Will it matter how I dry them if they are going to be tanned?
Yes.

m'06, Dry each Beaver for tanning, the same as if you are selling to fur market. Tack Beaver on plywood, the proper shape.
You want to keep the shape/memory of the leather as it dries. As hide dries, the shape is important, which will show in the finished, tanned pelt.

Here's how you want them shaped for proper dying. There are Beaver on each side of the plywood.

I've hooped a few tanned Beaver...

 

Thanx Hern! Guess I will do em properly just to be safe.


Those hoops are awesome! Thats what I was looking to do! Any idea on what wood to use? I haven't researched that at all. I've seen em done like that before and think it's a nice display.



First step is catching a beaver or 2....lol. I've found them. And I feel like I aughta be able to nab 1 or 2 easy enough. We'll see. Lol

 

Not sure what wood either. I call them water birch, but not sure. I just go down by the Susquehanna and cut the size/diameter I need.

Hooping tanned Beaver is a fun project.
Getting traps tuned up, asking permission, scouting, setting traps, carrying heavy equipment & Beaver, skun'n, fleshing, nailing & boarding, drying, tanning then hooping. Easy peasy...😁 and fun.

 

Red willow works great for hoops. It grows in most bottom land here in western Pa. Some say to wait to cut them, cut them with months with no “R “. I cut some last week , however, they bent fine. Take the bark off when they are green, be careful not to get into the wood. Bend them, I block them with 1x 1 pine stock. They will dry quickly. You can wipe down dry wood with linseed oil to put a little sheen on the wood.

You don’t have to have special plywood boards to dry a beaver. Mine are 5/8 “, with NAFA patterns, but about any piece of plywood will work. Take the hide, pull it from nose to tail, and let it relax. That’s where you want to start boarding it, nose and tail. Do the same width wise. Don’t start by overstretching it. As you work around the hide, it’ll draw tight. Hide should end up as a slight oval. I nail every about every 5/8 “. Close up leg holes by nailing shut. Cut off the heavy tissue around the lips. If you want it as a wall hanger, you can leave the nose on...when you sell to FHA, their specs have you cut it off.

 

Bigbrownie, maybe I use red willow but still now sure. They are red in color and Beaver eat their bark, along the Susquehanna.

m'06, I soak my branches so I can bend them easier. Although they are very flexible.

 

Very nice. Is there any significance to the beaver hoop?

 

Is there any significance to the beaver hoop?

Mainly tradition for displaying tanned, 'hooped Beaver' nowadays.

Early U.S. trappers used wooden hoops to shape and dry Beaver. Fur Traders wanted hides dried & shaped oval like, the best way was to use materials at hand, branches & rawhide. Natives Indians didn't have use for Beaver until trappers show them how to trap & dry Beaver pelts. The Natives then used Beaver pelts for trade.
These early trappers were in western territories before Lewis & Clark's Expedition.
I think some parts of Canada, natives still use hoops to put up Beaver.

Here's pic how it's done the traditional way-

 

Thanx all! Informative thread!


I wanted to set tonight...but another low in the teens...I don't think wanna mess with ice.


I don't wanna get too serious about this lol. I saw a few runs to drop 330s in and I wanna make a couple castor mounds with 330s and nothing more than rubber boots lol. I don't wanna work too hard or catch too many. Lol.

 

I don't wanna get too serious about this lol. I saw a few runs to drop 330s in and I wanna make a couple castor mounds with 330s and nothing more than rubber boots lol. I don't wanna work too hard or catch too many. Lol.

I never wear waders, just a pair of Mucks. In the last 4 years, I’ve caught 94 beavers ....got wet twice untangling a snagged up catch. Using footholds with drowning cables, I try to get the beaver to come to me with castor and fresh cut aspen branches.

 

Thats kinda my plan. I think it aughta yield me a beaver or 2. There's a couple canals I can fence down and not get wet or work hard. Then the rest of my 330s can guard castor mounds. I think I have 6. If I want more sets, I can try snares. If I can cable coyotes, I'd think I can grab beaver.

If I have a good time, I will learn more and get more traps and gear.


Haven't trapped in a while. I miss it. Just don't usually have the time...this place is close. And on the way to work if I did wanna run during work days.

Plan is/was just 2 nights so I don't have beaver to skin before or after work. Even if I do it for the rest of the season on my days off...

Appears to be a lot of beaver in this marsh...and Appears they've been there a long time...so surely I can find at least 1 to swim through a 330.

