FAVORITE BEAVER SET

[Bogmaster]

 95% of my beaver are taken in 330's at castor mounds of my making.Now I won't pass up a good dam crossing,but niether will I go out of my way to find one.
 With the castor mound set, I am dictating to the beaver where I will catch them---I rather enjoy making the animals come to me.
 Don't believe everything you read or here(unless I write it or say it)LOL (Tongue In Cheek).
 The castor mound is not just a spring set (as many people will tell you). I use it any time I have open water.
 Boy I sure like hauling in those flat tails.
 Tom

[2poor]

 I just have never got into the habit of using the 330 in open water.   Big fan of the MB-750 and a drowning rod.  A good portion of the Beaver I pursue are plugging culverts under the Township roads.  With the deep water this creates I can often hide my catch only feet from a busy road.  I have been known to make  those set's without even getting my boots wet ! 

 I agree Tom .  Most Beaver will respond to Castor no matter what time of year.  Perhaps with more tenacity in the spring , but strange Castor always seems to get some interest.

[The Poet]

                    Mornin Y'all,
     A snare set on a Beaver trail along the creek,
 but above the steep slope, is my favorite beaver set.

                                the Poet

[steven49er]

I prefer a good blind set with a 330.  Wether it be a crossover, channel or any place I think a beaver will swim.

With that said I catch most in open water with a castor set usually guard by a 330.

I'm like tom I'm not going to spend much time looking for a blind set.

Should also note in the spring most of my blind sets will have a shot of castor somwhere.  Typically a little distance away from the trap.

[Bogmaster]

 While many seem to think beaver react to castor better in the spring--it is a fallacy.
 They seem to act the same way no matter the time of year.The reason people think the react more in the spring has a couple of reasons.
 1. A beavers activities in fall and early winter are pretty confined to gathering the winters food.For this reason you will have less traveling,I want my sets made on sighn at this time of year.
 2.As the ice goes out beaver are doing a lot of pent up traveling.A short time later, the 2 year olds are kicked out and looking for new homes.As the birth of a new litter takes place, the male and young of last year go on a bit of a hiatus till after the female has delivered and adjusted to the new batch.
 Because of these things, you have a tremendous amount of beaver movement--thus they seem more susceptible to castor, but in reality they are just running into your sets more often because of all the traveling.
 Tom

[andytrapper]

My favorite beaver set is one with a beaver in it and it's my my trap.

Andy

[fishdaddy]

i caught a bunch by just sitting 330s in the bank den intrances then when they got to smart to go in them i set foot holds in the dens and slides even got 3 otters like that 2 in one 330 at the same time.

[KYBOY]

Im an absolute believer in castor mounds. They produce the vast majority of my beaver..

[akchuck]

Snares under the ice.

[MacinMaine]

1. A lured set using a 330 body grip.  Ours must be submerged but that is no problem.  It seems to be less work to call the beaver to where I would like him to be (with in reason of course)  than to travel all over the flowage. 
2. But a good blind set in a narrow run will not be passed up by this old boy.  I am no professional like some of you guys but what I like to do is hit them hard, using everything to my advantage and get out in a couple checks, heading for greener pastures if you will.

Mac

[KYBOY]

I also like crossovers and good blind spots..Really helps to pick up those shy beaver..

[Maze]

Gotta say I'm a believer in the caster mounds, especially with your caster lure Tom. Although I use more snares than body grip traps. Snares are cheap, easy to make and do a number on beaver populations.

[Bogmaster]

 Dec.24,2007

[T-Bar]

Hmmmm....

I'd have to say any under ice sets are my favorite for the fact that I have yet to make an under ice set that didn't connect. I like the fact that the beaver don't really have any way around your traps when they are under the ice...but then again all the work involved in setting and checking under ice sets isn't much fun.

Since I pretty much learned the castor mound set from one of Tom's demos at a convention I'd have to say thats still my bread and butter set. I don't know if I'll ever go back to snares again...I'm really starting to figure 330's out and they are alot more versatile than I once thought.