« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: first timer  (Read 734 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline yooperman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
first timer
« on: January 05, 2004, 02:45:03 PM »
Iam an active outdoorsman from Michigans up . i have never had any experience trapping anything other than coons around the chicken coop .i have decided to start out trying for beaver. ihave found 9 different beaver lodges fairly close to the road , within half a mile.Ponds are froze up now . I have set ten snares and two connibear 330's through the ice baited with aspin sticks but i have not had any luck. i have checked them every day for the past week . is there a such thing as checking them too often.i think i might be making too much noise in doing so                                                                                                             should i even be starting out with beaver?  I do a lot of hunting and fishing but have never even seen how to go about trapping .I am supprized at how much i dont know .im sure ill have lots of questions in the future
Logged

Offline KYtrapper17

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 237
first timer
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2004, 03:06:00 PM »
Welcome! :D  Stick around to this forum and ask every question that pops into your mind. I'm sure Boggy or someone will help you with the beavers. There is some very good info on this forum.

Good Luck,
Zach Ellis :wink:
Logged
Trapping ain't a sport; It's a way of life

Offline Asa Lenon

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • A Real Regular
  • ****
  • Posts: 908
first timer
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2004, 03:12:12 PM »
:D Welcome from another yooper!  I'm not an expert on beaver so will let bogmaster or someone else help you with your question.  When you ready to tackle U. P. fox, coyote and bobcat, holler for me!  Ace :grin:
Logged

Offline yooperman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
first timer
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2004, 03:25:50 PM »
thanks guyes                                                                        i am 27 years old and have been succesfully deer hunting for 15 years .im sure like hunting and fishing ,trapping will eventually become a passion
Logged

Offline Mallard

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 302
first timer
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2004, 01:12:19 AM »
Yah hey der......Welcome Yooperman. :D
Logged
Proud member NTA, MTA, NRA, DU and DW

Offline Bogmaster

  • Moderator
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2743
first timer
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2004, 07:15:03 AM »
Yooper,welcome. Under ice beaver can be frustrating,trap and snare placement is very important.Your baited sets should be placed near their feedbeds.Where are yours now?
 You may also want to set unbaited traps in their runs.
 Let us know set locations,also look at the houses to make sure they are inhabited,in this weather you should be able to see steam exiting from the vent hole.   Tom
Logged
If you need trapping supplies---call ,E-mail , or PM me . Home of Tom Olson's Mound Master Beaver Lures  ,Blackies Blend--lures and baits.Snare supplies,Dye ,dip,wax,Large assortment of gloves and Choppers-at very good prices.Hardware,snares,cable restraints and more!Give me a call(651) 436-2539
  I now also carry --- The WIEBE line of Knives and their new 8 and 12 inch fleshing Knives.

Offline yooperman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
first timer
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2004, 11:45:18 AM »
i have not looked for steam but i have found about a dozen lodges , 9 of the twelve have fresh feed beds close by .i set ten snares ,two on each pole within 5 ft from the edge of the feed pile at one of the lodges .i have snares all around the feed pile but still no luck today.i also set two connibears at a different lodge just at the edge of feed pile one was baited one wasent
Logged

Offline yooperman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
first timmer
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2004, 02:03:56 PM »
still no luck i have had a lot of my snares set off lately but nothing in them i heard that i might be making my snare loops too small so when i went back today i made all my loops bigger .maybe that will be the trick.i now know for sure there are beavers in the lodge because of the steam that pores out of the top of the lodge ,thanx for the tip.
Logged

Offline Bogmaster

  • Moderator
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2743
first timer
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2004, 02:35:49 PM »
Good luck Yooper.
 Tom
Logged
If you need trapping supplies---call ,E-mail , or PM me . Home of Tom Olson's Mound Master Beaver Lures  ,Blackies Blend--lures and baits.Snare supplies,Dye ,dip,wax,Large assortment of gloves and Choppers-at very good prices.Hardware,snares,cable restraints and more!Give me a call(651) 436-2539
  I now also carry --- The WIEBE line of Knives and their new 8 and 12 inch fleshing Knives.

Offline steven49er

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 134
first timer
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2004, 06:12:28 PM »
Yooper, when setting the conibears I would recommend setting them where they are swimming.  How close to the house can you set in Michigan?  If you can set next to the house or den I would try set in the entrances to them.  It is kind of an acquired art form locating them when it is frozen up but it is usually easily done with practice.   One note is be careful around the houses.  It doesnt matter how cold it is where the beaver swimming the ice can be very thin or nonexistant especially with snow cover.  

