Father Forkhorn

I've got some beavers tearing up a pond and have got some snares for them using 3/32 wire. Can I simply anchor them to the nearest tree with a heavy rope? If I have to stake, how long should the stake be?

haystack

Don't use rope, unless its made out of steel. The way I prefer to rig both snares and foot hold traps for beaver and other water dwelling critters is with a drowning setup.

If this doesn't look like an option, then depending on the soil, you may need to use a rebar stake at least 2 ft or better yet, cross stake, removing all doubt that it will hold. Use at least 11 gauge wire, 9 gauge would be best for fastening the snare to the stake.

I prefer to have the animal out away from trees and brush to keep from entanglement and ultimately a lost animal. And in the case of beavers, if it gets away and survives, it will become educated and as difficult to catch as some coyotes.

Drowning setup explained.....

northeasthunter

I agree with haystack. Avoid, if possible, using rope.

Drowning snares will work best, keeping the beaver from being able to get good traction to release itself.

To do the job right, though, just go out and grab a conibear trap. It's the gift that keeps on giving. I wouldn't use anything else for beaver. But, then again, I trap for fur and not for nuisance control.

huntingfool94

what i do is if theres an outlet from the pond i lay sticks across the water way so the beaver has to go under them and set up snares under the obsticles

Father Forkhorn

I appreciate the ideas. I'm going to have to check water depth and bottom muck to see if I can do it. This pond has a mud bottom and might be hard to wade.

I saw some four ft. electric fence posts made of 3/8 in. rebar in a rarm supply shop and bought several. If a drown set isn't possible, I'll go with those.