Beavers

[FishTax]

My new house is by the lake, and with it came some beaver activity. I’m not a fan of them killing my trees. Several have healed, but several have fallen. Anyway, anyone have experience eradicating them by any means necessary? I’m open minded and creative. And have a shotgun of course. 

[Scott F]

The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission (NCWRC) manages beavers and offers a Beaver Management Assistance Program (BMAP) to help resolve conflicts. 

[BigAngus752]

Well, your post caused me to start Googling.  Beavers are highly protected furbearers in Illinois.  No hunting and only trapping with permit.  According to AI Google, however, you are pretty much free to blast them as you (a landowner) see fit...so...happy hunting!  A shotgun requires close quarters.  Beavers can get pretty chunky so I'd stick with a center-fire rifle rather than try a rimfire.  Can you use something "quiet" in your state?  A suppressed .300 Blackout would be just right.  

 

But I like @Scott F 's response.  That's what we do here.  Tons of help available to relocate them when they invade our space here.  

[FishTax]

2 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

Well, your post caused me to start Googling.  Beavers are highly protected furbearers in Illinois.  No hunting and only trapping with permit.  According to AI Google, however, you are pretty much free to blast them as you (a landowner) see fit...so...happy hunting!  A shotgun requires close quarters.  Beavers can get pretty chunky so I'd stick with a center-fire rifle rather than try a rimfire.  Can you use something "quiet" in your state?  A suppressed .300 Blackout would be just right.  

 

But I like @Scott F 's response.  That's what we do here.  Tons of help available to relocate them when they invade our space here.  

Yes I think I’m legally free to handle as needed. I guess I can do the wrc thing, I’m more inclined to handle my stuff on my own than call for help. Regarding something quieter, it’s possible but expensive. I’m not worried about noise, and it’s a wooded area so it’ll be in shotgun range. They’re actively working on a big tree. Wonder if I can spray something to get them to leave the area. 

[VolFan]

You can probably sprinkle cayenne heavily around whatever active trees they’re working, or mix cayenne into a spray bottle/sprayer and spray trees. The coyote/predator urine around where they’re active may work. The results of the above vary. DNRs will usually trap and relocate so that’s probably the best solution unless you want to deal with beaver carcasses, I hear the tail meat is a delicacy.

[12poundbass]

I would go to a local conservation club and see if they know anyone who traps. My good friend traps them and does pretty well. It’s amazing the amount and size of trees those guys can take down!

Here are some trees they’ve taken down where my friend traps them.

 

 

 

[FishTax]

Yikes. They started on trees that size but abandoned them on my land. They generally seem to like 3-6" stuff here but are eating on a couple larger ones

[GreenPig]

My Remington LVSF 221 Fireball is my beaver gun. It has stopped hundreds of tree eaters. Break their dam and snipe them when they come to repair it.

[FishTax]

They don't have a dam, I can't figure out where they're living. I'm going to have to follow feeder creeks to see if I find anything. I chatted with neighbor farm and they practically begged me to shoot them so it sounds like I've got community support. Guess it's time for an adventure. 

[GreenPig]

4 hours ago, FishTax said:

They don't have a dam, I can't figure out where they're living. I'm going to have to follow feeder creeks to see if I find anything. I chatted with neighbor farm and they practically begged me to shoot them so it sounds like I've got community support. Guess it's time for an adventure. 

I can assure you they have a dam and it's closer than you'd think. They don't travel very far and they're a pretty solid tough animal so I'd suggest forgoing birdshot.

[gim]

I think a licensed trapper is a better route than sitting there and waiting with a shotgun.  Not that the waiting theory wouldn't work, but a properly-placed trap would be way more efficient in terms of time and success rate.  Make sure there aren't any dogs around that could get in the trap too.

[12poundbass]

12 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I think a licensed trapper is a better route than sitting there and waiting with a shotgun.  Not that the waiting theory wouldn't work, but a properly-placed trap would be way more efficient in terms of time and success rate.  Make sure there aren't any dogs around that could get in the trap too.

