Duke 330s are on sale at Minnesota Trapline Products for $154 a dozen. That's a pretty darn good price! I know a lot of folks bash Dukes...but the 4 dozen 330s I own kill beaver dead every time.
I set them all with setting tongs before I even leave the house. You can also set one with a rope, or by putting the bottom spring eye on a beaver stump and pushing the top down. I experimented, and decided it was just easiest to carry tongs because every other method was a real pain when removing dead beavers.
Just grab the spring on one side close it and flip the keeper on and do the same with the other side . Not as hard as it sounds.
I used to trap years ago and we came up with an easier method. Take a piece of metal round stock 1/4 inch and 2 to 2 1/2 foot long. Bend a small hook in the end just big enough to fit around metal of spring. Bend a triangular shaped handle in the other end. Step on the trap and run the hook thru the top eye of the spring and grab the bottom eye and pull up. Can be done with one hand easily and leaves the other hand free to set the lock. Also, when you have a beaver in the trap you can step on the beaver and do the same thing with the hook. It's a heck of a lot easer than tongs, rope, or your hands. One more thing if your wading and accidently step in a 330 the hook will help get your foot out easier than the other methods also.
I seen some used 330's in the trapper and preditor caller magezine last month...The trapping around here was like the fishing this spring all the river's are way up...
