# Big beaver



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I'm working with a lake association to get their beaver problem under control. They are damming the outlet of the lake and flooding lake front properties. For now I just removed the adults but my ultimate goal is to install flow devices that let the humans determine the lake level. Then we can break the endless cycle of killing the beaver and new beaver moving in again.

We've installed one 15" pipe and it has been running steadily for a couple of years now. Unfortunately the new beaver rebuilt an old dam about 25' downstream from the main dam that has the device and when they did it they built it higher than the original dam. I just removed the adults from the colony and am going to seek permission to extend the pipe through the new dam.

Hopefully by removing the adults the remaining 1 and 2 year olds won't be so eager to rebuild the newest dam.

There was an old dam further downstream that I thought would deepen the stream just enough to satisfy the beaver so they wouldn't raise the level of the newest dam upstream.

I haven't gotten a weight on the two big beaver yet but they felt heavier than a bag of feed. I picked up a male otter too. The measuring stick is 48".


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Isn't one of those an otter? We know a dog musher in the area who would be happy to take those carcasses off your hands.


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## 67drake (May 6, 2020)

No wonder you’re having problems, it appears those beavers are using power tools.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Cabin Fever said:


> Isn't one of those an otter? We know a dog musher in the area who would be happy to take those carcasses off your hands.


Yes. There is an otter in the photo. I thought my sets were too close to the beaver house to catch an otter but I was wrong. This one is in the mid-50" range. Last fall I caught one that stretched 61" in a beaver set. It' at the tannery now. 

Please send the dog musher this way.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

fishhead said:


> Yes. There is an otter in the photo. I thought my sets were too close to the beaver house to catch an otter but I was wrong. This one is in the mid-50" range. Last fall I caught one that stretched 61" in a beaver set. It' at the tannery now.
> 
> Please send the dog musher this way.


Send you a PM.


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## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

Make a coat. Boola! Boola! You;ll be a big hit with all the sorority girls at the next homecoming game.

Great idea about a release valve system to control the water level without distrubing the wildlife too much. That's how Mark Trail would've done it.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Beaver are an asset as long as they aren't causing property damage so the more we can do to co-exist the better. I would love to have a house overlooking a beaver pond.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

One beaver weighed 46 lbs. and the other weighed 51 lbs. I'm glad that I didn't have to carry them very far. I used to trap beaver a mile or more from the road.


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## Clem (Apr 12, 2016)

I'd trade you a mess of groundogs....


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Beaver raise the water levels to extend the area from which they can gather saplings for food. The are increasing the size of their farm, so to speak. Draining the water away, will just encourage them to work harder.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

muleskinner2 said:


> Beaver raise the water levels to extend the area from which they can gather saplings for food. The are increasing the size of their farm, so to speak. Draining the water away, will just encourage them to work harder.


There are ways to escape their detection of the inlet. One of the guys who developed the device has installed more than 1,600 of them with a high success rate. They are usually more cost effect than hiring someone to kill the beaver over and over and over.................


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

that endless cycle is called warm natural clothing , a never ending supply of fur if managed properly

problem is people don't think of them as warm hats and mittens so now they are a nuisance waste item to be disposed of.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

That's a $1500 paycheck. Nice work.


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