I highly advise against a shotgun as well. The beaver is going to get wounded and that’s it which isn’t cool.  Plus, beavers are mostly nocturnal.

 

As far as dogs in traps, you typically use a body grip trap for beaver which are under water and the beaver swims through the trap which sets it off. It’s not your typical foothold trap so your unassuming critters are safe from these traps.

 

 

[gim]

11 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

As far as dogs in traps, you typically use a body grip trap for beaver which are under water and the beaver swims through the trap which sets it off. It’s not your typical foothold trap so your unassuming critters are safe from these traps.

 

I assumed it was a connibear-style trap placed in or near the water.  I having a hunting dog and I'm overly paranoid about traps, regardless of what style they are.  I ask every landowner where I hunt in advance about traps on their land when I seek permission.  Encountering something like a connibear or snare style trap when I'm bird hunting is a nightmarish scenario.  Luckily, I've never encountered one in nearly 25 years.  But that doesn't mean I don't think about it or try to prevent it.

[FishTax]

No dogs in area unless you count coyote. I'll probably just call the WRC and see if they'll take care of it. Found more damage today that was brand new. Aggravating. 

[TnRiver46]

Wrap the trees with 2x4 “ welded wire 36” high 

[FishTax]

I set up a game camera facing the big tree they're working on destroying. At least I should get a good photo of them to see what we're dealing with. 

Does anyone know if urine would deter them? I know it deters coyotes, not sure what else. I have boys, so getting urine on a tree is easy... 

[Choporoz]

If you trap them, feel free to bring them a few miles up 49.  Duke Power won't let me and my neighbors cut some of our trees and I would welcome a few more beavers.   Bonus:  More laydowns!

[FishTax]

3 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

If you trap them, feel free to bring them a few miles up 49.  Duke Power won't let me and my neighbors cut some of our trees and I would welcome a few more beavers.   Bonus:  More laydowns!

Are you on Hyco? 

[Choporoz]

Mayo

[10,000 lakes Bassin]

Too bad I’m not closer, I’d love to trap them for ya.

[TnRiver46]

19 hours ago, FishTax said:

I set up a game camera facing the big tree they're working on destroying. At least I should get a good photo of them to see what we're dealing with. 

Does anyone know if urine would deter them? I know it deters coyotes, not sure what else. I have boys, so getting urine on a tree is easy... 

it would be a long shot but I have seen a few studies where bobcat urine deterred groundhog chewing . Problem is it washes off every time it rains. I’m still saying wrap the tree, worked well anywhere I’ve ever tried it 

 

[Smirak]

.22-250 or .300 blackout. .22-250 is what I used when living on some property back in MS. The trees weren’t necessarily the problem, but the d**n was leaking as a result…

[TnRiver46]

15 minutes ago, Smirak said:

.22-250 or .300 blackout. .22-250 is what I used when living on some property back in MS. The trees weren’t necessarily the problem, but the d**n was leaking as a result…

That kind of sounds like muskrat, beavers don’t like their dam to leak. A good way to know if you’ve gotten them all for the time being is to tear a hole in their dam, they will fix it overnight if still present 

 

but then again if you ground checked a beaver, then there was a beaver there 😂 

 

muskrat is notorious for drilling holes in levee, perhaps they were working in combination 

[Smirak]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

That kind of sounds like muskrat, beavers don’t like their dam to leak. A good way to know if you’ve gotten them all for the time being is to tear a hole in their dam, they will fix it overnight if still present 

 

but then again if you ground checked a beaver, then there was a beaver there 😂 

 

muskrat is notorious for drilling holes in levee, perhaps they were working in combination 

Yeah, something was wrong. It was an older Corps of Engineers watershed lake. We actually wound up draining it, redoing it, deepening some parts, adding tons of cover and it became a really good lake/pond.

 

This pic is about 20yrs old as that son is now 24. We didn’t weigh it, but maybe 3lb? This was actually pre-pond renovation…we kept a big hole for fish, and finished everywhere else around it.