CDR vs. MB-750

[Tony Howard]

I am working a beaver job for a local township. It is in and area that would be considered a high chance of theft so I use the old CDR I have on a dam break. The first night it was covered with mud and the dam repaired. The next night the same thing. I backed the set up another foot from the dam break and on the 4th night it was thrown and run all the way to the anchor with nothing in it. The 5th night it was run half way down the slider with nothing in it.

I then took a MB-750 and made a pocket set about 30 yards up stream from the dam and lured it with some of my special lure. The next morning (Friday) I had a large male caught by four toes on the back right foot. The next morning (Sat) I had a large female with entire back right foot buried up above the ankle in the same set with the 750.

I am sure someone will say it is because the CDR was on the dam break and the 750 was on the pocket set, but at another job a month ago I had it reversed and the 750 took on the dam break and the CDR was thrown and run to the end of the slide at a pocket set 50 yards from the dam. This made the 3rd time I have had the CDR run down the slide with nothing in it. I plan to adjust the pan tension and set it even heavier. I have 4lbs on it now, but I plan to go with 6 lbs next time.

[Eric Cottrell]

This past winter, I had a guy come run my river line with me. As you know, I don't use footholds for beaver. He tried to tell me what I had been missing, so I told him to show me.

Long story short, 3 nights with 6 traps set each night.....15 beaver, 1 nutria, and 1 coon. The only trap that didn't produce one night was sanded in. He was using half CDRs and half #3 bridger coils.

Needless to say, quite a few more beaver were caught with footholds over the next 2 weeks of that line.

I only seen 1 trap that was halfway down the slide wire empty, and it was a #3 bridger. I was really impressed with the catch ratio we had on the footholds.

Now grant it, we hand picked some great castor mounds to set, but they were unsettable with coni's due to the approaches from the river.

I just don't think your problem was the CDR, unless the springs on that specific trap are no good. You did say that it was an "old" CDR. Without actually being there, I'd still bet on trap placement being the problem with the misses.

[Tony Howard]

You know if I was hard headed I would keep on testing the thing, right? Good thing I am not hard headed, ha! If I can get done with the baseball season, I have two more jobs to set up. I am sure the CDR will be used again real soon. I am going to catch a beaver with it before it is all over. I have and idea as to why I might be missing, but I want to get on fresh beaver before I test my new theory out.

[Eric Cottrell]

Tony, you saying you ain't hard headed is kinda like me sayin' I'm good looking. We both want it to be true.......but......

[Tony Howard]

Well,.........I am speechless. ;D

[Tony Howard]

I will be setting up two more jobs next week and into the weekend. I will be doing some more testing. The dams I will be working on this week are much deeper and I feel that I can get the CDR down to the depth needed to make them work on the back foot like I want. I will find out for sure in a week or so.