavers left you should have it especailly after it's feed bed gets stale and soggy, I can not take credit for this trick, a great trapper from NE Ohio uses it and does good with it. woody

[Bogmaster]

Mike Tucker posted the pvc on the trigger trick,several years ago--believe it was also in the MTA newsletter.
Many have benefitted from this over the years---white sure shows up well under water.
Tom Olson

[bobm]

Thanks for your input guys, FYI, this is an ADC job and I don't normally do them but I have for the past 4 years for these folks. For the past 4 years, like clockwork, a young pair of beaver move into their bay (about 1 acre on a lake that is 14,000 acres) the week before Thanksgiving. Every year I go over and put a 330 in front of each run and every year I have both beaver the next morning. I am familiar with many different sets such as Da Plumber set to try and will. There has been no shortage of advice or help on this site as to what I should try next. And I appreciate all of it. The ice is about 4" thick around the lodge and the depth of the runs into it are about 24"-30" from the top of the ice. There are no air bubbles around the lodge. I know there were 2, as I saw both of them. I only caught 1 and have seen no sign of the other in 2 weeks.My main question is, How likely is it that the other beaver has moved on? I've never heard of this and thought I should ask how possible it is. Thanks again for all your help.

[trappnman]

Bob- while I don't have a lot of lake beaver trapping experience- my beavering is on small creeks and river...I have had similar experiences such as you describe.

I have had it happen a few times, where there is 1 beaver left- and after pinching it, it became very spooky...showing no signs of any activity for 2 weeks at a time. Years ago, pinched one bad and he did not move from lodge for 3 weeks. This was ice covered pond.

On the other hand, I have had a single beaver just get up and move....again, after a bad experience.

So while this doesn't answer your question....which is really- "do I leave these traps in?" .... thats due primarily to the fact it could be either or.

[bobm]

Actually Trappnman, you answered my question perfectly. I was wondering how possible it is that the other one may have left and you've indicated that you've seen this type of behaviour. Thanks all. Have a Merry CHRISTmas!

[jsevering]

if the other beaver is holed up in the lodge, there should be a frost spot on top of the lodge where its body heat is excaping.

if the frost spot is there he is probably only going as far as the feed pile nipping and going back in. if a run goes through the the feed bed and the feed bed is touching the house, you could have a wait on your hands unless you can perform some pruning to get to that portion of the run.

good luck to you....jim

[Darcy Alkerton]

BobM,

Can you remember if the first beaver caught was a female? I am a #s guy and when this happens here it is usually the male about 90% of the time, that may leave the area for a while. I have had them come back after 3 weeks.

I have tried the PVC pipe with success but found that white, yellow or green sponges are cheaper and easier to handle.

If you have hit him with a coni or maybe someone else had, I would go with the snares. Take a dry pole and put it in the center of the entrance and place 3 snares on either side. If there are any other entrances try the same. Use 1/16 cable as they may break lighter snares. Do not check this as often as this scares the beaver and may keep him away from the lodge. I like to put a hole in the top of the house and check if it gets repaired. Keep it high so rats cannot patch it from the inside.

Bait poles would also help but I do not have much success until the feed beds sour.

Of course may sure the info I have given is legal in your area.

Good luck, Darcy

[bobm]

jservering;
The feel pile is approx 20' away with nothing in between but a nice clean lake bottom! Both runs are very easy to see. There aren't even any weeds between the lodge and the feedbed. As far as the frost hole, I've had it quite a few times up here (Minnesota) that even after a lodge was emptied, the frost hole was visible as the inside of the lodge does not freeze, even when empty, and moisture from the inside continues to vent out. We have not had any snow to cover it yet which has usually been a better indicator.
Darcy;
I do not remember if it was male or female. I do think that I may have hit it with a coni the same night I got the first one as the 330 in the other run was set off.
I am going to check the lodge again this weekend and see if there is any more visible activity under the ice. It's been about 3 weeks since I've seen any and the ice is about 6" thick now.
Thanks again for all the help guys.

[blakcoyote]

You may want to check the lake for another lodge buried back in some catails,even an old one,he may have moved and may be coming back to the feed pile.Most lakes around me have a couple lodges,and it seems they will move to other lodges on the lake when you hammer them pretty hard.More so on small lakes 20 acres or less.

[bobm]

Keep in mind that the lake is 14,000 acres so there are many lodges on it. Again, my question was how likely it was that a beaver would move out and according to your answer it appears that it is. Thanks again.