Beaver Got Away??

Hotlead243

New member
I put up a snare for beaver on land yesturday. It was about 9 inches wide and about 2 inches off the ground. I block it off with logs and twigs on the sides. The set up looked really good. The snare was attached to an extension via s hook and a quick link. I got there today and and all that was left was the s hook and the extension. The s hook did not look compromised. Is it possible the beaver broke the quick link. Are they stronger than coyotes? Ive caught many coyotes with the same setup. Any thoughts of what went wrong.
 
On drowning sets useing legholds I have had them pull the sandbags onto shore and them sandbags are all of 60 pounds. So they got alittle musle to them. Been going with bodygrip (killer) traps as of late. Lot less can go wrong with them. Snap and it's done.
 
I have had the same experience as Frozen. They have pulled out my weights for drowning sets. I use only 330 connibears now. They are a lot stronger than a coyote. It could easily break the quick link.
 
A beaver aint gonna break no quick link.
I've caught quite a few in LIVE snares, that were fastened with 2 strands of 14ga. wire.
You can find this discussion on most any forum, and alot of folks, MYSELF included will tell you FROM experience.
2 strands of 14 or 11 ga. wire WILL hold more than you would think.
I rarely argue the point anymore. So, there's my 2 cents.
 
Well MYSELF I have been trapping for 26 years and MY dad has been for 60 years and FROM experience anything CAN brake with a live animal pulling at it. Don't happen all the time but I get at least one failure a year. I have had the jaws get bent by the animal and they get out I have had the chain of the leghold trap break had them break wire. I use 10 ga wire for drowning sets and have had them break it.

In a perfect world everything has no weak spots and no voids or cracks but in the real world failures happen and to say it will never happen shows a lack of experience.
 
Agreed Frozen, I know Cast jaws have voids and the like. Split rings aren't too tough to destroy either, but a CLOSED quick link is TOUGH. Even a 3/16's. S-hooks unwelded, different story.
He may have gotten a bad one or cracked etc.
I'm just saying more times than not people UNDERESTIMATE fastneres, and OVERESTIMATE animal strength.
But, I know they all can be rough on equip.
 
Originally Posted By: mountain stateI'm just saying more times than not people UNDERESTIMATE fastneres, and OVERESTIMATE animal strength.

Actually I would say the opposite. A lot of people dont use things that are tough enough. My 330 connibears are the only thing I will use 14 guage wire on for beaver. I have had them break it with legs traps, even when doubled. I caught a 56 lb beaver that took off with my foot trap and caught him a week later in a connibear with the trap still on him. That was 2 strands of 14 guage. When an animal fights after being caught, the wire gets bent numerous times it becomes weak and breaks. Even a closed quick link if worked back and forth while an animal is fighting will break. I have caught a lot of beaver, dont underestimate their strength. I just caught a 70 lb one that tore the area up. My trap stand was gone, the wire had been broken and it was thrown in the water somewhere during the struggle. The 330 connibear was almost to small for him.

The original poster lost a beaver using one. It appears the quick link did break so it is possible. May not happen every time but can happen.
 
Cable on 330's or all conibears for that much, and drowning rods are what i use for beavers, i also use 330's but but footholds are where its at for smart beaver.

Beaver are very strong so its possible they broke the quick link.

The best beaver is a dead/drowned beaver.
 
after reading your post, I would have to say someone took your beaver, snare and quick link, the S hook would have gave before the quick link did.

heres a tip for using quick links, once you tighten them down, take a pair of pliers and give them a 1/4 to 1/2 turn more, that way no one is going to get them open without a pair of pliers and most people dont carry pliers with them
wink.gif
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Originally Posted By: ShadowFox32I would say either you forgot to close the quick link or some one took your beaver and snare.... Did you find the quick link?
That gets my vote. I furell my snare at the end and use "D" ring type quick links to make the connection. if the end gets messed up plyers and a 3 cent part snip crip fixed. Had some bad experiances with "S" rings wearing out.
 
Many Many moons ago I had set a 330 in a little channel that some beaver had dug it was only about a foot deep and just wide enough for the Conibear. It emptied into a little pond that was alway muddy so I never knew how deep it was. When I came back to check my set the wire was broke and the Trap was gone. Unfortanely everything had started to freeze up the night I made the set and it was like looking for a needle in a Haystack.
3 months later after the thaw I found the Trap with the biggest Beaver I had ever saw in it. This Beaver had fought the Trap and broke the wire and went about 50 feet into this litle pond before it finally sucumbed to the Trap.
 
I didn't find anything at the site. Just the end of the extension with the s hook still on it.No sign of a broken quick link. Today I went to see the same site and the snare was tripped. This is the 3rd time I've found it tripped since the whole snare went missing.

I caught a nice 35lb coyote today. At another set the snare was chewd . I don't know if it was a coon or a coyote that bit it.The loop was gone.

Having a great time for the first year trapping.
 
I went to check my snare for the beaver today. It was wound up around a tree and the wire was chewed off. I guess there is a beaver running around with a couple of necklaces around it. Not going to use snares on land for beaver anymore. I guess I should use some other kind of trap from now on.
 
I know zero about trapping. But I would get a game camera and see what keeps trashing your rigs. I'd get tired of losing equipment for whatever reason, thief or super beaver.
 
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