Beaver Trap Size?

[fatback]

Here are the results of my check this morning. 2 nice beavers and an unfortunate leap year coon. All caught in the 750s. Nothing in the conibears traps. Both beavers caught by the back foot. 1 on a blind set where a well defined trail went into the pond and another on a castor mound set. So I’m glad I followed the advice about going with the 750s over the 550s. I’ll I can figure on the coon is he saw the silver pan in the shallow water and just had to see what is was. I’ll rest and see what happens tonight. Thanks again for all the help/advice fellas, I appreciate it.

 

[oldguy]

Don't forget to keep the castors!

 

[fatback]

Big one was 44 pounds and smaller one was 36 pounds on a digital 50 lbs fish scale. Got to admit I’m pretty excited, especially for this being my first try. I guess even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while.

 

[fatback]

I plan on keeping the castors and getting the hides soft tanned.

 

[Doug B.]

Yes, first night catch! I love it!

 

[oldguy]

Just FYI, clean skinned and dried beaver hides last a l-o-n-g time. I gave one to a teacher maybe 15 years ago and it's now about ready to replace. They're stiff but presentable and impressive, 'specially off a 50+ pounder.
Let folks know you trap beavers and you'll be in demand!

 

[longrangedog]

Is the 750 legal in Georgia?

 

[oldguy]

Is the 750 legal in Georgia?

In the water - NOT on land!

 

[fatback]

Only using the 750s in drowning sets in the water. The coon must of been hunting the pond edge bad was drawn to the silver pan as these are new traps.

 

[oldguy]

Only using the 750s in drowning sets in the water. The coon must of been hunting the pond edge bad was drawn to the silver pan as these are new traps. View attachment 1004851

Coons uaually follow the drowning rig all the way to the bottom. Makes you wonder where they think they're going (?). Used to catch cane-cutter rabibits in drowners set for beavers. And down the wire they'd go.

 

[Doug B.]

Coons uaually follow the drowning rig all the way to the bottom. Makes you wonder where they think they're going (?). Used to catch cane-cutter rabibits in drowners set for beavers. And down the wire they'd go.

That's kinda the only direction they can go. You would think they would stop though when the water started getting deeper.

 

[fatback]

Not sure what he was thinking other than I wish my foot wasn’t stuck so bad. He was right there on the edge of the pond where I set the trap.

 

[fatback]

Nothing in the check today. There is no sign of any type of lodge on either of my ponds. I figure they are coming up from the river which is about 250-300 yards away from the ponds, through the woods. I wonder if I got the only two that were frequenting my ponds. I’ll leave the traps out a few more days and monitor and see if any new damage happens. I’ll keep y’all posted.

 

[antharper]

Nice beavers , cool animals that can be destructive !

 

[mossyoakpro]

I'm about to get into the beaver removal...I have friends begging for removal so I suppose I'm about to get my feet wet!!

Should be a fun learning experience...I already have some great advice from one of the legends of the trapping world on here.

 

[fatback]

Mossy,
It was pretty exciting catching them and having the research and planning work like it was supposed to. I’d definitely like to learn more and get better at water trapping. I believe it will be a good skill to have, especially with a couple of fish ponds I’m responsible for. Good luck with your beaver trapping. Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[mossyoakpro]

Mossy,
It was pretty exciting catching them and having the research and planning work like it was supposed to. I’d definitely like to learn more and get better at water trapping. I believe it will be a good skill to have, especially with a couple of fish ponds I’m responsible for. Good luck with your beaver trapping. Keep us posted on how it goes.

That 750 hard to get used to? I have seen mixed reviews on them...a lot of folks are recommending the TS85 over the 750? What you think?

 

[fatback]

The 750 is a stout trap for sure. I just step down on the leavers and set it that way. I do 550s the same way. Easy and less likely to catch myself. I like that both jaws are supported and solid. I don’t like having my fingers inside the jaws to set the trap. They certainly held both beavers by the back foot with no apparent problems at all. I’m not familiar with the TS85s so it would be hard for me to compare. I have always been impressed with the MB traps the customer services from them. If I have a need for more footholds for beaver I’d probably go with the 750s again.

 

[oldguy]

My 2 cents worth. Bigger is not necessarily better. LONG before there were MB750s & TS 85s the trap of choice for beavers was a Victor or Blake & Lamb #4 double long spring. It's what I started with on drowning rigs and still have and use. Yeah, I've got MB750s cause over time the #4 inventory got low. I liken this to just about anything else you want to mention - "Mine's biiggern' yours!" Read the old deer hunting stories and it's all about .35s and such - killed deer just as dead but now you got magnums and such. A 45# pound trad bow will kill any deer in the woods, but folks got to have 80# compounds and Lord Knows# crossbows. As is the case with so many things it's not so much what you got as how you use it. Can any body truly say that they would have absolutely caught that beaver if they'd been using a TS 85 rather than a MB750? What about the NEW & IMPROVED trap I'm developing the SR12M (a solid 12" of beaver catching machine!). The M of course stands for MAGNUM. Well the cats out of the bag now so somebody else will probably beat me to market with the G3 - GIGANTIC 3 FEET X 3 FEET OF BEAVER CATCHING MAJIC!!! EXACT SAME THING FOR COYOTES - IF I JUST HAD A BIGGER TRAP!!
Learn how to set/position the trap. Pay attention to what you're doing. Learn little tricks as you go. Get better. Sure every now and then you gonna' miss one but that's the way it is with this stuff. Anybody catch EVERY fish Every time? Anybody kill EVERY deer/turkey/squirrel/rabbit/quai/woodcock/duck EVERY time? Relax, have fun and enjoy the ride!
Again just my two cents worth, but what do I know I only caught my first beaver in '66 - that's 1966.

 

[jakebuddy]

I prefer ts85 dogless heavy duty trap. It’s not hard to set either.