Originally posted by 76chevy:
up to you, some places you just cant drown them. With a big good strong foothold I am not afraid to just stake them in solid and keep them alive.
I use mostly bridger 3's or duke 4's, 4 coiled for beaver and have caught and held large ones by both front or back feet with no drowning setup. I set them on dam crossovers and castor mound sets.
Originally posted by Gilley:
[b] So Chevy, I don't have deep enough water. The creek is barely 2 feet deep in most places (probably deeper right now but will go back down). Should I stay with snares? I've got one 330 I was going to try and set on a slide. Don't really see a dam on my stretch of creek just a few trees down.
Gilly,
You CAN drown a beaver in 2' of water. As long as you have a HEAVY weight, and a good slide rig, 2' is plenty. You do have to set for a FRONT foot catch to do it on a regular basis. Getting enough weight to a set can be an issue if you can't drive up to it. What works for me a carrying a couple burlap bags to my set location, fill them up with rocks, and wire them closed. # 11 wire, and a one way slide with your trap of choice. Sometimes the hardest part is getting the slide wire anchored good at the bank/set location. Choke up the chain, and attach the slide really close to the trap. That, and a front foot catch keeps even the biggest of beavers from keeping their heads above water.
