Using Cable Devices in Water

In Pennsylvania, cable devices can be set in water to catch beavers and river otters.

• In water, these devices function in much the same way as cable restraints on dry land. Beavers and river otters commonly move along runways or down narrow channels. They regularly encounter minor obstructions but do not always move around them. A cable restraint or snare is usually set at a certain depth partially below or completely below the water surface of the run.
• As the animal moves along, its head and upper body pass through the loop in the cable device. When the animal continues to swim through the obstruction, the loop tightens around its head or upper body. The lock on the cable may relax slightly (cable restraint) or may not relax (snare), but it will not continue to tighten when animal stops pulling on the loop. If underwater entanglements are part of the water set, the cable will wrap around the obstacles, causing the animal to expire under the water.