# Catching Beavers With Snares!



## Snareman

Beavers are one of the easiest animals to snare. One of the reasons is because their travels hardly go unnoticed with their plowed trails, narrow travel areas, dams, crossovers and evidence of chewed trees. They are also an animal that responds very well to castor lures. Castor is a secretion given off near the base of their tail and when beaver smell castor not from their colony, they know a strange beaver is around and have to investigate... especially the males. So making castor sets or sets with beaver castor mounds, is usually a good technique. I see there is a beaver trapping thread that has some pictures about this.

There's typically 2 places you can trap or snare a beaver... in the water or on land. Below is a picture of a snare set on a cross over. The water in the background is from a pond and the beaver and otter cross this spot to go to a lake. There's about 20 feet of land between the two.










The snare is about 7" wide and 4 1/2" off the ground. This is to neck snare a beaver. I almost always target the neck on all the animals I snare. Also, because of the otter that cross too, I have the snare slightly higher because if they get with that size loop around the body, that is not good as they might twist out. Having it 4 1/2" high makes a neck catch a higher probability. It doesn't look it, but the bottom of the loop is about 4 1/2" off the ground.

I anchored snare solidly using a piece of #11 annealed black wire and twisted it to the wooded stick off to the left. The twisted stick just supports the snare. The end of the snare has a trapping stake pounded through it to secure it solidly.

This is one method to neck catch beaver on land. If you are only after beaver on land, you can use a 9" loop 2" off the ground with good results. Otter and **** will walk through the loop then. This loop setting will catch most beaver around the body or chest with one or both legs through. Problem with land snaring beaver is that bobcat, fox, coyotes and wolves like beaver too! So as long as you get there to check your snares before they do, you're ok. LOL!

About any animal can be snared effectively with the right equipment and a few key fundamentals.

Snareman


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## adokken

Snare Man, thanks for the good post when I have a body catch with a snare on beaver they sure make a mess. A trapper in Oklahoma sent me some hints on snaring beaver by the hind foot, did get a few but lots of misses. The secret was using a Raymond Thompson snare. I did snare a fair number of mink with the Thompson mink snare, This was years ago so its debatable that one can even buy his snares. When I was a teen the Jack rabbits were worth some money and snared a pile with snares made from stove pipe wire and without swivels. That was back in1939 and 1940. Madtrapper :beer:


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## Trapper62

Does snareman go by the given name of Rally? I see you are from Minnesota!

adokken, are you from ND? I believe you can stidll get the thompson snare but it does not have a legal lock for ND, unless you are setting completely submerged snares for beaver. Then I THINK they are okay?


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## adokken

Yes Trapper I know that you can get the regular but I am sure the little mink snares are a thing of the past. Foot snare sets now would be illegal on land anyway. Yes I am from ND.


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## fishunt

hi guys... I am listening and start interesting .. however I would like to try trap for beaver and coyete with snares ... where can I buy them or I can make home make snare> any suggest thanks


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## Snareman

adokken, my favorite rabbit snare wire is common picture wire. My father first taught me to snare snowshoe hares as a kid and have been using it ever since. Snaring is fun for me. I'm still looking to snare my first mouse. LOL! I also make a pretty good mink snare... far from what you were use to. If you want a free sample, contact me!

===================
trapper62, My name is Robert.
===================

fishhunt, you can make your own snares, but since you're starting out, I recommend you get ones that are made correctly first that you can model from. Snare making, for me anyway, is a lot more than just putting components together that any 9 year old kid could do.

Snareman


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## fishunt

can get free smaple? when can I get it?


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## Snareman

Hello fishunt,

I saw this post 2nd and already sent you a PM in reply to yours. If you contact me via eMail and get me the info I requested, I'd be glad to help you get started and that sample, etc.

Snareman


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## squirrel slayer

Snareman said:


> Beavers are one of the easiest animals to snare. One of the reasons is because their travels hardly go unnoticed with their plowed trails, narrow travel areas, dams, crossovers and evidence of chewed trees. They are also an animal that responds very well to castor lures. Castor is a secretion given off near the base of their tail and when beaver smell castor not from their colony, they know a strange beaver is around and have to investigate... especially the males. So making castor sets or sets with beaver castor mounds, is usually a good technique. I see there is a beaver trapping thread that has some pictures about this.
> 
> There's typically 2 places you can trap or snare a beaver... in the water or on land. Below is a picture of a snare set on a cross over. The water in the background is from a pond and the beaver and otter cross this spot to go to a lake. There's about 20 feet of land between the two.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The snare is about 7" wide and 4 1/2" off the ground. This is to neck snare a beaver. I almost always target the neck on all the animals I snare. Also, because of the otter that cross too, I have the snare slightly higher because if they get with that size loop around the body, that is not good as they might twist out. Having it 4 1/2" high makes a neck catch a higher probability. It doesn't look it, but the bottom of the loop is about 4 1/2" off the ground.
> 
> I anchored snare solidly using a piece of #11 annealed black wire and twisted it to the wooded stick off to the left. The twisted stick just supports the snare. The end of the snare has a trapping stake pounded through it to secure it solidly.
> 
> This is one method to neck catch beaver on land. If you are only after beaver on land, you can use a 9" loop 2" off the ground with good results. Otter and **** will walk through the loop then. This loop setting will catch most beaver around the body or chest with one or both legs through. Problem with land snaring beaver is that bobcat, fox, coyotes and wolves like beaver too! So as long as you get there to check your snares before they do, you're ok. LOL!
> 
> About any animal can be snared effectively with the right equipment and a few key fundamentals.
> 
> Snareman


used 2 use em long time ago and we caught alot


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## Snareman

Another one of my favorite anchor techniques for beaver is to attach a 42" snare to a drowner lock on a slide wire to deeper water. I still have entanglement at the end for the beaver to wrap up on. Makes a clean quick dispatch. I love it!

Snareman


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## daretosnare

Hi im a beginner at snaring.I set my first snares today and i dont know if i did it rite.I set one were two trails meet and i put branches in a triangle going to the snare so they couldn't get around.Is that a rite way to do it???? :-?


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## m45auto

your image does not come up / showing snare


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## xdeano

that's because you're 5 years behind. The picture was probably removed by the poster.

xdeano


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## Snareman

Hello m45auto!

Yes, xdeano is right about it being 5 years.... ALREADY!!??!!?? And yes, it was removed, but accidentally. I did look for that photo before, but can't seem to find it. I'll be back at that same spot this year though and hopefully will have before and after pics to share. If/when I find the photo that doesn't show, I'll repost it, plus others, but most likely in a different post.

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Can't wait to get out there guys! How 'bout you??

My snares should be ready for the season very soon. Can't believe I'm NOT doing the "last minute" thing like I've pulled off in the past. Always been too busy... or just procrastinated, take your pick. LOL!

Get your gear ready guys. Season is closing in fast!

Snareman


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