[Bigbrownie]

Back before I added 6 foot cables to my 330s, I wasn’t tying them down…I was just setting them like giant muskrat trap. After having to go looking for the trap and beaver, I got more serious about my fastening. I’m lucky I never lost any.

But I’m guessing this trap was anchored down, and like LB12 said…it took a walk with someone.

 

[Longbeard12]

What‘s the story on the missing 330? Any sign of folks in the area? Could a beaver made off with it? Was it tied down good?

My personal feelings are some one walked off with it. We got this spot by word of mouth, and property owner wants these beaver gone. Chewed down a bunch of cherry trees, and would eventually like to be able to use his ground again instead of it being a huge swamp. Anyways, we were told that the neighbor ain't real keen into trapping and unfortunately there house is in plan view of were we had sets. It was wired off and wired to a tree stump set on a bank den. If you look at the tail caught beaver, look in the back ground, you can see it wired off to the stump.

After resetting that set we used a huge chew stick and ran it through both eyes of the belisle. Not the one in that pic. We can't find that huge chew stick anywhere and unless it was another tail caught beaver, it would have been drowned with in eye sight. The wire as brand new with in the past couple weeks. We're going to give it one good look tomorrow and then just right it off. Unfortunately all the snow melted here. Cable will be what we use in the future.

 

[Longbeard12]

Had another good day. Finished the day at 5 beaver. Biggest being 57.5 lbs, and my new personal best. It also was the second largest of the trip. Total weight of todays catch was 182 lbs which brings the trips total to 1047 lbs of beaver.

 

[Bigbrownie]

When I was trapping the State Park, I was concerned about theft. I was only setting 330s, and they all had a length of 3/32 cable attached. At the end of the cable, there was a swaged loop ( my tag was also in the loop ). I would only set where I could wrap the cable around a tree, or a good sized log. I would fasten the cable with a C link, that I would firmly tighten with my leather man’s tool. If a passerby wanted to take the trap, they were going to need a tool to loosen the link. Not foolproof, but it has saved a trap or two in the past.

 

[Bigbrownie]

Good haul today. Are you getting most of your catches in the 330s? You guys try any snares? I’m gonna have to use some cables when I jump into the gamelands here in 2D.

 

[Bigbrownie]

I went back and looked at the pic of the tail caught beaver. I‘d be leery of using wire. I had a 330 this year that was tied off with 3/32 cable….a beaver caught good in the trap flipped and twisted so much it broke some of the strands in the cable. It was a twisted up mess, and I had to replace it. Wire would have broke for sure. I know of guys putting swivels in their cables a foot out from the trap. I never have, but I might retrofit them in the off season.

But you’re probably right about the theft….that missing stick doesn’t make any sense.

 

[wildcat18]

I'm not understanding how you ran one stick through both eyes of the 330 and it still operated properly. Please explain.

 

[RegularJoe]

Twist the springs the same direction, same way you do a double longspring.

 

[Longbeard12]

Good haul today. Are you getting most of your catches in the 330s? You guys try any snares? I’m gonna have to use some cables when I jump into the gamelands here in 2D.

The original plan was to run snares, but when the time came we stuck with mostly foot holds on drowning rods, and probably 6 -8 330s out of the 40 sets. We probably caught 25-30% in body grips.

 

[Longbeard12]

Wildcat18, here is a picture of a beaver I caught today in a different location in a 330. Stick went through both spring eyes, hanging down in the run. Then I use another stick between the jaws to stabilize it.

 

[Longbeard12]

I went back and looked at the pic of the tail caught beaver. I‘d be leery of using wire. I had a 330 this year that was tied off with 3/32 cable….a beaver caught good in the trap flipped and twisted so much it broke some of the strands in the cable. It was a twisted up mess, and I had to replace it. Wire would have broke for sure. I know of guys putting swivels in their cables a foot out from the trap. I never have, but I might retrofit them in the off season.

But you’re probably right about the theft….that missing stick doesn’t make any sense.

Yeah we will be changing how we anchor for next season. We're going to go back in the am if it ain't all ice and snow covered. Just to be certain we didn't miss nothing. Never thought about putting a swivel in. I like that!

 

[Hern]

LB12, Congratulations on your heaviest Beaver.

 

[Longbeard12]

Well we finished the day off perfect. Second to last stop Ryan connected on a 59.5 lb beaver. Got it back to the truck and we headed to the last spot. Fresh 6" of snow on the ground so we weren't really expecting anything. We checked the first 2 sets on one side of the swamp and came up empty. Walked around to the other side of the swamp to the last two traps on the line and we doubled. He had a 58lb beaver and I had a 37 pounder.

Todays haul total was 154 pounds of beaver and if we include the 4 beaver we caught the day I arrived, we had 1201 pounds of beaver.
We caught one beaver that weighed 60#, 8 beaver in the 50's, 4 beaver in the 40# range, rest were smaller.

Not going to lie, I am ready for a break!! However already making plans for next year!!

 

[NorthernPotterCo]

Congrats on all your carches.

 

[NorthernPotterCo]

Longbeard 12 , what was the final count on your beavers and what are you doing with the meat ?

 

[Longbeard12]

Longbeard 12 , whar was the final count on your beavers and what are you doing with the meat ?

Including the 4 that he caught the morning that I arrived we caught 32. We pulled all the back straps out of all of them and seperated them between him and I. We cut off some meat for bait for next season also. Kept some skulls and will clean them up to sell.

 

[NorthernPotterCo]

Thank you Longbeard 12

 

[Hern]

Enjoyed the updates LB12. Thank for sharing. Congratulations to you and Ryan on a nice catch.

 

[Bigbrownie]

That was a nice haul. Did you guys get iced in the last two nights?
It’s amazing that with two weeks left in the season, there was still big beaver numbers to be had.

 

[Hern]

It’s amazing that with two weeks left in the season, there was still big beaver numbers to be had.

It sorta doesn't surprise me Bigbrownie. I sorta agree with you, but sorta think there is alot of Beaver in some areas.
Pa. is big state with not a lot of interest in Beaver. Plus, most folks don't want to work that hard. You know that. It's hard work trapping and harder work trapping Beaver.
I'll add that LB12 & Ryan were running alot of traps. An effort most guys don't want to do. Not to mention the hours and hours skun', flesh'n & boarding after all day walking through weeds and brush and wading in water.