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Post by whistlerwhittler on Mar 26, 2012 9:00:46 GMT -5
Last Friday I caught a nice dark 32# beaver at a castor mound set. Nothing seemed unusual until I went to brush it. Along the lower ribs on both sides he had a bunch of knots in his fur. It took me about 20 minutes to brush them out before skinning. Never seen anything like it before. On another note, I also noticed the pads on both hind feet were very worn, especially considering this wasn’t a big old one.
Also, last Tuesday I set up at a farm where they’ve been struggling with the beaver for a while. I walked one whole side of the swamp (the farmer only owns the eastern half) and the only fresh sign I saw was a large castor mound right by the road culvert. The tracks on the mound were large, as long as my hand. So I put a blind set in on the beaver’s approach to the mound. This was in clear sight of a busy road, so in case of theft, I set it with a #4 instead of my trusty 750's. Two mornings in a row I found the #4 tripped but not slid down the wire. So I switched the trap out for a 750 and upped the ante with some of Night Owl’s castor. Two nights the set went undisturbed and I thought that maybe the beaver had been spooked by his toe pinching. But then yesterday morning I found an empty trap bed and a nice 50 pounder at the bottom of the wire. That made my morning. Sorry that I have no pictures, I’ve really got to get my own camera as I’m nervous about dragging my wife’s Nikon out in the swamps.
Although I plan on trapping one more spot before the season closes, yesterday’s XXL will likely be the last beaver I get fleshed in time for the April 2 NAFA pickup.
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Post by TI trapper on Mar 26, 2012 9:31:00 GMT -5
great job, what do you think is the difference between the #4 not making a catch and the 750 getting it done?
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Post by whistlerwhittler on Mar 26, 2012 14:09:36 GMT -5
Thanks.
My trap placement was probably off a bit. Yesterday he was caught by the front foot but he also had a small cut and cracked nail on the tip of one of his rear toes. Those back feet are about as big as my hand. The bigger jaw spread on the 750 leaves a little more room for error, I miss very few beaver with the 750's.
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Post by artie on Mar 27, 2012 18:35:36 GMT -5
whistler all beavers have that cracked toenail its there grooming nail .
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Post by whistlerwhittler on Mar 27, 2012 21:07:58 GMT -5
No it wasn't one of the split grooming nails (I think those are on the second from the inside toe on each hind foot). This was on a different toe and it was actually cracked. Just above that crack was a cut.
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