Beaver's

[Robby]

I don't know where else to put this and am hoping someone know a little more about these interesting animals than I do. The Conesus Creek, which runs north to the Genesee River, is my western boundary, the little creek runs through my land. The Genesee has no place for these animals to build dams and I have heard the ones living there as 'river beavers', there is really no place for them to build dams in this part of the creek either, though I would welcome one just a bit north of me.
If they are not dam builders, where do they live? in stream banks? Do they still build some kind of lodging? The tree looks freshly gnawed, could it be one just passing through?
Well, its' pretty interesting anyway.
Robby

 

[2 shots]

used to love watching these guys when i hunted the 'DACKS ' many years ago. very cool critters. they can case a lot of damage though.

 

[BillyC]

They will dig bank dens to live in. If the river is close enough they will cruise up streams looking for food and new territory. This time of the year two year olds are getting kicked out by their parents to make room for the next litter. With the collapse of the fur market over the last few years very little trapping going on so the population is getting out of hand. You will probably start seeing a lot more damage in your area.

 

[Andrewmtnman]

I’m actually surprised to hear they live by streams and running water. I have seen documentaries describing them hating the sound of running water, and that is why they build dams, to stop the noise. God only knows if that is true or not. They have taken down 20” diameter trees along the edge of our swamp. I was impressed when I saw that

 

[Brokennock]

I’m actually surprised to hear they live by streams and running water. I have seen documentaries describing them hating the sound of running water, and that is why they build dams, to stop the noise. God only knows if that is true or not. They have taken down 20” diameter trees along the edge of our swamp. I was impressed when I saw that

It isn't so much that they "hate" the sound, but that after thousands of years of doing what they do, instinctualy they associate the sound of running water with a leak in their damn.

 

[Brokennock]

Bank beavers as some folks call them will live burrowed into a stream bank instead of a beaver hut.
I'm not sure if this is a temporary thing while they look for someplace to build a damn, form a pond, and build a hut.

 

[Brokennock]

There are several living here. The one in the video uses a tunnel through the bank his damn connects to in order to get from the pond above down to where he is having a snack.

 

[2 shots]

its amazing how loud their tail smack can be

 

[The Crisco Kid]

A tail slap from a close beaver can make a man jump three feet in the air! I know this is true. Well, maybe only one foot in the air. I saw a cartoon of a beaver over looking a meandering stream. His thought was "Dam it all".

 

[medbill]

Beaver's have dammed up a portion of a pretty fast moving creek RIGHT where our irrigation headgate is. In doing so the water level is way up there and I have GREAT pressure in my irrigation ditch. I wish I could buy those not so little guys a hunk of sugar maple! I'm sure things won't end well for them once the farmers down below start drawing water for their fields and check the creek out to see if it they can increase pressure at all. The good news is we got a ton of snow and I'm hoping they don't come looking for a while.

 

[TDM]

Haven't been around any in many years, but the experience I've had with them wasn't good. Lots of damage in areas that didn't need it.

 

[andy52]

I live about 1 1/2 miles from the Mississippi and they are abundant here. I see them out on the main river but more often on the islands which have a lot of small lakes.
Their lodges are partly in the banks and have piles of wood at the entrance.
Their damns hold back water to create new habitats. They truly do eat wood and like smaller trees.
Their ambitions have no bounds I've seen cottonwood trees
3+ feet in diameter they start on and it may take a couple of years to bring it down but they do.

 

[Rató:rats]

I watched a video of some researchers who placed an iPod in a captive beaver enclosure with the sound of running water playing on it. In 5 minutes the confused beavers had buried the iPod in mud and sticks till they couldn’t hear running water anymore.

 

[BillyC]

The only market for beaver pelts right now is the hatter market and pts that sold for $30 two years ago are going for $4-$5 now. Too much work involved in setting traps, checking daily, hauling skinning and putting up pelts for that kind of money. I think the worst aspect of beaver damage is when the chew 90% through a tree then leave it to fall who knows when.

 

[Coinneach]

The only market for beaver pelts right now is the hatter market and pts that sold for $30 two years ago are going for $4-$5 now. Too much work involved in setting traps, checking daily, hauling skinning and putting up pelts for that kind of money. I think the worst aspect of beaver damage is when the chew 90% through a tree then leave it to fall who knows when.

"Beaver will shine again" (Bill Tyler, he would know he's related to ol Moses).

 

[JoeG]

I trapped 15 this year here in PA. Could have caught more. Still have a good bit of meat frozen to eat as well as some coyote bait mixed up. I need to skin the tails yet they are frozen still. A cool animal to trap, but a lot of work as mentioned.

 

[Brokennock]

Let me start by clearly saying, I am Not against trapping.
In the case of thise pond and damn however, I hope no one ever traps these beaver. They have done me a huge favor, and I think overall have had a positive benefit to this area.
The water to the pond side of the damn in the second picture covers what used to be a state forest road. It's about 1.3 miles up the mountain from the gate at the bottom, there is another .5 mile past it. This damn has limited access to that last half mile or so. The change has been incredible. More animals, less litter. There are still scum bags who creep in from the private land past the end of the road and shoot bottles and trash in the road, but the disturbances is greatly reduced.
It is also now one of the most beautiful spots on the mountain. Both because the worst of my elevation gain is behind me, and because it is just plain pretty.
Is crossing the damn a little dicey? Does it add time at oh-dark-hundred getting to my stand? Yes! But, it is well worth it.
Between that damn and a newer one below it, and the one a little over a mile above and beyond it,

With a great rocky stream with little waterfalls connecting them,,,, those hard working, furry little engineers have made this a much better place to hunt, scout, and hike.

If only we could get some more two legged members of our society to work as hard. (And automotive design engineers to work as smart as these engineers)

 

[Packrat]

Can't find the picture, years ago in Wyoming I came across a falling tree, Beaver chewed it down. I had a Puma Bowie Knife, i layed it on the stump, there was about two extra inches on each end from the knife Must have been 14" diameter

 

[halman]

Yes they dig tunnels in river banks, have seen them many times when the river is down, especially under uprooted trees. I know guys that noodle a lot and I use to go with them occasionally but I would never do river banks because I don’t know what would happen if I grabbed ahold of a beaver and didn’t want to find out looking at those teeth…….

 

[Mcat]

Well they sure know where they want them to fall and which way the wind blows.