By John S. Chagnon
I still remember
seeing that old beaver cutting in Hogan's Marsh down the road from the
American Legion Hall when I was a school boy. It would be more than a
decade until I actually harvested a beaver in the wilds of the Upper
Peninsula. Today I look forward every winter to a good pot of Beaver Stew
and gathering beaver castor for my animal lure making activities. It is
just a bonus for me if the price is up on the beaver pelt. Hopefully this
article will help you a little if you are a beaver trapper or perhaps show
you how to save a few trees if you are a land owner blessed with too many
beaver.
Beaver are very
common in Michigan today. The season is also very liberal running from late
fall into the spring. Make sure to check the Michigan Trapping and Hunting
Regulations for the exact season dates. Of all the furbearing animals we
can trap, no other critter leaves as much sign as a beaver. The sign
includes trees cut down, very large lodges, dams and large tracks at the
water’s edge in the mud. Most times when you see beaver sign for the first
time you think there are far more beaver than there actually are. The
beaver’s trails in and out of the water are not only indication of an active
beaver population but also a prime set location.
When targeting
beaver I prefer to use #5 Bridger Coilspring Traps, Size #330 Body Grip
Traps and snares for under the ice beaver trapping. A good
beaver Lure is a must during open water beaver
trapping. A trapper can also easily make his own beaver lure by removing
the two castors from a beaver or beavers, grinding them up and adding some
glycerin oil or mineral oil. Beaver are not hard to trap but extra care
should be made to assure you are going to hold them and humanely drown them
when using foothold traps. I prefer foothold traps as it is my experience
that beaver get shy once they start seeing other beaver caught in body grip
traps. Also we are allowed to catch otter during beaver season; however, it
is my experience that when setting body grip traps in trails and narrow
underwater passages I can catch more otter than allowed. Therefore, when
trapping beaver in Michigan I am trapping beaver with otter avoidance
techniques. The main avoidance technique is to not set narrow passages with
# 330 body grip traps in streams.
It is important to
note that I do not trap southern Michigan, which probably has fewer otter
than northern Michigan. When I do demos at trappers conventions on beaver,
folks are always asking me how to catch otter. It has always been my
experience that if otter are around they will be caught quickly in Body Grip
Traps in narrow passages and beaver dam crossovers.
So, you found your
active beaver colony and sign is everywhere. Note some beaver create large
lodges for homes and others create bank dens with entrances under the
water. If the water is open I would make a beaver mound castor set. I
would make the set just to the right of an active slide in and out of the
water. Grab mud from under the water and pile it with old vegetation a foot
or two high on the bank a few handfuls is plenty. Cut a stick about 1/2
inch in diameter and 6 inches long peeling the young bark off for eye appeal
and dip it into your homemade or bought beaver
lure. Place the lured stick on the castor mound that you made. Place a
stake several feet up the bank and another hardwood long stake out in water
waist deep or more. The two stakes will be connected with 10 or 11 gauge
wire and the drowner lock on the trap chain placed so the beaver can go
toward the deep water but not back toward shore. You place the bank stake
way high so if water raises from rains or melt you can easily keep your set
in working order.
I always set large
traps like a Bridger #5 Coilspring trap while I'm on the dry high bank for
safety and then place at set location under two or three inches of water in
front of the Beaver Castor Mound. If a lot of raccoon sign is present I
will also set some Dog Proof Raccoon Traps on the high banks. This keeps
the raccoon out of my beaver sets and it is always nicer to carry out a dry
raccoon then one that is soaking wet.
When the water
freezes I have very good luck with beaver snares set near the beavers feed
piles. Once you have seen a beaver feed pile you will not have any trouble
identifying them. Basically they can be quite large consisting of many
poplar poles dragged into the water near a beaver lodge or beaver dens in
the banks. Once ice covers the habitat, the beaver survive by eating what
they have stored under the water prior to freeze up. One can make their own
beaver snares or purchase them already made from a trappers supply house. I
usually place 4 beaver snares on a hardwood pole and tie a long green fresh
poplar to the hardwood pole. You can search the web for pictures and video
of using snares for under the ice beaver trapping. #330 Body Grips Traps
can also be placed on poles with a bait stick. I do not do quite as good
under water trapping but it is always rewarding when you do collect a prime
beaver after chopping through a foot of ice.
While trapping
beaver into the late winter do not overlook throwing in a few sets for fox
and coyote on the high banks. By December and January the thickets found
around beaver activity are prime areas for fox and coyote to look for their
next meal. All canines will respond much better to baits and lures during
the cold and freezing weather. The fall abundance of food is gone and the
canines are not going to pass up a free meal. You will have to use some
dry dirt or peat moss to bed your sets at this time of the year with
freezing temperatures. I also tend to use grapples or drags during the
winter as it can be difficult or impossible to drive in trap stakes. The
fox and coyote are the most prime during the month of December and every
canine caught will be a trophy. And with snow on the ground showing you
where they travel it will be an educational experience for you on their
nature.
Beaver Stew is
really good and very similar to beef stew to me. Like all wild game you
must process it right to maximize its goodness. I start by only using
beaver from one day trap checks, as it is possible to have a legally caught
beaver on a two day trap check. The fresher the better. After removing the
beaver pelt "fur" and beaver castor glands I quarter the beaver. Probably
the most important part is removing all the fat and grizzle leaving only
lean meat. Once I have 4 legs and the back straps removed and all the fat
removed I soak in kosher salt water over night in the refrigerator.
The next day I cut
into cubes 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch all the beaver meat. I then add 1 cup
flour, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of
salt, and 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper. In a stew pot add olive oil and
heat, when oil is hot brown the flour coated beaver cubes. Once the beaver
cubes are brown add several cups of water and simmer about an hour. Then
add 1 or 2 medium onions diced up, 2 cups of 3/4" cubed peeled potatoes or
rutabagas, several large carrots sliced and a cup of fresh or canned
mushrooms. If necessary cover all with additional water and bring to a boil
and simmer until all vegetables are tender. Thicken as desired with flour
or cornstarch mixed in cold water.
I wish everyone a Merry
Christmas and that every Michigan school boy or girl trapper receives a
muskrat trap in his or hers Christmas stocking. Watch for my January and
February articles when I cover the trapping topics of under ice muskrat and
mink trapping, coyote and fox snaring and one my favorite winter activities
catching a white Michigan weasel. I always welcome
calls from fellow trappers at (989) 569-3480 ext. 225
Click Below for Youtube
Video featuring John Chagnon showing you how to catch Beaver
https://youtu.be/JCVj9xDLta4