Tips and tactics for front foot catches.

[wormbobskey]

I'm in need of a little advise on catching beaver by the front foot. I have a few #5's, but the majority of my beaver traps are #4 dls's and a few#4 coils. Should I use food lures to catch them by the front foot or castor based lures. I know they will be trying to cover my castor lure with their own, so how can I get them to drop their load of mud and leaves and put their foot down in my trap? Any advise you can give will be greatly appreciated. Worm

[Bogmaster]

 Worm,nothing is 100%, but when I used footholds for beaver I set almost always for a front foot catch.
 I used castor mound sets(as I have never had much luck with any food lure). I made my mound and put my lured stick on top of the mound,I put my trap up close to the mound and offset it--left or right ,a few inches.I used the lure stick as my focal point--as that is where the beavers nose is going to be,then a few inches ofsett from that.
 Worked very well for me.
 Tom

[wormbobskey]

Tom, I've always been told that beaver will come into the castor mound only to cover it with their own castor. I'll give your way a try and see what happens. Thanks, Worm.

[trappnman]

When using footholds at castor or similar sets, I always do 2 things- 1, if possible make a small cutout 18 inches or so wide, and the same deep. this squares him up coming in. Inside the cutout, I take the spade and make a ridge 2-3 inches high, and set the trap behind that. much easier and far better than any poke of guide sticks- he will hit the ridge with his chest coming in if swimming, and he will step over the ridge and give you a front foot catch like clockwork. If I can't make cutouts, such as rip rap, I'll use rocks, logs, etc to get him coming in square.....trappnman

[RdFx]

Same  as with mink if you dont have  that  ideal set....MAKE IT.... when spring bvr trapping   one cant walk up and down a stream looking for a spot to make a castor mound for bvr......  i walk down to river , stream, lake and make the ideal set with whatever material is on hand be it branches, sticks , rocks  or even just  grass (marsh ect)  and make my set..... time over time it has proven a  fur getter..... even catches those pesky  unwanted otter when you DONT have a tag....LOL.....but here in Wisc   we turn incidental catches in and the sale of the pelt goes to  trappers education..... something the WISC TRAPPERS ASSOC  work long hard years in getting that moneys from incidental  fur pelts to go to trappers education instead of a general fund that the states  governor  could use at his whims.....

[Bogmaster]

 worm--never believe anything you read or hear--unless I wrote it,or said it(tongue in cheek).
 I too have read over and over ,about beaver covering up your castor mounds--I have made thousands of them ,and it has never been a problem.I have had a couple built next to mine,but I can't remember the last time I had one covered up by a beaver.
 Maybe its the way I trap,maybe its the lures I use--I don't know,its just nothing I have ever had to worry about.
 Tom

[wormbobskey]

Thanks for all the good advise. I like the idea of the cut out and ridge set up. Seems to make good sense. Come to think of it I sort of remember one of my trapping video's having a set like that, might have been hauser's video. I'll be trying both the offset set Tom mentioned and the cut out set trappnman talked about. Thanks again, Worm.

[trappnman]

how important is mud at a castor set? I just dip stick into lure bottle, and stick that up on bank, letting a little dribble down into the water-

tom, you always use mud or some type of "mound"??

[Bogmaster]

 Steve,I almost always use mud.It works in a couple ways.Fresh mud is a sight attractant and the odor is also an attractant.I lure a stick and throw it right on top of the mud--it elevates the lure and allows more air to get at it--and spread that great aroma around a bit  LOL.I think these things help an awful lot.
 Tom

[Bogmaster]

 I should have added this to my other post--Many times I set up an area for beaver on big lakes,white caps are coming right in at me.I just make my castor mound and set up anyway.I put the mound ,just out of reach of the incoming waves and make my sets.Anyone would think it is a useless cause,wind in the wrong direction and water no beaver would want to swim in.It seems to make no difference,my traps are often full the next morning.I attribute this in part to the fresh mud of the castor mound.The beavers may not get a whiff of my lure from any distance,but I think they can sure see that fresh mud pile.
 Tom

[wormbobskey]

Tom would you use vasoline or glycerin as your base for a homemade castor lure? I've read somewhere that the vasoline doesn't release the castor smell as well as glycerin. I've also been tincturing some of my ground castor in gin. Any advise?

[Bogmaster]

 Tincturing ,will give you a castor for canine lures--not beaver.I don't mess with vaseline and have never used it in my lure making,so I can't give you an answer on that one.
 Glycerine is used by many lure makers,with good results.
 Tom

[wormbobskey]

I tried vasoline when I first started trapping beaver several years ago, but always assumed it was my lack of knowledge on trapping them that kept me from making any catches. I was told to melt it in the microwave until it was completely melted than add the dried and ground castor to it. For the last couple of years I have only used glycerin and have been doing a lot better at catching them. Can't really afford to buy commercial lures so I use either castor from beaver I have caught or castor from trades I make on a couple websites. Plus I really like making my own. This year is the first time I've tried tincturing and it seems to be doing ok as the gin really took on the sweet castor smell. I'll use it in my K-9 lures instead of using my dried and ground castor in them. Thanks for the help. Worm

[trappnman]

I've made both mink gland lure and castor lure, by warming up vasaline and mixing it in- worked just fine for me. I just squeezed out the castor, then chopped upwhat was left and mixed all together.  now, if not using a lure, i just squeeze castor out of a gland at the set