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With misfires reaching as high as 50%, it is little wonder that the Bailey Beaver Trap* has a dismal reputation (Buech, 1983). Fortunately, Dr. Richard Buech discovered several modifications that substantially improved the Bailey’s capture efficiency.

Advantages of the Bailey Beaver Trap over other types of traps

• Baileys set completely underwater thereby substantially reducing beaver avoidance of the trap.
• Baileys can be employed in blind (sets without using bait) sets by exploiting normal beaver behavior.
• Baileys use weaker springs making it safer for the trapper to use.

Suggested Trap Modifications in Order of Importance

Install Modified Trigger Locks

This new lock would be reattached to the trap with the original cotter pin. necessary for the new lock to function properly. The new trap lock's length from bend to point of weld is 5¾ inches (11.7 cm). The length of the welded piece is about 2 inches (5 cm).

Modified Lock On Left and Top

Shorten & Even Cable Lengths With two moving jaws, it is imperative that both jaws fire and meet simultaneously. To correct the problem of uneven closing jaws, do the following:

• Set the trap properly and remove excessive slack in the trigger cables. Leave a little slack before making final corrections, as you can always shorten the cable further if necessary after testing in the next step. Measure twice and cut once. See photo at right with the orange line highlighting the slack in the trigger cable.
• Dry fire the trap to ensure that your changes allow the jaws to meet above the middle of the trap at the same time. Adjust the cable as needed to be sure this occurs.
• Optional: File down or tape the cable loop tail so that it cannot become snagged on the mesh, thereby preventing the trap jaw from firing.
• Optional: Center the Cable Wire The cable wire is normally attached to the ring thereby running the risk of the dog being pulled off kilter. Attach the cable wire to the center of the dog so that it is squarely pulled when the trap fires. See photo at right.

SETS FOR THE BAILEY BEAVER TRAP

General Considerations

• Avoid channel sets or locations where the beaver will be swimming at increased speed.
• The trap must be completely submerged with the trigger no greater than 4 inches below the water surface. The trap is still effective when not perfectly horizontal. The author has used the trap on beaver dams where the trap lay at a thirty degree angle with no problem.
• The trap must be tethered with a wire (16 gauge minimum) or a captured beaver will drag the trap to deep water and drown.
• The trap must be used in open (not frozen) water.
• The trap must be positioned so that the beaver moves between the jaws (ie. Perpendicular to the trigger) not over the side of the jaws where the locks are.
• Trap dogs must be set in their respective loops so they will easily fire when the trap is triggered. Typically, the dog should extend through the loop no more than a ¼ inch. See photo at right.

Suggested Sets

Tree Set

• Find a tree on the bank that has been gnawed on by beaver.
• Place some dead tree branches on both sides of the trap to help guide the beaver toward the center of the trap. Make sure branches will not interfere with trap action.

Dam Set

• If legal, stand in one spot on the dam to allow the water to begin to flow over that spot. Water should be flowing freely but without a rush. A water flow of 2” in depth and 4” in width should be sufficient. If a thin sheet of ice forms overnight, slightly increase the depth and width of the breach to prevent ice forming near the trap.
• Set trap in the same manner as you would for the Tree set.

Bailey Dam Set--Trap submerged & Trap Sprung

Food or Castor Set

• Find a suitable bank location and create a food or Castor Set (low slope).
• Set trap in same manner as you for the Tree set.

HUMANE ISSUES

Dr. Buech also has advice on how to use the Bailey and Hancock traps in a humane manner. First, it should be known that beavers regulate their body temperatures through their tails. They don't pant or sweat like other animals. He strongly recommends that traps be checked in the morning so that the beaver will most likely be in the trap less than 12 hours. He noted that during the whole time he was trapping for his doctoral thesis, captured beavers rarely maintained a normal body temperature of 98˚F. Most often their temperature ranged from 85-95˚F. He strongly suggests that Bailey traps not be used when temperatures hover around freezing or below (32˚F.). He notes that beavers in Bailey traps are unable to maintain body temperature since they are being held in the water. Buech advices that if you must trap with the Bailey during freezing conditions, check the traps at midnight and in the early morning. Otherwise, he recommends using Hancock style traps during cold weather conditions, as Hancocks lift the beaver out of the cold water. When trapping during hot weather, you want to be sure to avoid having the trapped beaver overheat. Beavers can over heat very quickly, if they cannot reach water. During summer months, Bailey traps would be a better choice as it keeps the beaver in the water. If you must use Hancock traps, set them in areas where the beaver will be shielded from direct sunlight. If you are unsure whether the beaver is over heating or not, feel their tail. If it feels cold, then the beaver is cold. If it is warm then the beaver is warm.

*SIDEBAR The official name of the trap is the “Tomahawk Bailey Beaver Live Trap.” The author has redacted the name because he considers the term “live trap” to be too vague and emotionally misleading of a term for professionals to use. Professionals realize that there are many kinds of “live traps”, including, footholds, snares, pit traps and cage or solid wall traps. Professionals also know that “live traps” can be incredibly cruel and lead to the death of the captured animal. Therefore, the author suggests that professionals should refrain from calling cage, box and suitcase style traps, “live traps” to avoid reinforcing the public’s misconception that non-cage traps necessarily “kill.” If professionals ever hope to truly educate the public about trapping then it is incumbent upon them to use language that doesn’t reinforce wrong stereotypes. One need only look at the mess caused by uneducated Massachusetts voters in 1996 to see a living demonstration of this point.

LITERATURE CITED

BUECH, R. 1983. Modification of the Bailey Live Trap for Beaver. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 11 (1):66-68.

INTERNET CENTER FOR WILDLIFE DAMAGE MANAGEMENT. http://icwdm.org VANTASSEL, S. 1998. Modifying the Bailey Beaver Trap. Wildlife Control Technology Magazine. Sept/Oct:14-16.