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Post by bloodthirsty on Mar 5, 2009 9:59:54 GMT -5
Got a new 1/2 doz 330's coming on monday......Is degreasing then painting with spray paint an option?? I was thinking about skipping the boiling/ dying precedure.....Never bought traps mid stream during season. Any thoughts?
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Post by Itrapny on Mar 5, 2009 10:30:38 GMT -5
I've used spray paint before on bodgrippers and it works great. You can even match the colors to whatever habitat you're setting in. I have some that tri color to match catttails and such.
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Post by trappermac on Mar 5, 2009 12:24:20 GMT -5
I've never dyed a 330, always just a light coat of black or brown rustoleum. Works great.
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Post by bloodthirsty on Mar 5, 2009 13:01:42 GMT -5
I always used to throw them into the boiling pot with the others and dye them whatever color....I always assumed that the smell would get all over my others traps in my basket and contaminate the whole bunch..i always carry an assortment of traps in my basket. Thanks for the input
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Post by jdpaint on Mar 5, 2009 13:09:53 GMT -5
Hey bloodthirsty, chasin some beaver soon?good luck to ya.
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Post by bloodthirsty on Mar 5, 2009 13:36:57 GMT -5
Hey bloodthirsty, chasin some beaver soon?good luck to ya. Howd ja guess?? Yep....I really got the ich this year...never targeted beaver before, so decided to give it a shot with the extended season.....This getting "laid-off" thing is ridiculus and the wife is sick off me. sooooo...here goes nothing. Any tips from you pro's out there would be appreciated.
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Post by jdpaint on Mar 5, 2009 14:33:02 GMT -5
There is alot of good ones on here,good luck .I am glad you are taking advantage of the season.
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Post by Itrapny on Mar 5, 2009 18:32:39 GMT -5
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Woj
#3 Newhouse
Posts: 3,381
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Post by Woj on Mar 5, 2009 20:25:34 GMT -5
I have to try to entice the beaver to come on our property as the property where the dam and lodge is has been recently bought and posted, with no permisson allowed. Going to try castor mounds and see if they get curious.
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Post by Itrapny on Mar 5, 2009 21:03:51 GMT -5
If there is a stream running from the dam into your property? Many times the beavers will travel over the dam and down the stream for quite a ways.
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Woj
#3 Newhouse
Posts: 3,381
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Post by Woj on Mar 5, 2009 21:09:47 GMT -5
Well I am upstream of the lodge and dam. I might be able to access the downstream area. We are majorly flooded upstream right now and after the rain this weekend, it will be even more interesting.
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Post by uplandguide on Mar 5, 2009 23:13:22 GMT -5
Upstream or down, no real difference from my experience. I have been setting open water (streams) for the last 3 weeks using Cavens 'Timber' and have had real good success on moving beaver. You don't need alot of lure, just the end of a stick is all I do and then set near an active castor mound. Works great. Just skinned and fleshed 2 this evening, both from the set up I just described.
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Woj
#3 Newhouse
Posts: 3,381
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Post by Woj on Mar 6, 2009 10:20:50 GMT -5
I will definitely give it a shot. I was thinking about setting up a couple mock castor mounds this weekend to get their interest. The biggest issue is there isn't any timber upstream so I they travel that way, it isn't usually for a food source except the occasional cattail here and there. I have access to both sides of the pond now so I will set up both ends and see what happens. I am just glad I have the opportunity to give it a shot.
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Post by jimd on Mar 6, 2009 18:34:31 GMT -5
if you are upstream, you shouldnt have a problem bringing the beaver to you, use some good castor and make sure its touching the water so you are spreading the oil on the water. This is the key to bringing beaver in from a long distance away.
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Woj
#3 Newhouse
Posts: 3,381
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Post by Woj on Mar 6, 2009 21:24:57 GMT -5
Ok thanks Jim. I will be sure to do that. I was thinking about making a kind of a tea bag out of some beaver castor and a coffee filter and letting that soak in the water right near my set, guarded by a trap.
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Post by johnrockwood on Mar 7, 2009 11:18:17 GMT -5
Beavers travel a long way in the spring - just like spring muskrats. You can make your own castor mounds and do well. Location is the only key to better success, but you can expect to take them almost anywhere there is water for them to travel in when the ice goes out and the spring "run" is on. We had to hire someone to skin for us last spring during the last week of the season. Badly needed sleep and didn't have time to do all the skinning when already burning the candle at both ends. Took a pile of beavers out of "dead" ponds and flows ! It isn't like that at any other time of the year though. In the fall and winter, you have to go to the beavers while in the spring the beavers will come to you !
As to the original intent of this thread, I paint all my body gripping traps. It's a bit expensive even when buying cheaper brands of paint as there is a lot of waste with spray paint. I stack them up in piles and spray them, flip em over when dry and do it again. Then go thru the whole bunch one by one and touch up the missed spots. I use ultra flat black and brown paints mostly. I prefer to use both colors as to have the traps any one solid color. They blend in better. Soak your new traps in a tub with vinegar and water for a day or so and flood the factory oil off the top of the water . Don't pull the traps up through the water and oil. They will be ready to paint as soon as they dry or you can let them rust a bit first if you have time. I have also dipped them in brown trap dip then "camo'd" them with a bit of flat black spray paint here and there. Good luck and enjoy the beaver trapping !
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Post by bloodthirsty on Mar 7, 2009 12:49:15 GMT -5
Thanks for all the pointers........The pond I am targeting is completley froze over with NO streams or creeks....a good 8 inches of ice cover the whole thing. No such areas for caster mounds or slides. I did locate a small feed bed about 50 yards from the hut. Did some investigating around the hut and found some runs under the ice.....Water is very deep. Thinkin with the major warm-up this week, that any open water that developes around the edges will get some action......we will see come saturday...Is there any pre-set scouting i should do?
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Post by johnrockwood on Mar 7, 2009 17:25:21 GMT -5
In a closed pond with no inlet or outlet, there isn't much you can do except trap them under the ice in the runs with baited sets if the water is deep or wait until the ice thaws enough to let them out to access a fresh food source. If they are denned in holes in the banks they can be trapped there just like muskrats. Even in that closed pond, they will respond to castor mounds when they can get out from under that ice that has held them captive all winter.
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Post by bloodthirsty on Mar 7, 2009 18:50:09 GMT -5
In a closed pond with no inlet or outlet, there isn't much you can do except trap them under the ice in the runs with baited sets if the water is deep or wait until the ice thaws enough to let them out to access a fresh food source. If they are denned in holes in the banks they can be trapped there just like muskrats. Even in that closed pond, they will respond to castor mounds when they can get out from under that ice that has held them captive all winter. Are you suggesting I help them out from under the ice by opening up some holes for them..?
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Post by johnrockwood on Mar 7, 2009 20:04:00 GMT -5
I wouldn't work that hard at it ! Let nature take it's course. The beavers will find a way out when things start opening up and that's where you want to be trapping them at. If the weather changes and it remains cold, you will have to trap them under the ice if the ice remains safe - remember where those runs are just in case. If it opens up and they start coming out on the banks, making a castor mound and using a good beaver lure there will trigger a territorial response that will cause those beavers to investigate your castor mounds.
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Post by drakagem4a1 on Jul 24, 2010 10:54:59 GMT -5
Wow, I just learned a ton of info I didn't know about beaver trapping by reading this thread, and that wasn't even the intent of it!!
I can't wait to find them this year!
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