[Bigbrownie]

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]

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.

 

[Bigbrownie]

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.😀

 

[Bigbrownie]

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.