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Looking at beginning to start trapping. Specifically trapping for beaver. What are some things I need to know to get started and any what are some tips or tricks to have some success? Best practices? Thanks in advance.

Last edited by brd4210; 02/23/20.
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The best advice would be to become a member of your state trappers association. Most put on demos and can teach you everything you need to know.


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Thank you!

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Use the proper equipment, especially proper sized traps, and make sure the traps are secured properly. Get good books and videos on beaver trapping and study them before setting traps.

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Don't start. You'll go broke. Price of fur vs cost of gas isn't worth it......

Seriously, try to find someone with experience that you can tag along with. The local fur buyer or trapper associations would be a good place to start. Connibears at lodges and bank dens are effective if legal. Setting dens isn't in a lot of states. Nothing like pulling up a set with a nice beaver. Makes you think you're jeremiah Johnson.

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Appreciate the insights.

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What state?

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Buy a copy of "Fur Fish and Game" look in the back for fur prices.
For now that will allow you to decide if it is gong to be a hobby or a money maker..
I'm guessing you need to study NE trapping regulations.
I also suggest that you contact your state trappers organization.


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I just got back into it this year after about 20 years out. Being in Oklahoma the fur isn’t worth much. It’s mainly just for predator control and for friends that want to have the fur tanned for decorations. I bought some good used traps on eBay and then picked some others up new. I’m just going a little at a time. In the last month we’ve done a lot of predator control. I think we’re up to 6 coyotes, 2 bobcats, 11 raccoons, 9 opossums, and 3 porcupines. I’m pretty sure we’ve got a coyote in a trap right now that we’ll get in the morning.

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one of the most enjoyable hobbies I have ever done, can't make any money but checking the traps was so exciting, started trapping muskrats when I was about 9 , that was a long time ago, lots of info on youtube.

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If you're getting into it to make money,quit now. If you're doing it for the challenge that comes from getting a critter to put it's foot in a 4 inch diameter over anywhere else on this Earth,than you're going to he addicted to it and the price of fur won't matter to you much. Joining your state association it excellent advice.


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A great website with a ton of information is: trapperman.com, it’s all there you just have to find it, Also take a look at YouTube videos. As far as catching a couple of beaver it is not too difficult, requires some big traps and a little bit of know how. Keep in mind, what are you going to do with that beaver once you catch it? Good luck, trapping is my favorite, I don’t hardly hunt anymore.

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Originally Posted by ajf55
A great website with a ton of information is: trapperman.com, it’s all there you just have to find it, Also take a look at YouTube videos. As far as catching a couple of beaver it is not too difficult, requires some big traps and a little bit of know how. Keep in mind, what are you going to do with that beaver once you catch it? Good luck, trapping is my favorite, I don’t hardly hunt anymore.


Trapperman isn't what it used to be, lot of the old time posters are now gone off that site. I got a lifetime ban because I called one of their mods out when they had a chat room. He got mad that I was suggesting companies other than his to buy traps from. Paul Dobbins was also very rude to me and a buddy of mine at one of the conventions we went to. There is a lot of info in the archives though.

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I've been trapping professionally for 30 plus years here in northern Canada. Beaver are not that hard to catch and a good species to start with. I use entrance sets for them 90% of the time. Check your regs though as that might not be legal in your state. Fur Fish Game is a good resource. I write for them often, as do some other really good professional trappers. Trapperman is also a good resource once you learn how to cut through some of the BS.

You can do very well financially if you learn the markets. A friend of mine from WI trapped out west for a month last winter and made enough money to build a 30x40 shop. He concentrated on bobcats mostly. I was at a small fur sale yesterday and watched trappers selling tanned fur like hotcakes. Lynx were going for 750-850 and wolves were even higher. Tanned beaver will sell for 150-200 depending on size all day long. Lots of ranchers will pay you to trap coyotes. I know a few guys that do really well trapping problem coyotes each year. Same with farmers and beaver.......bottom line is the market is alive and well if you do your homework. Good luck!

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I got started this year, so I'll throw in my 2 cents....

Read all you can that is applicable to your area. If I read another &^%$ thing about dirt hole sets, I'm going to lose my mind. There is no dirt visible here from before the start to after the end of the trapping season. smile Knowledge is always good, but you have a limited budget of time, so use it wisely. FFG is entertaining, but you might have a better connect percentage on trapperman archives (their "basic sets" links are worth a look), youtube videos, etc. I have better retention for things I've seen than things I've read about in general.

Talk to locals. They know what works and lots of them are willing to share info, experience, and sometimes even traps. Joining the local trapping org is probably a good way to do that.

Get out. Look at places you are thinking about trapping - just like scouting for hunting season. Look at tracks, sign, and think where you'd set traps if you could. If you can set traps, do it.

Stay as local as you can in order to shorten the feedback loop. The more often you check traps the more you'll learn what works and doesn't, the more you'll be able to reset, the faster you can adapt. I wouldn't be afraid to range wide in order to target what I wanted, but having something close by would be awesome.

Trapping is a lot of fun, and very addictive. I'm never going to make any money at it, but I don't make any money on hunting or fishing either.

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YouTube is a great resource! Search for beaver trapping videos and there are countless tutorials.


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I trap coyotes! I trap them from Feb until last of July. I strictly predation trap! I trap only for the fawn and turkey recruitment benefit for my land! I catch, kill and throw um in a big ditch!! Good luck..


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Someone already mentioned it .. . . subscribe to Fur Fish and Game magazine.


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One thing I learned when trapping was it is easier to have animals stay on their normal paths than it is to entice them away from their normal paths. Sounds strange, what does it mean? I had better luck with unbaited sets on their normal paths than using baited sets. One slight deviation from this is trapping beavers under the ice, which if snares are allowed a very easy way to eliminate a lot of beavers fast.

If you want to trap beaver and you get enough ice to walk on, assuming snares are legal, you can put snares on a freshly cut tree about 3-4 inches in diameter such that when the beavers leave their house on the way to the feed pile they see fresh food they swim around the pole and get caught up in the snare and drown. I would cut holes in the ice using a chainsaw set the poles and come back two weeks later and pull the poles, it was rare that a pole did not have at least one beaver. A good set of rain gear is a good idea as it gets a little wet with the chainsaw.

Processing beaver is a lot of work so if the market is down money will be hard earned. I have traded trapping services for hunting privileges on the owners land which I thought was a great trade. I will work for hunting access idea. One farmer gave me sole access to a full section of productive forest for deer hunting by trapping the beavers out that were flooding the forestry managed property. In densely forested areas a section is a good sized hunting area.


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