Beaver Trapping
A Brief Look At Methods Of Beaver Trapping
Beaver trapping has been an ongoing commercial activity in North America since at least the 17th century, when Native Americans traded beaver pelts in exchange for goods provided by the Europeans. Fur trapping became widespread as the continent became settled. Consequently by the early 20th century, the beaver had become an endangered species. It has since rebounded, and trapping is again permitted, at least on a limited scale, throughout most of its habitat. Most trapping is done where populations are deemed to be larger than necessary, and when the market for fur is good. A Canadian study has determined that beaver populations can remain stable, and even increase in size, with an annual harvest of around 30%. Beaver trappers can therefore expect to do quite well in areas where populations are again large and the beaver in fact, has started to become a pest.
In many states and provinces one can obtain a beaver trapping license to trap the animal during certain times of the year. This is generally during the winter and early spring. The beaver's pelt is at its best during this period. Winter weather of course, may make trapping quite a chore in some areas. Some state or local governments require the use of live traps only. In some circumstances however, a permit to use a lethal trap can be obtained. Others allow either live catch or lethal traps to be used.
Two traps often used, especially if the objective is to relocate the animal, are live catch traps such as the Hancock or Bailey traps. Lethal traps include the conibear, a widely used killing trap, and other traps designed to catch the animal by one foot underwater, preferably a hind foot, thereby causing it to drown. One of the things that must be remembered in beaver trapping is to secure the trap well. A beaver is a large rodent, with the adult usually weighing between 30 and 60 pounds. If a trap is not well secured, you stand a good chance of losing the beaver, and the trap. If too small a trap is used, and the beaver survives, it will likely become trap-wise, and more difficult to trap in the future.
The conibear trap is a heavy duty instrument, and great care must be taken when setting it. Experienced trappers who rely on the conibear will carry a hacksaw blade with them, as sawing is sometimes the only way to escape from the trap should you accidentally get caught. The conibear trap is sometimes set under water, sometimes above the water where it must be camouflaged. The trap should not be set where it could trap something you would not want trapped, such as a dog. If you search the Internet (beaver traps, or conibear trap) you can find illustrations on how best to set this kind of trap. If not set correctly, beavers, being quite intelligent, will choose to avoid going near it.
Just as you can use cheese to catch a mouse, something is often needed to lure a beaver to a trap. Collected from its musk sacs, beaver castoreum is the most commonly used attractant. Freshly cut twigs from cottonwoods, aspen, and willow, can serve well as bait. If a beaver's winter cache can be located, usually next to an opening in its lodge or den, a trap baited with freshly cut twigs will often be effective in that location. Of course you can place a trap anywhere a beaver is likely to travel, in other words on a well defined pathway. If you choose a good location for a trap, bait it properly, or camouflage it well. Some say that the beaver is an easy animal to trap, and in one sense it is. On the other hand, it can be an awful lot of work just setting out traps in the first place, and then retrieving them later.