Page 21 - May/June 2019 W.C.T. Magazine

the ditch for three hundred yards, and out to a big river.
Snares were set inside the fence areas in their runs. Once we captured several of them, we started concentrating on the fence line itself. Snares were set on the fence line and when it slowed down there, we started putting footholds in the ditch at the trail coming up to the fence. A half-dozen 330s were set in the water in the ditch. Some were blind sets and others were lured. Within three weeks, we took out 27 beaver. We pulled all traps except a few in the ditch so we could monitor the area and moved to the next tree farm.
The Foothold Set Up: I like using modified MB-750s because of the weight of the trap. All of my beaver traps are setup with 10- foot, 3/16” cable and heavy duty trap swivels for drowning. Both ends have adjustable loops for fast set up. If I use metal plates for the drowning weight, I use a quick link or bolt shackle, attach it to the cable and the metal plate. I stake the top of the cable down with a re-bar stake or I use a snap hook and attach it to the fence. Sometimes I will use a metal fence “T” post to attach the cable to and drive the post into the water with a post driver. Once you have a set up like this, you can put in a set within minutes. Remember, time is money.
Warning: All railroad plates belong to the “Railroads.” You cannot pick them up off of the rail road tracks; that is trespassing
A beaver feeding in the open during the daytime. This is why the author carries a shotgun and rifle.
and stealing. Sometimes junk/ scrap companies have them and will sell them to you as scrap iron. Keep that receipt forever in case you are ever stopped by a railroad employee.
The next tree
farm we need to
bring our ATV as
well as our Jon Boat.
This area was really
flooded. We also
carried a shotgun and a .22 caliber rifle since, once in a while, we would spot a beaver out during the day or right at sunset. We took the boat and paddled around until we found the downstream which was a drainage ditch. We broke the dam and made a foothold set in the break, then we went downstream about twenty-five yards and set a 330 with a dive log. From there we went another 25-30 yards and did another dive stick set up with another 330.
From there we went back up into the tree line and started setting snares in their runways. A lot of their runs were in the trees and a lot of trees were in the water. At one point we must have had forty plus snares out. It took us three to four days just to set up, but we would be checking what we had set up from the previous days, pull the caught beaver, and re-set that section again. It seemed like we were getting nowhere some days. We did the same thing to the next section of tree farm as well. We finely got it mostly under control in about four months and our contract was for one year. We went back once a week to monitor the areas. If there was any sign, we would set some kind of a trap and get that last one or two, but then there was payment for all of our hard work.
After the first month, the company stopped paying us and
A well used beaver run.
gave a lot of excuses for why payment would be late this month and this went on for the next two months. We kept working at our job and by the forth month we found out why the company couldn’t pay us. The company filed bankruptcy, sold to another company and that company filed bankruptcy too, but then that is another story for another day. n
MAY - JUNEn19
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