Beaver Trapping Question

[Waterwolf22]

Setting up some 330 conibears for beaver yesterday when I ran into extremely low water levels in the river where the beaver lodge is located..... I drilled through 1 foot of ice only to have maybe 8" of water below. Are the beavers leaving the lodge to swim through that little of water to go search for food? It did not seem like there would be enough room for the trap.....Or is there another lodge somewhere I don't know about where the water level is maybe higher?

[Gordie]

I have never trapped beaver but are you sure you are in the run way I have seen runways and usually the ice ice is alot thinner than the surrounding area due to the travel that they do?

Speaking from experience I mean getting wet walking over one.

[K_Josh87]

I do not have any experience either, however I would say the same thing as gordie, whenever i have ran into these guys on the river here it is very obvious where they are running... and dern scurry to get around it sometimes!

[JBar]

Look for recessed areas in the base of the lodge this is usually where the run will be comming out of also this time of year if you're setting under the ice make shure that the house your going to be setting has a open breather hole in it if there is no hole general no beaver. One thing I have noticed with this year is that with how dry everything there are alot of rat and beaver houses abandoned also not uncommon with dry years the rats and beaver have secondary houses dug into the bank under the ice for years like this. Found two pretty good sized lodges that were abandoned this weekend that I know beaver where in last fall. good luck.

[Waterwolf22]

I could not locate any ventilation hole in this lodge where I have set two 330

conibear traps under the ice... No recessed or half moon spot near the base of the lodge either. I do not see any bubbles or different colors of the ice showing where they are swimming.....They must have left for a secondary tunnel

in the bank. Our water levels are very low here too so it has made setting traps under the ice

a tough deal. Is there any clues to finding places where they have relocated from the main lodge?

[Random guy]

Look for depressions in the bank and cut runs going into the bank. Granted there may be a bunch but one of them is home and still allows access to the feed bed.

[Gordie]

also look for slids that might get you close to where they are holed up.

[Random guy]

Or find them previous fall with your wheeler!

[Gordie]

Or find them previous fall with your wheeler!

that hadda hurt Jonny

[Random guy]

that hadda hurt Jonny

Just my pride, just my pride.

[Gordie]

Oh I know that feeling all to well Jonny