Deep water 330 stabilizers...

[CoonDuke]

Does anyone make a deep water 330 stabilizer that when a catch is made the trap can break free of the stabilizer and the beaver doesn't block the channel?

[Freak( Jim V.)]

Todd , usually the beaver pulls my deep waters off to the side after a catch. Usually that is. Learned the hard way and started anchoring them off too. Sucks fishing around for the dang things chest deep in muddy water.

[buckfreak]

Get ahold of Rich Kaspar he has some.

[Steve Gappa]

most do. I always wire my stabiler to the stake so don't lose them. rk makes a good one as does Bogmaster

[CoonDuke]

I didn't think the trap "released" from Rich's stabilizer?

Jim, I assume you are saying that the beaver pulls the whole rig out of the mud and off to the side?

Rich K., if you see this, try to figure out what the shipping on those tall 330 stabilizers will be to me.

[mustelameister]

I make all my own Coni-stabilizers, from #110s through #330s, from lumberyard lath or tobacco lath, threaded rod, nuts and lock washers.

The #330 stabilizer looks like an elongated letter "H", with the middle horizontal part a piece of tobacco lath stretched out to about 7". The vertical lines are pieces of yard lath on either side of the horizontal piece, screwed and glued in place. These go into the dye bath when I dye up traps, seems to keep 'em longer.

For #330s, I use 3/8" threaded rod, and run a length through each of the intersections of the "H". A lock washer and nut on either side of the "H" keeps 'em in place. The lengths of rods vary depending on the composition of the substrate: longer for muck and sand, shorter for hard clay bottoms.

In addition, on the underside of one side of the "H", I have a small S-link snugged up against another nut that is tightened up against the wood. The S-link is closed. When I'm getting ready to set a #330, I tie 16-gauge wire off to this loop and wire it off to a nearby branch or something so I can retrieve this stabilizer.

These work real nice in allowing the beaver to get out of the run, though I'm finding these Belisle #330s whack 'em so hard sometimes they haven't moved much at all.

For #220s and #160s I use carriage bolts instead of threaded rod. For #110s and #120s I use a single center carriage bolt.

Works for me.

[Freak( Jim V.)]

Todd , yep , that is what I was saying. Shipping is not way off base from Rich's actually. But they will probably go oversized. I got 4 dozen of the short ones and a mess of other heavy stuff from Rich last month and it was like $26 shipping. Actually have some deep waters on order with Rich for January. Man makes good equipment.

[RhodeDog]

I made some for my own use that basiclly hang the 330 with the trigger down and allow it to drop off when fired. What I done was took a 20" pc of round bar, not sure of dia., put a 2" bend on the end. To that end I welded a pc. of tube with a hole in it and a nut welded to make it adjustable. On the 18" end I welded 4 pcs of flat stock, 2 on the end and 2 at 7" if I remember right. To use, when setting I pinch the holder between the jaws and slip the tube down a 3/8" rebar stake to the desired height and tighten the bolt to hold it. If this isn't clear let me know and I'll try to get a pic posted if you're interested. I've used these the last couple years with no problems and every beaver has been pulled off the slide.

[billkasten]

Duke I have used a short stabilizer similar to the ones Sullivan sells with good luck .Another one you can try is the KB stabilizer put a long wire on each spring and lower into position .I've used these to swing a trap under limbs and such at den entrances . With both of these you'll want to wire the stabilizer to the trap or you'll be buying alot of them .

[CoonDuke]

I wonder how a stabilizer made out of a heavy piece of flat steel would work? Similar to Phil Brown's mink stabilizers. Just drop it in the run and wire it off.

[shagnasty]

you need to get with MD35 from this forum, he makes a neat stabalizer, didnt you see them at pa this year cd? he is in md so doubt shipping would be bad if he would be willing to help you out. pm him or something....

[CoonDuke]

No, I didn't see them Shag.

I don't remember if I said before, but these will be used for lodge entrances for the most part.

[shagnasty]

why do you trap den entrances? always leads to spooking the rest and/or chewed up pelts for me. i have not done that in many years. i always dink them away if possible. sometimes i close in for the kill on the last one by cocking a large leghold on the slide pull out on top of the lodge as a blind set. these will not kick out real far like you want especially if using stout traps, they will be right there, ocassionaly one will kick out. my traps kill them stone cold dead so rarely do they kick far, i use hedge clippers(24" or so) and cut branches to stabalize 330s.

[CoonDuke]

They are for down south where we only have a few checks. Just to save time and cream a few easy ones.

We planned to do a lot more trapping with footholds last year, but no rocks and the soil in those swamps is all roots which makes filling a bag suck. Gonna try long stakes to anchor the drowners next time.

We made a lot of castor mounds with 330s too but it seemed they worked the first night and then went dead. Nutria were always plugging them too.

[shagnasty]

your wasting your time filling sacks anyways. you need to get 2" fender washers and a pogo driver for those situations. ive trapped swamps for years and most all my sets are blind sets in runs or places the beaver are going, coming, resting, etc. luring beaver definetly works and i do some but majority of my fur catch is blind trapping. seriously, get out of the castor mound only rut. if only trapping a few days and just creaming the crop, then yeah set the den holes. i usually try and get them all though so dont want to spook them, have had beaver hole up for a lot longer than i expected, and actually have scared some out of the area.

[CoonDuke]

How long is your Pogo driver, and how do you get them out? Or do you just cut them or leave them?

There were countless places to make foothold sets, but without a way to drown them we passed them up. I did make a few with a trap cabled to a tree. That worked if they couldn't get wrapped up. I had a beaver foot in a set one day where he wrapped up and an otter toe the second day. Tangled at the same place. I am a slow learner...LOL:(

[shagnasty]

pull them unless they lock on a tree root then you have no choice but to cut as far down as your willing to reach in the water with the cutters. pulling is easy, pull the top one, then put drowner cable over shoulder and walk it out. my driver is about 3 feet or so long. i rarely put a beaver in water any deeper than that. no reason too, they all tire and drown with a good heavy stout trap even by back foot. the cable to tree deal works but your loss rate will be high compared to drowning them. my pogos are about 12-14 inches long with 2 inch washers. if it is really sloppy you will likey have to double this length.

[BismuthBoy]

BeaverDuke, I've been using Ron Marsh's Retrievable Cable Stakes for the past couple years at the bottom end of my drowners. Ron just began making a deep water driver for his stakes. I've been using them on my water line this year with the deep water driver and there's nothing slicker. Plus, when you're pulling your line, just hook the retrieve cable and they come right out.

[shagnasty]

bb, sounds better than pogos for the pulling part, do these other stakes hold beaver well?

[thebeav2]

Your trapping the same type of country I'm trapping and I just don't have these problems with 330s and the area going dead unless the beaver are gone. But like shag said I would stay out of the den entrances.
I don't mess with any commercial stabilizers. Just find yourself some tobacco lath It's all over that part of the country. For Castor mounds and shallow channels just bust the lath and drive or push them In and slide the trap over the lath keep the lath short so the beaver can get off the lath.
If you drive In the lath with the deep end at a slight V you can shove the trap down and It will keep getting tighter as It goes, with a little practice you will be second nature to you. The thickens of the lath Is just perfect for a good solid lock up.
In deep situations I just drive In the full length lath and then lower the 330 down the lath until the bottom jaw hits the top of my boot.
Load up the location, catch the cream and be down the road. You can always come back on a second run after things have calmed down a bit.
The only time I use foot holds Is If I need to catch every last beaver In that location.