Beavers are going down.......

[hightime]

When I was young, my dad had a earthen dam built to hold a three acre pond. When it was still somewhat fresh the beavers came in and plugged the outlet. In a matter of a day, the water started running over the dirt dam and washed out a gulley. We lost all the water. In '82 dad died and I built us a cabin there. About twenty years ago I managed to fix the dam and I've thought the beavers were doing a fine job of holding just enough water to keep that pond and two others in good shape. If they got too crazy I would wreck their dam and spill a couple feet of water head out.
This year however I can't keep up. Beavers and muskrats working together, along with a wetter summer than I can remember, have the trail and dam running over constantly. I'm scared that I'm going to loose it all again. Tomorrow night it's war. Except for porcupines, I don't normally shoot things I don't want to eat, but I'm taking my three grandsons and their weapons to take on those buck toothed devils.

Owen

[7.62 Precision]

Except for porcupines, I don't normally shoot things I don't want to eat, but I'm taking my three grandsons and their weapons to take on those buck toothed devils.

Owen

Have you never eaten a beaver? Those things taste great. I highly recommend you eat them.

Even if you don't eat them, it is still best to keep the population under control. They can do a lot of damage, and they will also over-populate, eat everything, and then leave for years until the brush and trees grow back up. If you want to keep some beavers around, its best to take enough each year to keep the population down.

[hightime]

Do you eat the meat or just the tail?

[AJMD429]

Do you eat the meat or just the tail?

I'll bet Old Savage and I are thinking the same thing right now....

[hayabusa]

Do you eat the meat or just the tail?


You bet!

busa

[Bridger158]

You'll never get them all with a rifle. Snares were my ace in the hole back when I was trapping as a contractor for the local utilities board.

[olyinaz]

Good luck and don't feel bad - they're vermin.

[44shooter]

I worked on them with my Ruger 77/22. Haven't seen any for a few years now. I like watching them, but they were felling trees left and right. Highly recommend CCI SGB in 22LR between the eye and ear.

[hightime]

Oh we'll get some all right. I have a three season screenhouse just fifty feet away from the dam. When we pull it apart today the water drop will trigger a lot of activity tonight. The three grandsons and I will be staying the night in the screen house with the screens off on the pond side. Nothing but miles of spruce swamp on the other side of the pond. I have no neighbors for miles. Maybe we'll even perch on top the roof. Then next weekend I can start to push off the mess on the trail with the tractor, about 200' of mud and sticks. I just hope I'm in time. I haven't been there in a week. I'll post the results Sun. night. Here's the pond;

[Washita]

Except for porcupines, I don't normally shoot things I don't want to eat, but I'm taking my three grandsons and their weapons to take on those buck toothed devils.

Owen

Have you never eaten a beaver? Those things taste great. I highly recommend you eat them.

Tastes just like chicken, right?

I remember reading that back in the day, say, 1830's or so, mountain men were very fond of beaver tail.

[Rusty]

Except for porcupines, I don't normally shoot things I don't want to eat, but I'm taking my three grandsons and their weapons to take on those buck toothed devils.

Owen

Have you never eaten a beaver? Those things taste great. I highly recommend you eat them.

Tastes just like chicken, right?

I remember reading that back in the day, say, 1830's or so, mountain men were very fond of beaver tail.

I used to read a lot of books about the fur trade when I was shootin the old smoke poles. I seem to remember they would prop the tail on an angle close to the fire skin an all. When it was done they would peel off the skin and eat the meat under it.

Good luck, I hope you get 'em.

[Tycer]

You can make some raspberry flavored ice cream from the beavers.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castoreum

[Blaine]

Except for porcupines, I don't normally shoot things I don't want to eat, but I'm taking my three grandsons and their weapons to take on those buck toothed devils.

Owen

Have you never eaten a beaver? Those things taste great. I highly recommend you eat them.

Tastes just like chicken, right?

I remember reading that back in the day, say, 1830's or so, mountain men were very fond of beaver tail.

I've always enjoyed a good beaver.....

[pwl44m]

Blaine !! that's so 60s.
Perry

[7.62 Precision]

Do you eat the meat or just the tail?

The meat. I have not eaten the the tail, but people do. I have heard that the fat from the tail can solidify in your belly and give really bad stomach cramps if it was prepared the way some native people used to. Whether it is a myth or true I don't know. I think most people fry them.

The meat is very good - sweet. Everything loves to eat them, so they make great trapping bait. There are glands under the arms in the fat that should be removed as soon as you skin it, and you want to carefully get rid if the castors right away - they can change the flavor of the meat. If you kill it, it can be bled easily, but if you snare it or catch it in a drowning set, then you will have the problem of bleeding it.

[765x53]

Good luck and don't feel bad - they're vermin.

They are furbearers. Someone would be happy to help you keep them in check during trapping season.

They taste just like groundhog, the two most delicious wild meats there are.

[hightime]

You'll never get them all with a rifle. Snares were my ace in the hole back when I was trapping as a contractor for the local utilities board.

I guess you're right. They built up right under my nose. I saw them about 11:00 missed getting a shot. I settled for a muskrat, got him. Then about 2 am I got off a shot at a beaver and killed him. Not much to show. Mosquitoes were so bad non of us would go outside. The great hunters fell asleep and didn't even wake up when I shot the 30-30.

[BenT]

We had beavers move in our trout stream last fall. Had a guy come in and trap them. I would go out at night looking for them but never seen one. Shotgun with buckshot was the weapon of choice.

[1894c]

Except for porcupines, I don't normally shoot things I don't want to eat, but I'm taking my three grandsons and their weapons to take on those buck toothed devils.

Owen

Have you never eaten a beaver? Those things taste great. I highly recommend you eat them.

Tastes just like chicken, right? :lol:

I remember reading that back in the day, say, 1830's or so, mountain men were very fond of beaver tail.

I've always enjoyed a good beaver.....

BlaineG--i didn't want to laugh...i just didn't...but... :)

[Terry Murbach]

NOW JUST QUIT IT !!! A LITTLE BEAVER NEVER HURT ANYONE...

[jeepnik]

NOW JUST QUIT IT !!! A LITTLE BEAVER NEVER HURT ANYONE...

Let me tell you, some can really hurt you, like peeing razor blades.

[hightime]

I gave the brass to the kids and told them to save it as it was a beaver shot. Then I thought about it.
Not the one I remember.

[gundownunder]

Sooner or later OS is going to find this thread and then the pictures will get really interesting

[Rusty]

You might try a thermocell for those skeeters.

Are you going back for round 2?

[hightime]

I definitely am going back to do battle again. I need to break the dam every couple days, at least until the weather dries out. I would guess if I get four or more beavers, I'll be OK. Also if I get my JD going I can really dig it out and scrape off all the sticks and mud from my trail.

the top picture is now and the bottom last summer.

[Tycer]

I gave the brass to the kids and told them to save it as it was a beaver shot. Then I thought about it.
Not the one I remember.

If you could sell them it would be a mon---nope nope nope no no.