Invading Beavers

[Marc St Louis]

There's a creek that drains the swamp that goes around my house.  Beavers have decided to dam it up making life....wet.  I set up my trail cam next to their dam and set it up to take 3 consecutive pics.  After I break the dam during the day they show up like clockwork at 9

[bjrogg]

I don’t have any on my property. I’ve seen some very impressive hydro projects they have built though.
Busy as a beaver.
Bjrogg

[mmattockx]

Is it legal to rid the world of them or is that a 3 S's situation?


Mark

[Marc St Louis]

If they're doing damage then they are gone.  I'm not quite sure if I'm going to get rid of them now though.

Before the Beavers came along this guy showed up

[DC]

Is that a Bittern, I've just seen pictures.

[Hummingbird Point]

I agree with your thinking that it is best to leave them be if they aren't causing any real damage.  Unfortunately the fur prices on them have been so bad for so long hardly anyone traps them anymore.  They are fairly easy to trap in most cases, if it comes to that.  When I was young and poor I ate a few.  Surprisingly good.  If you do need to take them out, consider just cutting a backstrap out of one and trying it.

[Marc St Louis]

Yes it's an American Bittern, we used to call them Mud Hens...don't ask me why.

I've eaten quite a few Beavers when I was young as well as Muskrat.  Beavers are good but Muskrat are excellent eating.  I'm not a trapper but I've trapped them before, it is easy.  When I was young I would use a .22, a shot to the head and that's it.  If they're in deep water they sink but float after an hour

[Trapper Rob]

We leave them alone on the farm till they start flooding parts of the fields then dad tells me you know what to do.

[HH~]

22lr at night with a gud lite. Pull apart damn til you can water running at dusk. Get comfortable and wait. Shoot the big Mama Beavers first not the kits.
You smarten yo a mature beaver and youll have a challenge.

Shawn

[Hawkdancer]

Maybe the price of plews will go up!  As far eating, I read somewhere the tail is very good roasted on coals. 

[HH~]

The scouting party with Cpt Lewis and Cpt Clark preferred Beaver as table fare above all else.

HH~

[bushboy]

Drown sets are the easiest way to catch them....there go crazy for carrots...

[Russ]

the beavers on my friends land destroyed everything until he and the shared owners trapped them all. good riddance and good burgurs!

[mullet]

My .17 HMR in 20 grain round nose with night vision would do the trick.

[Marc St Louis]

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to remove them.  They are making it a bit harder to access the land behind my house for hunting but killing them just for that just doesn't sit right with me.  I might just take one for eating.

The most effective way to get them to move on without killing them is to poison their house