Muskrat AND beaver problem

Fox said:
This is true, you could just destroy the beaver but randomly setting traps with no knowledge of how to do it safely can cause you a lot more problems than the beavers.

Setting 330s on land, catch the neighbours dog, catch some person walking around not knowing what is going on.

There is a reason why it is illegal for people who are not licensed trappers or farmers from using these traps in Ontario.
One suggestion was to use snares but the guy has leg holds set on land where the animal has rung their foot before (twisted off at the joint to get out), obviously they do not know what they are setting and how.

Random snares could catch deer, dogs, essentially anything if not done properly in a safe manner.
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The snares are set in water with tally poles and wired to the poles. NO DOGS OR anything other than Beaver or occassional Otter. 99 percent of the time you find a leg in a trap, is it became lunch for something else. Ask anyone who traps for a living. I agree totally about trapping on hard ground. Connibear and snares are indisciminate killers so caution has to be used.
 
Longstud said:
The snares are set in water with tally poles and wired to the poles. NO DOGS OR anything other than Beaver or occassional Otter. 99 percent of the time you find a leg in a trap, is it became lunch for something else. Ask anyone who traps for a living. I agree totally about trapping on hard ground. Connibear and snares are indisciminate killers so caution has to be used.
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See that is the issue, you know what you are talking about, the guy who posted mistook muskrats for beavers.

My concern is definitely the killing of other animals if not done right. I just took my course, I know what is wrong from the practical part of the course, snares underwater and conibears 50% or more submerged would be safer. Break the damn, put conibears at the break, etc, but just random traps around are potentially scary.
 
I wish we were allowed to shoot beavers up here… but you need an active trapper license and a trapline!!
 
Fox said:
See that is the issue, you know what you are talking about, the guy who posted mistook muskrats for beavers.

My concern is definitely the killing of other animals if not done right. I just took my course, I know what is wrong from the practical part of the course, snares underwater and conibears 50% or more submerged would be safer. Break the damn, put conibears at the break, etc, but just random traps around are potentially scary.
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Your very correct and fortunately I grew up with the fellow that owns the largest wildlife nuisance control business in the world. Ive also lived in the country most of my adult life and worked as a guide for a living for many years. Set literally thousands of all manners of traps for muskrat,beaver,otter and fisher as well as mink and ermine/weasel. Coincidental catches happen but land traps are the most dangerous for cats/dogs/coons etc. Im not a big fan of land traps unless specifically set for certain species which makes it near impossible for pets to get into.
 
eco said:
I assumed muskrat since I've seen them in the past in daylight swimming up and down the stream (usially when driving by, never when i sat there waiting) And the several chewed off feet I've gotten in traps are too small for beaver I thought.
Few years ago I got one on a trail camera dragging a tree branch behind it.

Guess I'll have to spend more time on this issue this year... physically sit and wait as suggested. Might build a small platform in the trees to get a better view.

I'll also try that floating trap idea. Thanks.

No neighbours dogs to worry about. If anything maybe a coyote will get unlucky.
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Trail cam pic with the branch is certainly a beaver, the small foot is a muskrat. They akmost always co-exist and that nice damn and pond will get more muskrats into the area. No muskrat will take down a tree or even branch, they basically eat roots and grass.
 
Muskrat... lol. Where are you coming from? Muskrat don't build dams and they don't fell trees. Those are beavers... talk to a local trapper.
 
OP, the bite marks on the trees look like to be done before winter. The Beaver was probably out on a food gathering mission or a dam repair session. It's hard to tell.

As mentioned before, Muskrats typically don't fell trees, they maybe chew off a branch or grasses to build their kinda "Lodge" as a beaver does.

Muskrats are more into digging tunnels, Beaver are more into building dams, from what I've seen, anyways,

Basically, the Muskrat and the Beaver form a Symbiosis of Art", ymmv ...
 
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riversrest said:
OP, the bite marks on the trees look like to be done before winter. The Beaver was probably out on a food gathering mission or a dam repair session. It's hard to tell.

As mentioned before, Muskrats typically don't fell trees, they maybe chew off a branch or grasses to build their kinda "Lodge" as a beaver does.

Muskrats are more into digging tunnels, Beaver are more into building dams, from what I've seen, anyways,

Basically, the Muskrat and the Beaver form a Symbiosis of Art", ymmv ...
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What I remember them being more into was getting into the goddamned boat shed in the winter and wrecking everything from the wiring to the seats to the f'n rafters.

Every other year.

The beavers kept to the creek just up the lake and never caused any problems.

A boat turned muskrat love shack has a unique smell.
 
eco said:
All in one day? Same area?
That's awesome
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That haul was from about a week of hunting half a dozen trouble spots around the farm...Beavers get smart after you whack a couple in the same spot so you have to let them alone for a bit...Beaver hunting can at times be like shooting fish in a barrel but for the most part very challenging...With otter, bear and wolves hunting them as well the big ones are not stupid.

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We had this problem years ago beavers flooded an area and it would flood out 100 acre grain field we broke one of the damns and we shot like 400 beavers they come to fix it. We went in in the winter and located all the damns with explosives and had at er beaver problem solved explosives are your friend lol like another said check with local mnr as beaver are protected species in some places
 
The solution for beaver, which are most certainly the problem critter here, always was to call in a trapper, and sets for beaver are quite humane. Nowadays if the fur isn't worth their trouble that may not be as easy. The drain pipe thing may work if the terrain allows for it, an online search will bring up several ways to do it. There are some great antibeaver drain setups in nature areas around here, which actually makes them kinda unnatural areas.
 
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