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Post by whistlerwhittler on Jan 30, 2013 10:48:33 GMT -5
Today I had my first catch in a culvert set. Never had a spot where it would work before, the pipes are usually too big and the holes below are too deep. After the highway dept cleared a beaver dam out from the large twin road culverts, this spot was reduced to a 12" wide by 5" deep trickle. I scouted Monday and almost gave up on it because everything was frozen and snow covered. However walking back to the truck I noticed some very fresh chewing on a couple 3/4" - 1" diameter trees. The ice on the ditch was thinner in this spot and it almost looked like there were some old tracks in the snow. So I went back to the driveway up above where I had parked along the property line and set a 330 in the only open water around, the outlet to an 18" culvert. There was some pour off the end of the pipe and I didn’t want a beaver to run into the top of the 330, so I placed the trap about 2 feet downstream from the culvert. I usually don’t have luck with 330's sticking halfway out of the water, but there was no other option in this shallow spot. I was hoping that the beaver would just come swimming out of the pipe and not have much time to notice the trap. With this thaw a beaver must have decided to come back down from its pond up above on the adjacent property, so this morning I found this nice forty-some pounder. Unfortunately it was caught in the 330 by the back half of its body ... trigger regs.
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Post by papabear on Jan 30, 2013 12:20:56 GMT -5
Dear Friend, Way to go! Regards
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tomsnare
It's a good time to be a trapper!
Posts: 514
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Post by tomsnare on Jan 30, 2013 12:38:21 GMT -5
Nice one! I've trapped with a guy who sets his connibears half or more out of the water, it literally acts as a block to force the beaver into the trap. I tried it with limited sucess, seenwhere the beaver went around the trap going one way and then come the other way and it's in the trap!? Same beaver? I don't know for sure. I will always try something" new" even if I" know "it won't work,or especially if I'am told that!!----Tom
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Post by whistlerwhittler on Jan 30, 2013 13:00:01 GMT -5
Thanks guys.
Tom: I like trying new things too. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. It's great when they do work!
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Post by walleyed on Jan 30, 2013 13:53:14 GMT -5
Good Tactics WHIT, and good story.
Nice Job on the BIG: Genus Rodentia
walleyed
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Post by whistlerwhittler on Feb 1, 2013 11:14:26 GMT -5
Thanks Walleyed.
No beaver yesterday. The water level in the ditch came up about 7" - 8" so I added a dive stick to the set.
Went back this morning and caught another similar sized beaver. The water level had dropped and the beaver was all iced up so I pulled the trap and left the beaver in it until I can get it thawed. I didn't reset today as the 5" of water in the ditch will likely freeze solid again and we've got a busy weekend with the kids' hockey, scouts, etc.
Today's beaver was also caught by the back half. So I'm guessing the beavs are either hugging the one side of the channel or they are coming shooting out of that pipe at high velocities. Perhaps a newer Belisle 330 will shut quicker on them than the old Victor 330 I had out there. Or maybe a 280 (with a standard "V" trigger setup) will work better. The channel is just wide enough for a 330 so I don't think the 280 would be necking it down too much. I may set back in this spot again so any input would be appreciated.
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