Snaring Beaver...

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Feb 8, 2004
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Well, I own some 110 and 220 conibear traps, but I've been dealing with some pretty large beavers (45-60 pounds) in and around our pond. I've trapped with larger conibears and they are easily the more effective beaver trap, but I figured I'd try some heavy duty snares. I put out about 10 snares on both sides of the causeway between our pond and the drainage area that has been backing up due these pesky beavers. It took about four days and I had a snare or two tripped but came up empty. I went down Saturday morning and found one caught up in the snare; I dispatched it quickly. I only took the hind legs and cooked them up...it's pretty rich meat. There is still another beaver I'm trying to get rid of, but this is an endless battle. Still it really keeps your skill level up:D

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This is the first time I've caught a beaver in a snare...it mangled my snare though.

ROCK6
 
nice, in IL snares must be set below the water line. I have always used 330s on beavers also below water line at the bottom of the slides. meat is very rich, try par boiling it or putting a rack under it with a foil hat on top in the oven. Its good when done right but a chore to cook. Do the hides bring any money down there?
 
Glad to hear you guys are eating them. Beaver is some fine eatin IMO:thumbup:
 
Never did trap for beavers, always used the high velocity lead method. Also never got around to trying to eat one though. They were pests though, and fell outside of the shoot and eat rule. Pretty cool stuff man!
 
Good photos Bro

How many acres do you have there??

It’s only about 12 acres with about half of it being the pond.

Do the hides bring any money down there?

Not like they use to. Beaver are considered “pests” and open for year-round hunting. I do know that hogs are also labeled as such as you get $20 per tail in some places.

Never did trap for beavers, always used the high velocity lead method. Also never got around to trying to eat one though. They were pests though, and fell outside of the shoot and eat rule. Pretty cool stuff man!

That’s how I’ve been killing them is just sneaking up on them and shooting them. The area they are in now is outside my pond in a pretty swampy area. They still cross over into my pond, but they use their nocturnal tactics and haven’t given me too many opportunities to actively hunt.

The only reason I took the hind legs was teach my son that you need to eat what you kill or at least do something productive with it. Granted they are pests, but they have value with the pelts, glands and meat.

I’m just fortunate I can practice my snaring. It’s less about the snare than it is identifying active game trails and improving camouflage and funneling.

ROCK6
 
snares are effective for sure with the right skills on making the sets. I wish we could snare coyotes they are way overpopulate here. would love to go on a hog hunt, just downloaded some wild hog calls for my foxpro e-caller now just got to wait until they spread further up the state.
 
snares are effective for sure with the right skills on making the sets. I wish we could snare coyotes they are way overpopulate here. would love to go on a hog hunt, just downloaded some wild hog calls for my foxpro e-caller now just got to wait until they spread further up the state.

Yeah, they're spreading...a lot of South Georgia farmers are really getting upset at the damage they're causing. I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but some "pests" are quite tasty...who doesn't love bacon?!

ROCK6
 
Shooting-Snares-and Conibears Oh My.
Whenever I've tried to snatch a fine beaver I used margaritas & tequia shots :D
 
In regards to beavers, what makes them pests? Pardon me if it's a silly question, but I've grown up in a suburb area of Sweden and have no experience with beavers! Do they get into your trash like racoons? I have a vague memory of my friend's dad who lives up north talking about shooting some beavers on his property, so apparently they aren't liked up here neither :D
 
Beavers dam up small creeks creating sometimes very large marshes and drainage issues, as well as destroy trees and they can almost do more damage to crops such as corn than the deer can. They also can dig large tunnels next to waterways that are pretty dangerous if you fall through, or here in the country if your equpiment falls through as you drive by near the water.

Beavers aren't all bad to have around, but when there are a ton of them they do create some issues.
 
Beavers are the only animal I know of besides us, that change the local environment to suit them. The higher the population, the more they will build dams to make their ponds larger. They are even clever enough to build secondary dams to reduce the strain on the primary dams, something that we learned to do, from observing them! So while they stick to their own areas, and don't wander far, it doesn't take them long to turn a field or paddock into a lake. By keeping populations under control, you can maintain a great wetland area as a habitat for other animals, without having them try to take over. its all about balance.
 
Oh, so many questions and comments that can be made about eating beaver....;):D

Seriously.... are they edible?
 
One of my great uncles said that they were quite enjoyable if you got them right. He also said to boil the tail until the skin about pulled free, and the inside was a fat similar to pigs legs. He also said if he had any other options, he'd eat nearly anything else, I suspect that back when they were a staple of his diet, hunger made the main seasoning.
 
I watched a move years ago where an Eskimo cooked a beaver. He cut off the tail and put it on a stick over a fire. He said it was the best part of the beaver.
 
Beavers dam up small creeks creating sometimes very large marshes and drainage issues, as well as destroy trees and they can almost do more damage to crops such as corn than the deer can. They also can dig large tunnels next to waterways that are pretty dangerous if you fall through, or here in the country if your equpiment falls through as you drive by near the water.

Beavers aren't all bad to have around, but when there are a ton of them they do create some issues.

Yeah, I really don't mind them, but they are pretty notorious around where I live where they will flood areas, destroy man-made ponds by burrowing under and weakening the walls or outlet areas. For me, they always block out the outlet pipes...not a big issue as I'll just clean them out, but they are really creating havoc on the trees in the drainage area...several have been chewed through and it's flooding. Beavers are good for an ecosystem, but when overpopulated, they can destroy that same area.

ROCK6
 
They are greasy though, so when you eat beaver there is a chance your face could end up looking like a glazed doughnut. :D
 
I've seen beavers block outlet structures on ponds and raise the level several feet--in danger of washing over the dam itself. I've never had to do it myself but it can take a LOT of work to get that kind of mess cleaned up.

Have heard that beaver tail is good eating, but I've never bothered trying it. We've got plenty of cows here :D
 
I've got a few 220's, and have used some 330's, but for snarin' beaver, I've always stuck to grain alcohol, usually in jello shooters, or the occasional vodka & cran. With a little Bjork played in the background...:foot:
 
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