live traps works good!

[davidlt89]

I was called to local park the other day. This park has a very small lake on it and they stock it with brookies and only kids 15 and under are allowed to fish. the inlet of the lake seems to attract beavers, seems they were having a problem.

I had been there last year and the trapping situation is tricky. There is a lot of traffic by the beaver house, especially kids and dogs!!! Neither I want in a 330, so I brought in my live trap sunday to test it out.

I had set the live trap in another place before and I "messed" up setting it and it did not go off and shut and the beaver took my bait and packed it full of mud and grass!! Not happy:lipsrsealed:

So I was expecting a little different outcome this time. sure does help sometime when you  "read" the directions;)

I made my rounds sunday and took the trap to the lake with me. Ashlee had asked to accompany these checks so she was part of the crew and helped me carry it out to where I had to take it.

so I got it there and open and baited it up and put it right in their food. They have two huge popals down and eat of those. I watched one friday night actually do it so that is what gave me the idea.

Ashlee works in presque Isle and got the "itch" to go check trap at lunch. As she was walking in she said she heard it go off!!! sure enough it had a beaver in it. here is what it looked like when I got there.


I took this video then killed the beaver and reset. while i was resetting, the other beaver there was having a snack. listen closely and you can hear her work the wood.


This beaver was in the trap tonight and dispatched shortly after getting there. I believe these are the only two, but time will tell. it has been busy lately and i had another town call today and add themselves to the list!!!!

On a side note I am getting some gigantic beaver, mainly due to being pregnant and being ready to pop anytime. I caught one last week that is closer to 70lbs than 60lbs. when I pointed it out to Ashlee, she literally thought it was two beaver side by side. took two hands to get here out of the water for sure. she may have well been almost 24" wide, why she thought she could fit through a conibear is beside me!!! God Bless.

[gitano]

Y'know, another thought occurred to me. If you just have to waste the "depredation" beaver, why don't they let you just shoot them?

It's kind of a rhetorical question, as I think logic has long since "left the room" when it come to you ADC program.

These videos reminded me of 'long ago and far away' when I was working on beaver research. We would capture them alive. Surgically implant a radio transmitter whose pulse frequency was a function of  their internal temperature. Then follow them throughout the winter noting their periods of activity/inactivity.  Wrestling a big beaver from a clam-shell live-trap was an interesting affair!

Paul

[apeters24]

heck the trap Monday - BEAVER!  Checked it again with my boy Tuesday - BEAVER!

I think there's just the 2 in the small lake, so we won't venture that way today.  I did see a kit at another place the other day, and there's just been one beaver "disposed" of that area..  So my boy and I will stop by there after work!

Yesterday, after checking both spots, my son said - "That's it?!  We need to check somewhere else!"  I think he likes to check just as much as I do.  :)

[davidlt89]

Y'know, another thought occurred to me. If you just have to waste the "depredation" beaver, why don't they let you just shoot them?

It's kind of a rhetorical question

It sure is a rhetorical question. We, meaning trappers, are aloud to shoot beaver if it is in a trap.
That being said, there are "many" beaver shot every year! There are many people that take care of their own beaver problems, if ya know what I mean! God Bless.

[gitano]

Shooting in a trap isn't "shooting", it's "dispatching".

I suppose most individuals just 'deal with' a beaver problem as they see fit. In my opinion, if they use the beaver, their unlawful behavior is FAR outweighed by the waste of the ADC program.

Paul

[davidlt89]

Oh Paul, they don't use the beaver! they shoot it and they usually just hang out in the water and drift away. I had one shot in a place I was called to, it was just sitting and rotting. Trappers are the only ones that care to use any of the beaver, the rest of the population could care less! some just shoot them for fun!!! God Bless.