spooked beavers

[travfeasby]

we got a 51 lb. male beaver at a dam cross over 4 days a go. we have had no action since. could the rest of the beavers be spooked? if they are spooked, generaly how long will they stay holed up untill they start moveing again? thanks for any expertinced info.

[Bogmaster]

 Trav, its not always easy to tell why or why not--beaver are not moving.
 On your dam crossover--was the catch made on the bottom side of the crossover or the top? Also how far from the dam is the lodge or den? Is the dam ,the only dam? or is it one in a series of dams? If it is one of a series of dams,is it the first or main dam.or is it one further down stream?
 Last but not least-- how much open water do you now have?
 
 All these things can affect how often a beaver enters into a certain area,once you give me more info, we wil go on from there.
 Also do you check your traps every day?
 Tom

[travfeasby]

there are 2 dams on this creek and i trapped the beaver on the top side  of the 1st dam. the 1st dam is 50 yds from the den. there is no open water from  the 1st dam back to den and beyound it.  i made a couple caster inbwteen the 1st and 2nd dam. the same night i caught the beaver, abeaver went on the other side of my caster set and made his own, avoiding my trap. i was checking my traps every day until now , i am going every other day . apper. your knowledge.

[Bogmaster]

 The lack of open water,from the den to the dam--will greatly affect the amount of beaver movement.
 The beaver going around your set does not mean its spooked. This happens from time to time. I have had it happen several times,and later taken the beaver.When your ice goes out, things get much easier.
 Thats one of the things about trapping, you never know exactly what to expect--and sometimes we do not have all the answers. Persistance is the key . The more we keep at it, the more we learn. If trapping was easy-- more people would be involved in it.
 Tom

[travfeasby]

the beaver going around my set  is not why i think they are spooked. the no activeity around the dam and no chewed sticks along the creek below the dam is why i think they are spooked.

[travfeasby]

 time is running out also our season ends feb.28. seed for next year.

[lorne]

Was that beaver still  laying in the crossover or had he kicked away from it.I had that happen to me last fall  on an ADC job I caught a kit beaver(He never moved) in a dam crossover.. quite aways from the beaver house. everything went dead I pulled out for 2 weeks then returned and resumed catching. Now 2 weeks won,t help you at all.

But like Bogmaster said.. It maybe another factor entirely.

[Spade]

Even tho your season is over, this might help for next year.  You might consider that the beaver you caught was an old batchler, and was the only one from that area of the creek.  Sometimes you can tell if the damn is not in excellent repair as it would be with alot of beaver in the area.  At l;east that has been my experience.