I understand footholds and snares can be better for educated beaver.

I will update if I nab any. I'm sure I will be pretty excited to see my first flat tail floating!

 

I understand footholds and snares can be better for educated beaver.

I don’t think there’s a beaver alive that is snare shy. There are some beavers that have tripped a 330 and become square shy, and may avoid heavy blocking too. More common are beaver getting spooked up from a 330 catch directly in front of a bank hole. I don’t set den holes for that reason.

I don’t think beavers ever get trap shy to a foothold trap. They don’t recognize them as traps....but way more common are beaver that are castor shy. Grab one by the toe at a castor mound set, and he pulls out, he may never approach castor again.

Castor is still my go to lure at a set, along with semi skinned aspen and beaver sac oil. An uneducated beaver is no harder to catch than a muskrat, but an educated beaver is squirrelier than the smartest coyote.

Of course, all this is just my observations and opinions, as I’ve never sat down and interviewed a beaver about his thoughts on trapping.😀

 

Lol!


Man I miss trapping...and learning from you experienced trappers willing to help new guys. I certainly appreciate it.


Drove by the area this afternoon. Frozen. 13 degrees right now... I might not even be able to set tomorrow. Might have to wait till next Sunday...we'll see what it looks like tomorrow.

 

Checked a couple hours ago. Frozen pretty solid like I figured. Wasn't even skim ice.


Walked a short distance just to look at the area with trapping in mind. Found Found tree that was cut down that wasn't there last week. And one of the chewings was higher than my waist. I'd assume it takes a pretty good beaver to cut a tree off that high.

Found a couple good looking spots to blind set and didn't talk but 50yds.


Got my traps ready yesterday. Some were missing chains. All needed tags. Added some wire to make sure my safeties stay out of the way.

Hopefully I can set Sunday after work. If that doesn't pan out after 2 nights I will pull them and relocate them the following week. Beaver skinning looks like it takes a minute. I don't wanna be messing with them before or after work. Don't want them laying in the truck bed for 10hrs either now that it's warming up. So I won't be setting for them on work days till I figure skinning out. They don't look like a coon or fox I can peel in a few minutes. Lol

 

Checked a couple hours ago. Frozen pretty solid like I figured. Wasn't even skim ice.


Walked a short distance just to look at the area with trapping in mind. Found Found tree that was cut down that wasn't there last week. And one of the chewings was higher than my waist. I'd assume it takes a pretty good beaver to cut a tree off that high.

Found a couple good looking spots to blind set and didn't talk but 50yds.


Got my traps ready yesterday. Some were missing chains. All needed tags. Added some wire to make sure my safeties stay out of the way.

Hopefully I can set Sunday after work. If that doesn't pan out after 2 nights I will pull them and relocate them the following week. Beaver skinning looks like it takes a minute. I don't wanna be messing with them before or after work. Don't want them laying in the truck bed for 10hrs either now that it's warming up. So I won't be setting for them on work days till I figure skinning out. They don't look like a coon or fox I can peel in a few minutes. Lol

As long as it doesn’t get too warm, beaver will hold a couple days without skinning. Submerged in cold water in a trap, they’ll be fine for a week +. In Canada, some guys run a 10 day check. Beaver actually skin better if you let them sit a day or so....blood thickens up and I find I have less mess.

Beaver can be puzzling to skin for first timers. Especially getting the four legs free. Don’t be afraid to leave some meat on the hide. A Dexter knife with a round end work good for beaver....less chance of cutting the hide. Young beaver are super easy to skin and flesh....a 40+ pounder, they‘re like a different critter.

If you use 330s, make sure you tie them off good. Swivels are a good idea too. I don’t use 330s much, but mine all have a 6 foot piece of 3/32 cable with my tag on the end. I cut the chains off mine. I tie them off on nearby brush....before I anchored them with cable I’ve had to do some searching to find my trap and beaver. ( In addition to my rerod stake/ cable/ rock sack with leg grips ,I have a 6 foot piece of 3/32 attached to my stake end as a safety back up incase something goes wrong. Trap tag attached to end, I tie it off on brush also. Helps out too when streams rise quickly )

Good luck with the trapping...I’ll be watching for pics.

 

Agree with Bigbrownie about leaving Beaver lay for a couple days before skun'n. I do this on cold cement floor in shed.
When bringing Beaver back home, I place burlap in truck bed to prevent wet fur freezing to truck bed. Piece of carpet or carboard with do as well.