Lucky or unlucky ?

[bigjohn]

Went to check my 5 beaver sets this morning and as I came upon the first location (two BGs in a deep riffle about 20 feet apart) I see I have a live beaver and another sprung trap. I went to the sprung trap first and see I'd left one of the safties on The live beaver is being held by the back foot(gotta love them Belisle).

Since the only traps I got out are water sets,I haven't been carrying my pistol. Well I ease up on this very agatated beaver with my tater rake at the ready and he made a lunge. My foot caught in the sucking mud and down I went backwards.

Luckly the bank was tall enough that I didn't go into the water and I made a heck of a swing with the rake and cracked the beaver over the noggin. Glad it don't take much to kill a beaver cause my BGs are tethered with 8 foot of cable which allows quite of bit freedom to a live catch.

I think what happened was this beaver threw the first trap ,spooked, fled,and tried to crawl over the other trap.

[bigbob]

That'll get the juices flowing, down your leg into your boot's! LOL

[trapdog]

That will learn ya to leave the safeties on!

[Walleye Joe]

Scary and lucky for sure. Glad it worked out for ya!

[krank]

What don't kill you makes you stronger. Funny how we improvise on the line. I have forgot my hammer and my cable cutters and had to use something else I happened to have. Also developed a bad habit of leaving what I needed at the last set. I dipped a lot of tool handles in red paint. I guess if I needed a gun then I would just leave and come back. I have engaged in combat with a club.

[bigjohn]

When trapping hard I carry 2 of everything in my truck. I can't tell ya how many times I've left an anchor driver at a set.

Set a beaver snare at a creek I've already taken 7 from the colony. Had a beaver in it this morning but also had my pistol,which made dispatch a heck of a lot easier lol.

This beaver was bit all to heck so I don't know if it was a traveler or what. Probably shouldn't have even fleshed and stretch it but hate to waste fur.

[krank]

Feb 5, 2024 16:01:16 GMT -6 bigjohn said:

When trapping hard I carry 2 of everything in my truck. I can't tell ya how many times I've left an anchor driver at a set.

Set a beaver snare at a creek I've already taken 7 from the colony. Had a beaver in it this morning but also had my pistol,which made dispatch a heck of a lot easier lol.

This beaver was bit all to heck so I don't know if it was a traveler or what. Probably shouldn't have even fleshed and stretch it but hate to waste fur.

THeres always castor to be had.

[bigjohn]

Hatter market will still take it as all they want is the under fur for felt. Castor is cheap cheap now. I think around $25 a pound. Best just keep the castor for a while. I made up a gallon of beaver castor lure a few years back and still have about a 1/3rd of it left.

[trapdog]

Castor will keep fine in the freezer for a long time.

[bigjohn]

Feb 6, 2024 19:06:56 GMT -6 trapdog said:

Castor will keep fine in the freezer for a long time.

Yup the above castor lure was made with castor that was about 10 years old.