RE: Suitcast/cage live beaver trap help
I have no experience with them (live traps)since live trapping Beaver suggests you have another use for them someplace other than where theyare now located. Finding a suitable place to relocate them is a major undertaking in most states here in the east since they are really a nuisance. Make sure it is even legal to do so before attempting to try it since if it is not, the fines could be pretty stiff at several levels. If you must use a live trap, I would suggest placing it near a feeding site with possibly a few small limbs of the favored trees available in the area, Poplar, Willow, etc. possibly even a piece of Apple used as bait. Place it on land, on or near a trail from the water to the feeding site, cover lightly with grasses or leaves and dirt. These trails are usually easy to locate due to the extensive usage they get. As a last resort, place the trap in shallow water close to shore in an approach to a burrow to avoid drowning the rascal once you get it in the trap.
My personal choice would actually be a 330 Conibear placed in the channel approaching a burrow or at the base of a slide, as an alternative, a snare could be used if legal in your area, or a #4 or #5 leg hold with a drowner cable. Most trappers will use traps for the first 3-5 Beavers in a group, then finish off the colony with snares. I don't know if you have priced live traps for Beaver lately, but the last I saw (2 or 3 days ago) they were running about $345.00 each plus shipping. A dozen Victor 330 Conibears will run $245.00 and there are several other brands on the market that are less costly. Snares cost about $3.50 each and another buck or so for the drowner cable. Another means of getting rid of them which is legal in some states, is shooting them. Get set up an hour or so before dark and watch the slides and approaches toland they will use. Use a climbing stand if a suitable tree is available so you can shoot down at the water at a fairly steep angle to avoid ricochets. Check your state regulations prior to doing this as it does vary from state to state. It is legal here in GA to shoot them at night using a light as long as the light is powered by a 6 Volt battery. Licensing varies also so check what is required for you. Here in GA, Beavers are a non-game species and are not considered a fur bearer due to the relative difficulty in finding a market for those taken here in the south east. Good luck
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