Beaver Trapping

[fishermusk]

Thanks Leechman,

I was worried that I would have to wait till spring and use footholds. The area is a wire grass swamp that they have cut 2'-3' wide channels into to move about, so finding a run is easy as there are only channels and the water isn't high enough to flood the wiregrass. They are living in a hut,and there is a feed pile about 40 yards from the hut. All around the area they have cut down poplars and a couple birch, I used birch for baiting the triggers of the 330's. when I chopped through the ice to set the traps I was surprised how thin the ice was, and when I chopped a hole close to the feed pile it vented for a good five minutes, not just a little air but a LOT. So should I chop new holes and probe around with a stick to find hard bottom and set the 330's on the bottom, or could I use the exsiting holes? The deepest water I have found so far was about 2 feet.

Thanks,

Good Luck,

Dave

[leechmann]

Sounds like you're on the right track. if you use food for bait, i would always use poplar, its like a candy cane to them. Also if you are trapping the runs away from the hut, you may want to set the trap up off the bottom, just below the ice. The only time they swim the bottom is just when the exit the hut. i usually use a dive stick when i set away from the hut. Keep after them, your are on the right track, time is on your side. Let us now when you connect. thanks Leech

[fishermusk]

Thanks Leechman,

When I get a couple I will post before and after photos.

That is a good tip to have traps below the Ice I would have set them on the bottom.

Good Luck,

Dave

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Hey Leech, Thank you very much for the excellent pics and advice. What kind of knife is that with the rounded edge? I am looking forward to the fleshing pics as well. Thanks Again, Spit.

[leechmann]

I use two different knives while skinning the beavers. I use 1 with a longer narrower blade for opening them up. i also use this knife for cutting the feet off. Then I use an actual beaver skinning knife, which can be purchased from MN Trap line products for #12.95. (Called beaver knife)

Good Luck, Leech

[pickerel hunter]

Awesome...Thanks Leechman. After looking at your pix and the very detailed illustrations I think I will tackle this job myself....after I catch your fleshing pix and details first. Don't want to get ahead of myself. ha

[leechmann]

Caught a couple more beavers yesterday. Size wise they are nothing to be proud of, but thats what I caught.

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Hey Leech, are you strictly beaver trapping now or do you run other lines also? Just wondering, Spit.

[leechmann]

I'm not sure which way to go in the trapping world this year. I started out real late because the pheasant hunting in ND was so good. When I got back,I put a fox, coyote line out, with a friend, and ran it for about a week. Hardly anything moving during that week, so I decided to try a beaver line. Now I started fishing yesterday, caught 3 walleyes, missed a few more. I'm trying to decided if I should set out another fox line in a different area. I'm thinking thats what I'm going to do, just waiting for the right time. There's the long answer to that question.

[Shoot2Kill]

Leechman...thank you very much for doing this little show and tell session...very informative. I've caught lots of beavers in the fall and spring in open water but have never tackeled the ice trapping. I love the teepee set...I have a beaver hut less than a mile from my house that I may try that on in the next couple weeks. So when you chip out all that ice is it just with a chipper or do you use anything else? That's gotta be quite the job if you have multiple sets eh? I've seen people cut holes with chain saws before...do you recommend that? Is finding the run the hardest part? Seems like once you narrow that down the rest is easy.

Thanks again! Look forward to seeing more!

[leechmann]

Thanks Shoot, Actually you will be suprised at how little ice you have to chop out. Yes, I only use an ice chisle, but when you find a hot beaver run, you will only have to hit the ice, maybe 2 times and you are through it. Usually in a hot run, once you break through, all sorts of air comes shotting out, like a geyser. Then you know your onto something. Once you remove the ice, then drop the chisle down to the bottom. Most of the time the bottom is really hard, and you can feel the sand with the chisle. Thats one more clue that you are onto something. Then I usually jump in the hole with my waders on. This is where my buddies think I snapped. But the wader thing is the best way to feel the runs, using your legs. After you locate the runs, makes some marks on top of the ice, so when you catch a beaver and pull the trap out, you will know where to locate the trap when you reset. When you have years like this, with early snow, I would be suprised if there is more than 2 inches of ice in the hot beaver runs. Give it a try, let me know how you do, ask more questions if you need too. Good luck, Leech

[Shoot2Kill]

That makes sense about the ice Leech...actually now as I read back through this all again, you said that.... The thin ice makes sense that I would be in relatively the right spot. And now that I think about the hut by my house I know exactly where them little buggers are running...I was walking the cat tails around the pond the other day for roosters and noticed a big disturbance in the ice right next to about a dozen freshly chewed on trees. I've got the next 2 weekends booked...after that I'm putting in a few 330s to see what happens...they'll still be there...nobody else is going to mess with them. I'm excited about this....if I get lucky now I won't have to wait till spring to smell that sweet sweet castor gland aroma again.

[leechmann]

That is a good smell.

[leechmann]

I will be posting the beaver fleshing pic's tomorrow.

[leechmann]

All the beaver fleshing pictures and descriptions were lost when the HSOforum was down. If anyone needs these to be posted again, let me know, otherwise I will let it ride.

Thanks, Leech

[fur taker]

leech do you take off the nose and lips after you flesh them or leve them on?

[leechmann]

I take them off Fur Taker. Thats the last thing I do to the hide when I'm stretching it on the board. If you don't cut them off, they don't dry properly. Then your pile of fur smells like its rotting. They don't measure the head when they are sizing your hide, so don't worry about losing some square inches.

[fur taker]

the way that leechman described can take alot of beaver and fast all these were taken in one check with the same method

I think this is resized but I dont know for sureit should be 320x240