Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Trapping Beavers must go

I've been in Paradise for a little over a week. Would appear as if no one has been doing any trapping for some years out here. A couple of the roads are getting close to being flooded. More beavers here then I have ever seen in my previous assignments here.

War is coming....

What's your plan, if you can say? I have similar problem with limited solution options due to visibility, law and political correctness. I do know the last thing to do is invite Fish & Game in to help.

My plan is traps and snares up the azz, and stack'em up like cord wood...

Nevermind the azz, grab the head.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Good plan. Have any experience with Conibear? I figure I'll have to set at dusk and remove at first light. Can't have someone walk up on a tethered beaver in this area.

330's ruin their day...

Okay. Thanks.

I contacted the Oregon department of fish and game, and got permission to kill beavers that were building a dam around the colvert on my driveway. Was kinda nict to be able to shoot 'em legally. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
Virgil B.

Not wanting attention doesn't mean illegal. Some things are better done quietly.

If you find the house, knock a hole in the top, drop in a few swimming pool size chlorine tablets and presto, no more beavers.

We had a creek behind our house growing up that was full of beavers. One day I went to war with them using the 6.5 and the 12 gauge. 13 beavers in one day. One of them I shot on the bank and he was HUGE! I weighed him on our bathroom scale and he was 90 pounds! Another one that I fished out was over 60. It was good practice to try and shoot them in the head while they are swimming. Man I miss living on the farm...


SS

Beavers as big as 10 & 11 year old kids??? 60 & 90 pounds?

IIRC a beaver caught in Estes Park, CO weighed 126#!!!

You learn something every day.

Most beaver are real easy to trap. The smart ones can be a real head ache. Beaver are very jealous of their territory and will go anywhere you want them to go with scent. Find a place where you can conceal a #330 Conibear with grass and put a gob of scent on a mound (not really necessary, but it does add eye appeal, but can attract un-wanted attention from other people. I really believe a Beaver would climb a tree to get to strange scent. Never pegged a beaver because I could always get to come to water deep enough to drown them. Took a few toenails, but once I switched to #48 and # 14 Newhouse traps on a good slide wire drowner, the problems ceased. The #48 Newhouse was my favorite, and damm good on Otter also. It always broke my heart to cut that long fine chain to about 4-6 inches. If your just after the big stuff, and set quite a ways from the house or bank den you can take the big ones and then leave the cubs alone. The male always comes out first at night and makes a security swing around the pond or swamp. When he doesn't come back Mom comes looking for him and if you've set a couple of sets you will have both of them just after dark and can pull out the next day unless the colony has some two year olds you want to take.

On damage control beaver trapping you should always tell the land owner they have a vacant beaver hotel on their property, and when the two year olds get kicked out in the Spring, they will stop at that vacant Beaver hotel, and the problem will be back. Just some things I learned over the years. Beaver trapping and skinning is hard work. Never used snares so I know nothing about them. But if a Colony goes dead on your scent, you may have to give them up for the season. Another thing if the Colony gets scared, they may not come out of the house for a week or two, or at least that has been my experience.

I have a box of 330s that haven't seen action since the 80s. Trappin' beaver is more fun than stompin' chickens!

If you trap,the 330 is the way to go. But nothing beats a 12 guage and a mag light.

Try diplomacy first. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Good plan to use the blanket-trap strategy. I used to get a few off a National Wildlife Refuge where I worked using an 870 w/ #4 buck on half-bright nights, with no light. Trick is to close your eyes just as you touch 'er off, so you won't be blinded for a half-hour by the bright flash.

why kill them without utilizing them. wait until they are prime or have a trapper who will utilize their skins come in and trap them.

We can't mess with beavers here in Utah. wife is watching too close.