As for checking them too often or making to much noise I personally find this to be not true.  Every year I personally catch beaver on the same day as setting the trap even when using the chainsaw to cut ice.  Most of the time this happens is when I am running a ditch system with the snowmobile and drive back past traps and check them and have connected.  This will usually happen on the first  day after setting.  The fastest I have caught a beaver under ice is fifteen minutes.  

If you have any specific questions ask and I will try to explain it to you.
Logged

Offline yooperman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
first timmer
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2004, 10:34:03 AM »
well in mi , i believe you can actually set traps on a beaver lodge or damm as long as it is below the water line.i think the lodge has thee entrance . at first ice ,the one entrance had an open sretch of water out from it .i think it is the one they use most .the trench that comes out from the lodge gets deep fast there .it drops down to about 8 feet within 15-20 feet from the lodge .the edge of the feed bed is all along this trench and i have set my snares all along the edge of the feed bed and i set one connibear about 5 feet from the lodge in about 4 feet of water and about half way down . is this ok or should i be even closer to the lodge ?also do beaver usually hug the bottom when the leave the lodge?if so i should probably set traps closer to the bottom ?also ,for a snare poll i used 31/2in fresh cut balsum is that ok or should i be useing dead dry polls?
Logged

Offline Bogmaster

  • Moderator
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2743
first timer
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2004, 10:52:04 AM »
Yoop,if you are setting the runs(trenches)get right down on the bottom.That is how they become trenches,the constant swimming of the beaver on the bottom wears them deeper and deeper.
 Tom
Logged
If you need trapping supplies---call ,E-mail , or PM me . Home of Tom Olson's Mound Master Beaver Lures  ,Blackies Blend--lures and baits.Snare supplies,Dye ,dip,wax,Large assortment of gloves and Choppers-at very good prices.Hardware,snares,cable restraints and more!Give me a call(651) 436-2539
  I now also carry --- The WIEBE line of Knives and their new 8 and 12 inch fleshing Knives.

Offline steven49er

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 134
first timer
« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2004, 01:19:10 PM »
Yep, set the coni's right on the bottom in runs.  I like to set as close to the house as I can.  I like to call ringing the doorbell.  When I set house and den runs I wear a pair of chest waders and climb right in the hole in the ice.  Feel around with your feet and find the best spot that you think the trap should go.  Stabilize the trap right in the run.  I like to use 1x1 oak stakes that I haul around with me.  Saves time looking for suitable material.  Drive the stakes in the bottom and slide the springs of the trap over and push the trap right to the bottom.  If it is a good run and there are several beaver in the house this is a high percentage set.  Should connect over night.   If it is just a pair of beaver in the lodge it may take a few days to score but they will come.
Logged

Offline yooperman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
first timmer
« Reply #13 on: January 19, 2004, 02:40:30 PM »
well it worked.i went in yesterday and set a connibear in front of each entrance and made sure i got them right on bottom i went back tonight after work and pulled out my first beaver .thanks alot for all the help guyes the info has been very useful.                                                                                                                                                          beware great beaver of the north :-)
Logged

Offline KYtrapper17

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 237
first timer
« Reply #14 on: January 19, 2004, 03:09:36 PM »
Congrats on the first beaver! I caught my first this year and these nice people on this forum gave me a fair warning that I would become addicted. And I did. I'll bet you are too. I can't wait for spring beaver season. I have a few beaver marshes lined up.

Good Luck,
Zach Ellis :wink:
Logged
Trapping ain't a sport; It's a way of life

Offline Jacktheknife

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Avid Poster
  • **
  • Posts: 170
first timer
« Reply #15 on: January 20, 2004, 01:22:10 PM »
Yooperman hey!   Now don't listen to me as I am from down in Texas but I catch Beavers down here on trails they make on land, and not in the water, and the water is not even frozen  here.  I set snares on Beaver trails to and from the water, where they walk around coming and going.  The fur buyer down here said don't even bring them in this year!   I don't know why except  they are a lot of work to skin and only brought $6.00 in the fur boom, back in 86-87-88.  But snares ! are the perfect thing for Beaver.
Snares on dry land trails.  luck...   J. Knife
Logged
Invalid e-mail address. Fix it asap. GB

Offline yooperman

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 18
first timmer
« Reply #16 on: January 20, 2004, 03:11:45 PM »
hey you know i didnt realize i was addicted until i went to work today and by about three bells i wanted to get out in the woods so bad i couldnt hardly stand it.i guess i am addicted after all
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »