Beavers can be a huge nuisance as they change the topography of an area by diverting water and damming streams. They also cut down trees with their teeth to get food and build dams and burrows. If you don't want to hire a professional to catch beavers for you, there are some relatively easy ways to trap them yourself. Keep reading.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Chasing the Beavers
Step 1. Check your area's hunting restrictions
There are very specific restrictions on when you can go hunting beavers, as they are nearly endangered animals. For example, in the United States in 1900 they were almost completely extinct. Before you decide to hunt them, be sure to check the laws of your state. For example, still in the United States, the restrictions are as follows.
- Zone A (north-west), the season runs from November 1st to March 30th.
- Zone B (north-east), the season runs from November 1st to March 30th.
- Zone C (south), the season runs from November 1st to March 31st.
- Zone D (Mississippi River), the season runs from the end of the duck hunt to March 15.
- If you own land and have beaver problems, you can usually get special permission to get rid of it. You can go to the hunting and fishing office of your municipality or province, or to the Forestry Guard to get all the information on the matter.
Step 2. Find the most suitable areas for hunting
You need to look for ideal habitats for beavers, where you are most likely to find them. This means looking in areas that are conducive to building their burrows, dams, and with the right food sources.
- Beavers need a source of water all year round. The places where it is very likely to find them are near streams, lakes, ponds, wetlands and shallow water areas such as marshes and swamps. In urban areas they are becoming more and more common in roadside ditches, drains and sewage canals.
- Beavers are herbivores and change their diet according to the season; so, if you are tracking a beaver at the appropriate time (November to March), you should especially look for areas that are suitable for their winter and spring diets.
- In winter they prefer to eat American styrax, ash, poplar, pine, as well as birch and willow. Look for areas where there are these types of trees in large quantities and also a year-round source of water.
- In spring, beavers are more likely to eat aquatic plants and green plant shoots, so look for areas that have a source of water for aquatic plants during this time.
Step 3. Look for evidence of their presence
There will be obvious signs showing their presence in the area when you start looking for them. They tend to cut trees by chewing the trunks at a 45 degree angle. In this way they take on an hourglass shape, which is quite noticeable.
- In addition to the overturned trees you should see a lot of wood chips and stumps.
- You should also see the dams or burrows they create by the river. These usually consist of large piles of branches intertwined in the water, with a submerged entrance. They can reach up to 3 meters in height and up to 1.5 meters in width. Not all beavers live in burrows, though. Some live in shelters along the river and ponds. In this case, you will need to look for other beaver signs.
Step 4. Look for beaver tracks
They usually leave some marks in the areas they live in. This can be footprints or droppings, which allow you to know that you are in the right area.
- The only traces that beavers leave can be difficult to distinguish, because their wide, flat tails and the branches they tend to drag along can hide them. Instead of looking for the actual footprints, it's best if you check for places where there are drag marks (such as a large branch).
- The most likely place to spot real beaver traces is in the mud on either side of a water source (river, pond, etc.) Their footprints look like little human-like hands (about 6-7.5cm long). They have 5 fingers.
- You can also look for their droppings which look like wood chips. However, beavers usually deposit their droppings underwater, so it is more difficult to find them than the most obvious evidence (fallen trees and dragging paths, for example).
Step 5. Find a place to install the trap
There are a couple of different places that are suitable for this purpose. You can find the dam or burrow entrance and install it there, if the water is shallow enough. If not, you need to find a point along the beaver's path.
- Find his path. Beavers, like most animals, are creatures of habit. They tend to always follow the same paths, in the water or on the ground. If there is a dam separating two ponds, place the trap on top of the dam, as the beavers will overrun it.
- Find shallow water near the dam or burrow. Look for a narrow depression in shallow water. These depressions tend to be free of debris at the bottom, and therefore safe for the beaver. Set the trap right in this channel. If the water exceeds 25 centimeters, put a log at the top so that the beaver is forced to dive.
- If the entrance to the burrow is in shallow water (30 cm or less), this is the best place to put the trap. It will be less noticeable and will be more effective, because the beaver will have to enter or exit the burrow at that point.
Part 2 of 3: Trapping the Beavers
Step 1. Use a snap trap
This is best for catching beavers, especially if you are a novice hunter. It is illegal to catch a beaver and set it free in another area, so know that your chances are to leave it alive in its area or kill it. These snap traps are the best way to do this.
The Conibear is considered the best snap trap. It is the easiest and safest to use
Step 2. Prepare the trap before installing it
If you got yourself a new trap, it is probably coated with a lubricant that makes it dangerous to handle. To make sure it's easy to handle and less noticeable when you place it, you need to get it wet first.
Soak it in warm soapy water and then rinse it off. Once rinsed off, soak it in a mixture of hot water and sodium chloride. Let it dry outdoors for a couple of days before using it. This way it rusts and becomes easier to handle and therefore more effective for catching the beaver
Step 3. Position the trap correctly
Again, the Conibear Snap Trap is the most effective, easy to use, and safest way to catch beavers. However, you must be sure to install it properly, otherwise you could be injured. Check the instructions that come with the trap, as not all of them are set up exactly the same as described below.
The Conibear trap consists of 2 springs (curled wires on each side), 2 safety latches (the hooks hanging outside the springs), 2 jaws (the square or rectangular body of the trap), 1 trigger (which hangs from the lock of the trap) and 1 block (at the top of the jaw). Make sure you recognize the different parts of the trap so you know how to fix it correctly
Step 4. Prepare the spring
Extend it so that it faces away from the trap. From there, grab it and squeeze it. The spring creates the force that allows the animal to be captured when the trap is triggered.
Step 5. Set up the structure correctly
With one hand, pull the jaws of the trap together, holding the compressed spring with the other. Put pliers over the jaws to hold them in place or legal with a string.
Step 6. Place the trap lock and trigger on the frame, wherever you want
Place the trigger in your preferred notch in the lock. Make sure the trigger is firmly seated in the notch, grab the compressed spring and slowly release the jaws. If you're using pliers or a rope, release that too.
Step 7. Set the trap
Regardless of where you are placing it, on the path in the water, in front of the den, etc., you will need to place it in an upright position, with the lock facing up. You can attach the springs to sticks to keep it straight, or tie it up.
You may need to make a small branch structure to keep it upright and keep the beaver from moving around inside. Evaluate the area in which you are placing it and if it requires some intervention to settle it
Step 8. Check the trap
Keep it monitored periodically (every two days). The dead beaver does not have to attract other animals as, once killed, it is not fair to waste fur and meat and you have to find a way to make use of them.
Part 3 of 3: Limiting the Beavers' Damage Without Killing Them
Step 1. Wrap the trees with wire or other heavy sheet metal or other ropes
Wrap them from the base for at least 90 cm. This way the beavers are unable to eat the timber or use it in any way. You will need to periodically check your trees to make sure the beavers can't reach the trunk.
You can also build iron fences to prevent beavers from entering a certain area (particularly around a pond). You can also put mesh covers over manholes and the like to keep beavers away
Step 2. Destroy the dam or lair
Sometimes by completely destroying the structures they have built and thus eliminating any access to their habitat, beavers can be discouraged from returning. You need to make sure you clear every part of the dam so they can't access it in order to rebuild it.
- Use a sturdy rake and work from the downstream side to completely destroy the dam or its lair.
- Regularly inspect the area and area of the den to be sure that the beaver does not want to rebuild it and that there is no material available to use for this purpose.
Step 3. Use a repellent
There is only one repellent that has been proven effective in warding off beavers and avoiding the damage they can cause. This is the Thiram. You need to apply it directly to the leaves and shrubs that the beaver uses as a food source.
- Again, this method should be used in conjunction with others, such as destroying dams and burrows and then spraying food sources with Thiram.
- There are other repellents and sprays that you can apply to discourage beavers from entering the area, if they have not already done so, but only the Thiram is able to remove them if they are already present in the area.
Step 4. Correct the water level
There are a couple of different ways to manage the water level in a way that is not conducive to the beaver. You can create a drain system for the level to stay low, or you can keep the water clean of debris or any natural residue that may be preventing it from flowing.
- Prepare a pipe by connecting two plastic sewer pipes together and puncture one. Depending on the volume of flowing water, the diameter of the pipes can be 10, 15, 20 or 25 cm.
- Dig a hole in the beaver dam along the original stream channel. Place three-quarters of the pipe anywhere on the dam, and extend the perforated edge into the beaver pond (upstream). Attach a weight to one end of the tube.
- Leave about a quarter of the pipe extended outside on the downstream side of the dam.
- Add an elbow or a tube bent about 3 cm on the perforated side, in order to discourage the beaver from building a "plug" on the opening upstream of the tube.
Advice
- If you wish to consume beaver meat (which you should do in order not to waste the catch) you must prevent the entrails and glands at the base of the tail from contaminating the meat. You also need to remove as much meat as possible, beaver is great in stews, fried or grilled.
- You can also use a lasso trap to put in the water to catch the beaver. However, you should only use this method if you are an experienced hunter.
- There is not a great market for beaver skins, but perhaps some enthusiasts can still be found in the United States.
Warnings
- Beaver hunting may be strictly regulated or even illegal in some countries.
- Wear protective gear because beavers can be dangerous, especially if caught alive.
