Hunting & Fishing Trapped my first beaver!

[khall540]

Some beavers moved in on the creek and flooded the marsh on the property I hunt. So I went to fleet farm and bought a couple of 330 conibears and set them around the dam. After about a week of having the trap set I came up on this one this afternoon. Rough weight of approximately 60 pounds. I've never trapped for beavers before and watched a couple YouTube videos to get the hang of it.

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[Mike 338]

Now for the real fun. Take the hide off.

 

[khall540]

Is it really that tough? I was debating about taking it to a taxidermist and getting the hide tanned.

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[Wyfox]

Skinning them is easy, fleshing them is another story!
Congrats, beavers are my favorite critter to trap. If they get trap shy switch to an MB750 and get some Sweetwater Flattail lure and make a mound set, Very effective. You should have another adult and 5-6 two year olds left if know one else has been trapping in the area. Two year olds average 20-25lbs.

 

[khall540]

That sounds about right. I am the only one in the area setting traps and I saw a smaller one swimming while bowhunting in October. I didn't use any lure for this set. I just made a choke point or funnel with some sticks in a little bay on the top side of the dam and set the trap in the middle in the only opening, just under the surface of the water. Now the top pond is frozen but the bay stays open as the water runs around the top of the dam. I will get some pictures of the dam and the set today or tomorrow when I re-set two more traps. I also don't have any tools to flesh the hide which is why I was going to take this one to a taxidermist since it was so big and any others I catch I just planned on selling whole to the fur buyer.

 

[khall540]

Here is my set which caught the beaver.

This is an overview of the dam and upper pond.

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[pizzamanny]

I had a similar problem and had the same solution. Youtube is a great source. Connibears are mean, be careful. I bust a connibear size hole in the dam and place the trap in with sticks around it, tie it to a stake with wire leader.

 

[pizzamanny]

Beaver shot

 

[khall540]

I bust a connibear size hole in the dam and place the trap in with sticks around it, tie it to a stake with wire leader.

I had originally tried that but within a day it just got plugged with mud and sticks.


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[armorpl8chikn]

This one is a female? You haven't skinned it yet, how did you figure it was a female?
Nice beaver. make sure you enjoy some in the stew pot. They are delicious, just be very careful removing the castor glands.

After ice up you can use fresh willow twig bundle tied to trigger and let down through the ice. Spear half an apple on it and lock it down with thin wire too. You can bait your trigger on a conibear, just be damn careful with that thing. They can hurt you pretty bad.

 

[khall540]

Lol. No idea really. A guy I work with said it was. Sorry, I'm still new to this and don't know how you tell the difference.

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[pizzamanny]

Shaving it would make ID easier.

 

[lancetkenyon]

With the title of this thread, I though it was a wedding announcement...

That is a big beaver! I usually like mine a little smaller, but hey...a dry spell calls for desperate measures. At least it was very wet.

 

[jeffbird]

Just trying to understand, but wouldn't making a marsh/pond for you would be a good thing?

 

[khall540]

There is a creek that runs through the woods. The woods is now flooding. There are already two small ponds in the marsh. Those ponds are overflowing into the marsh. The water level is so high the wood duck houses on poles in the pond are now under water. Before the water began to freeze I was unable to cross the marsh on the trails while wearing normal knee high rubber boots.

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[xdeano]

You can find the sex of a beaver by either sticking your finger up the vent, if you hit something hard, well you've got a male and if it keeps going its a female. If you skin in and take the castors out you'll find out that way also.

Both Males and females have the vent and getting inside is the only way to truely know what you have.

skinning a beaver and fleshing them has a slight learning curve and a damn sharp knife. I'd say for your first one, get it tanned, you'll always have the memory of your first beaver, and have it hung on the wall as a conversation piece.

I've only got 2 beavers taned a black one and an albino one. I've caught thousands of them and these were the only ones worth keeping to me.

Just don't play with your beaver to much or you'll go blind.

Deano

 

[khall540]

DEANO thanks for the info and advice. I am going to take this on in to get tanned with the feet and claws on and have them add an artificial tail. Should look pretty good hanging on the wall when it is all said and done. Just got to wait for the taxidermist to get rid of some deer heads and open up some space.

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[mdesign]

Nice work, looks like you caught a big one.

 

[knockemdown]

Congrats, dude!
I've got a couple Belisle 330s and MB 750s to set myself, once the deer season wanes. Our little beaver swamp happens to be a deer safe haven, don't want to muckin' around in there & blow them outta the country just yet...

 

[220 Swift AI]

I have caught 2 beavers mounted a hole bunch but have never hung one one the wall. They get real bitchy when I tried that.

 

[Graham]

mounted a hole bunch.

There's a joke there somewhere.

 

[220 Swift AI]

Figure I would make it easy on you Graham so you didn't have to think so hard.

 

[khall540]

Hey guys. Old thread here but figured I would post a new pic since I just got the hide back from the taxidermist. He was able to preserve the original tail and keep it attached. The red thing on the nose is just a zip tie that was used to hang it.

 

[xdeano]

Looks good. Always nice to have beaver on a coffee table.

Xdeano

 

[snipe10]

that beav is huge

 

[khall540]

Coffee table is 49" X 24"

 

[Al Rick]

Very cool!

 

[Bill Larson]

Pretty Kool........the man from Beaver Dam Wi.............

 

[Ridgerunnerr]

I trapped a Beaver that big once, it was kind of like throwing a Hot Dog down a hallway though, did not get much use out of it. That is a big Beaver great job

 

[knapp5356]

Great job, that's awesome

 

[aaronraby1]

great looking pelt!

 

[KlownPuncher]

Wynona's got herself a big brown beaver and she shows it off to all her friends.