Beaver Pond Party!!!

[YanceyGreenhorn]

Finally got out to this new beaver job. 6 huge ponds over a mile long altogether. First time I’ve ever seen a beaver lodge. Muskrat and coyote sign all over. Landowner says I can trap any species I want that’s legal in NC as long as I target beavers too. Talked to @Prune today and got all fired up. Time to set heavy tomorrow!!!

 

[cgrhyne]

Mighty fine looking wood duck habitat there. Take you some #2 shot and a light modified choke when you go, just in case.

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

Mighty fine looking wood duck habitat there. Take you some #2 shot and a light modified choke when you go, just in case.

NCWRC asked to put up wood duck boxes there. Had a nice group of em fly overhead today. He specifically said no hunting the birds tho

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

Went out to set traps today. Brought Zeus “the beaver retriever” , my 10 yr old lab mix, with me. I follow his nose more than I follow my own sight sometimes. Within 5 min he found 2 big otter toilets I had overlooked yesterday. Put in a buncha blind 330 sets for otter and beaver (although rats like my 330s more than my 110s as well) , some castor mounds, and and some snares. Some lured and some blind. Probably the neatest property I’ve trapped since I started last season. Hoping to have a productive morning. Found some furry predator scat too but I told the landowner I’d focus on beaver first since that’s what he brought me there to do. Def gonna run some predator sets soon tho

 

[dobber]

Hoping to have a productive morning.

look forward to the updates

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

look forward to the updates

Will do . Whether I catch or not, I try to update

 

[QuietButDeadly]

You have to make the trip anyway, set for everything if you can.

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

You have to make the trip anyway, set for everything if you can.

Agreed. Waiting on some new footholds to come in. All my Bridgers got stolen

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

Checked traps today. All empty. Got to bring my coworker’s adopted son(came from a really rough family situation and homeless at one point) with us. We were out there for 10 minutes and he had already asked if he could go with me tomorrow. Leaving the ponds, Zeus went down the bank n lifted his paw and pointed with his snout like a pointer. A mink popped up and dove in the water n swam off. Went back to the Jeep, grabbed some 110s and made some bottom edge sets. Definitely one of the more rewarding days I’ve had trapping when I didn’t catch anything

 

[JoeR]

Agreed. Waiting on some new footholds to come in. All my Bridgers got stolen

That sucks! How did that happen?
Joe

 

[JoeR]

Checked traps today. All empty. Got to bring my coworker’s adopted son(came from a really rough family situation and homeless at one point) with us. We were out there for 10 minutes and he had already asked if he could go with me tomorrow. Leaving the ponds, Zeus went down the bank n lifted his paw and pointed with his snout like a pointer. A mink popped up and dove in the water n swam off. Went back to the Jeep, grabbed some 110s and made some bottom edge sets. Definitely one of the more rewarding days I’ve had trapping when I didn’t catch anything

When kids come from tough circumstances, it's good that they get exposed to as many normal adults as possible. Thanks for taking the time to work with him. You might very well be saving a life, and nothing short of that.
By the way, great looking place to trap!
Joe

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

When kids come from tough circumstances, it's good that they get exposed to as many normal adults as possible. Thanks for taking the time to work with him. You might very well be saving a life, and nothing short of that.
By the way, great looking place to trap!
Joe

Appreciate the kind words joe. Glad to see you’re still after the yotes. Yeah his adopted parents are the best people you could meet. They don’t trap but respect it and served a beaver roast I gave them to their whole family on thanksgiving. 99% sure the traps were stolen off the porch when I was letting them air out from an updated paint job. I’ve got a miseducated neighbor who hates trapping. She’s the type that illegally feeds wildlife, tells people she’s vegan even tho she breaks the rules on that all the time, etc. I can’t prove it and I won’t retaliate based on suspicion. I’ll just trap harder and do things like get this young kid into the lifestyle. Merry Xmas Joe!!!

 

[Mack in N.C.]

Appreciate the kind words joe. Glad to see you’re still after the yotes. Yeah his adopted parents are the best people you could meet. They don’t trap but respect it and served a beaver roast I gave them to their whole family on thanksgiving. 99% sure the traps were stolen off the porch when I was letting them air out from an updated paint job. I’ve got a miseducated neighbor who hates trapping. She’s the type that illegally feeds wildlife, tells people she’s vegan even tho she breaks the rules on that all the time, etc. I can’t prove it and I won’t retaliate based on suspicion. I’ll just trap harder and do things like get this young kid into the lifestyle. Merry Xmas Joe!!!

Set some more traps on the porch with a camera hidden somewhere. No way I couldnt do that.

 

[lasttombstone]

Would one of those glitter bombs work?

 

[Rubline]

Are beaver pelts worth anything these days?

 

[QuietButDeadly]

That depends on your definition of anything.....

Seriously, 40 to 50 lb. beavers pelts are worth around $9.00 skinned and frozen or you can flesh and dry them and get a couple $$s more. Or you can send stretched and dried pelts to FHA and take your chances on grading and get somewhere in the $12 range, maybe a little more for bigger sizes that grade better and less for smaller or unprime or damaged.

Most NC pelts are going to the hatter market and the above is about what they will bring. Very few beaver pelts are used by the fashion industry and the ones that are are northern blanket beaver typically caught under the ice. In other words, only the best of the best sell above the hatter market values.

I personally skin and freeze most of mine and sell them for check in hand to GFW when they run their NC route. I will make exceptions if I have someone who wants to buy a tanned pelt or pelts but that is a pretty limited market