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Two Basic Beaver Sets

badger

*Supporting Member*
Castor mound for beaver.

Here's a few pics to show a set location I like to find.

Top of the first pic shows the left side of the set.
The creek bank here has just a little point sticking out into the creek, that is tangled up with briars, and there's a dead sapling still there to also help channel the beaver on that side of the set.
Bottom right of the pic, there's an old beaver stab, and a rock I placed to help direct the beaver. I've placed a few sticks on the bank as guides as well. My castor mound is in the bottom left of the pic. I don't like to get carried away with guide sticks or fencing, digging a slight indent in the bank as I did here is enough.



Closer view.



Here you can see how slight I dug the bank. To the left is the little briar point. Beaver has to come up my slide, go through the briars, or come from the far right of the set , which I will get him coming back into the water. My trap is an MB650 which is a foothold. Most times I position my trap for a rear foot catch, or about 16 inches from the water's edge, and offset a few inches to either side. This set was made for a front foot catch as I had experienced a miss here the day before at another set. For a front foot catch, you want to hug the bank and offset the trap a little less.



Desired results.




Pass Thru Set

Here's an easy snare set that I have had good luck with. It's called a "Pass through Set", and I believe it originates from Charles Dobbins. I really like the simplicity, and versatility of the set. It can be used almost anywhere that you can anchor a snare. You only need about knee deep water, although it can be used in deeper water.

The location I chose here is below a culvert that they have plugged up. The water was knee deep, and there is a clay bottom. Most times I try to find a really good size tree to anchor to. This one is anchored with two hd berkshires. I picked up a good stout limb they had left on the bank that is dead. I cut off one end so I could drive it into the clay. You want this to be solid, so the beaver can't just plow over the set. Next I attach my support wire, and hang my snare. I make a ten inch loop and submerge about half of the loop. Now I find another limb and either wire it to the first, or drive it in at an angle. You want about an inch between your snare, and both limbs. Final step is a cotton ball tipped with your choice of lure. I chose castor at this set. If you choose a tree to anchor to, you simply eliminate the first limb. I've also made this set where there were two trees spaced just far enough apart for a snare to fit in between them.
Use your imagination with this one, there's many variations you could use. If you make this set where there's much current, turn the snare parallel to the bank instead of facing the current. It will cut down on floating debris clogging, or tripping your snare.









Here's a catch from a pass thru set, just not from the one posted above. This set was on a big tree as mentioned above with a cross stick added.



 
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jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
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Ohio
I'm a little confused about the placement of the cotton ball. I wouldn't have expected it to be placed so high. Are the beavers just catching it's scent and then swimming in the direction the scent is coming from... thus entering the snare? Or will they climb up the limb to get to the cotton ball?

Awesome how-to BTW!
 

badger

*Supporting Member*
I get that part... I guess I was just wondering why put the castor up so high, instead of putting it right near the snare?

If the smell is up higher, they can't exactly pinpoint it's location. They will swim circles trying to and eventually get caught. I was fortunate to watch a beaver work one of these sets once, and he didn't like smelling the intruders scent.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
If the smell is up higher, they can't exactly pinpoint it's location. They will swim circles trying to and eventually get caught. I was fortunate to watch a beaver work one of these sets once, and he didn't like smelling the intruders scent.

Ahhhhhh ok... Yep, that makes perfect sense.