Sand Bags?

[shagnasty]

forgot to say, i see that damn 98% used again!

[walkercoonhunter(Aaron L.)]

well here on the lake that i trap a beaver will not go into a 330...tried it every way possible...and here they have to be completely submerged....so its foot holds here for me on that lake.....now in our streams yes i can get them into the conis

[stranger]

I use my share of 330's here, but I'll take that action on the channels, dens, and cross overs. I can and do make effective sets with footholds in many different situations. As for the bags, well I have and do on occasion use some of them, but I discourage people from filling them with dirt or mud. Too easy for the bag to be drug back up the bank. I have had to finish beaver, coon, and especially otter with bags filled with dirt for drowners and I have the large size bags I use in shellin'. I prefer fist size or larger rocks, they don't drag up the bank in the bag so easy. I'd use a different method with a soft bottom anyway, like solit staking or slide rods. I use a few other tricks, but those are for my video.lol My southern 2 cents.

[trappnman]

so more versitile is really what you meant? Sure, 330s work in channals, but I've never seen beaver here, that didn't also come out onto land or something at least solid.

Sure- there mighht be that rare occasion where you have beaver but not deep enough water to drown, but it happens here so seldom that its not even worth thinking about.

I went full circle on footholds and 330s- and now prefer footholds. Im my opinion, they are just as effective as 330s, and for every instance where oyu could use a 330 over a foothold in a specific set location, I can so you the counterpart for footholds.

Nothing against 330s- but footholds used right are just as effective as 330s.

Just like BE sets vs footholds in mink- the results are the same- its what you prefer.

[shagnasty]

i agree to disagree t-man. i do very respectable beaver/otter numbers here most seasons and i would not even consider making a leg trap my go to trap. you may be surprised at how far a beaver or otter will travel a waterway before going out somewhere. i just want to kill him where its easiest for me. no one will argue to me and convince that a leg trap is more advantageous and less risk factor for losing fur after making a catch than a 330. there are too many things that can go wrong with a leg trap compared to a 330. if someone is dinking in an area with a finite population and has time, then probably doesnt matter much, but i trap as many transients as possible and focus almost solely on travelways and the 330 is the only way to go in my book for speed, efficiency, and almost zero chance of a non-target.

[trappnman]

shag, I don't trap many beav, but I trap all my beaver. I trap as many ADC as for fur.

I've trapped the back channals of the Mississippi, the smaller rivers, marshes and creeks.

I've never seen any location, that I couldn't set a foothold with the same or better chances of taking that beaver as using a 330.

If you have water, you can set a foothold- even if you have to use the old baited pole set.

and no one is trying to tell you a foothold works better- but at the same time, in my opinion, I've never seen where it works less- and I've seen many ADC jobs where I'm 2nd, 3rd guy there- and if they are location and trap shy- its not from footholds.

330s are quicker in most cases for sure- but not better. In my opinion.

[shagnasty]

i have otter on my brain when i go in the bush and they are very random in movement except when in straight channel runs, thus 330s are the ticket for me. i take quite a few beaver in leg traps when targeting beaver but when targeting otter it is 330s and of course truckloads of beaver in the same set, just a different methodical approach for me.

[trappnman]

yes- for sure can see that. I just wept at the otter settings I could have set up-

[thebeav2]

While your looking for the right spot for the foot hold and bedding the trap and setting up a drowning system. I'll already have my 330s set and be gone on to the next spot. That's more effective In my way of thinking.
B&E sets, If you don't have the right structure they are useless. But a good blind set or a pocket can be placed On any stream. I call that more effective. Sure they tell me they work great after the ice Is on well I plan on having my mink caught before Ice up and If I haven't there are always spots with open water and thats' where the mink will be.

The bottom line is use what ever gets the job done with the least amount of work.

[thebeav2]

Lets get back to sand bags or the lack of a sand bag.

If you have boat access then I would use slide rods. The system I use doesn't need a deep end stake.
Take a section of 1/2" re bar and cut It 8' long. I would use 3/8ths If I were coon trapping smooth rod will work but It Isn't as stiff as re bar and will bend on you.
Weld a washer or nut on the end that your going to use as the deep end. Now place your drowning lock on the rod make sure It's facing the right way. Now you can weld another washer to use for staking on the bank end. Now down from the top end washer you will weld another washer to the side of the rod about 16" from the top one. This will give you two staking points this will not allow the rod to rotate and you won't have to stake the deep end.
When retrieving the catch just pull the second top end stake and rotate the rod back to the bank.
Make sure when you weld on the second stake washer that the drowning lock Is below It.

[17HMR]

Beav, I made some out of 3/8 cold rolled for coon 2 years ago as you discribed, 1st 2 coon I hooked up turned them into pretzels, pulled them all after that. I may try it again with some 1/2 rebar.

[HappyPlumber]

Fleet farm will have them or any Farm supply store. If you cant find them, ask. They will have them. Don't ask for sand bags though. HP

[thebeav2]

Re bar Is the way to go It's a lot stiffer then cold roll and cheaper.

[trappnman]

While your looking for the right spot for the foot hold and bedding the trap and setting up a drowning system.

Well, not really LOL

I have the trap, weight, slide already set up with a stake. I can shave a bank in a minute or less, set the trap, toss out the weight and go.

This walking all over looking for sets- where did that ever come from. Either a set is in the face obvious and you set it up, or you make one pdq.

the only difference between the two traps, is what you prefer.

[shagnasty]

t-man, i know of zero serious otter trappers here that catch good numbers who rely on the leghold as the go-to trap. in fact, the leghold is a hinderance to me most situations for otter for reasons beav gave. water fluctuations hurt you more with these traps and also greater chance for non-target catch such as a coon, and no i dont want a flugging coon in an otter set.

[thebeav2]

Coon can be a real problem when It comes to foot holds guarding castor mounds. I can remember one time on a two day check releasing 28 coon out of foot holds. And none of them were alive. A total waste. In my opinion a 330 will out produce a foot hold, It's just more versatile.
So are you going to tote the pre filled drowning weight back Into the location or are you going to carry a shovel to fill It at the site? One more article to be carrying In and out.
Day in and day out beaver production trapping the 330 will out shine the foot hold hands down.
Both traps are needed to be a efficient beaver trapper.

[shagnasty]

beav there is another prime location for beaver/otter that is set blind with a leg trap but will get plugged left and right with coon if during a warm spell. i get sick of seeing the cable pulled tight into deep water, start pulling, and a flugging ring tail pops up, lol!