We've got a lake in the neighborhood (about 100acres), and we have some beavers on the upperend of the lake.

In the past we have left them alone, they have built a dam up in the creek above the lake, and occasionally take a tree or two from along the shoreline. Their swamp has seemed beneficial to us as it is a little downstream from a heavily traveled road, and acts as a filter and keeps lots of trash out of the lake. During the winter we clean the trash out around their dam, and up the creek.

Over the last couple of weeks they have been on a rampage and have taken down 6-8 trees. Is this a seasonal thing?

I know typically you want to remove them from a pond, but if we remove them, won't another pair be back within a year or so?

Should we "relocate" them with conibears?

They are making a feed bed under water somewhere close to their den for the winter with the trees. That's normal. If you leave them alone, the kits will get kicked out of the den next spring and look for a place to live, expanding the beaver colony.

Yes, if there are beavers in the area, and the habitat is good, then another pair might show up in a year or so when the yearling kits are kicked out of their home.

If you want to "relocate" them, you are correct. Conibear 330's or snares seem to work the best.

I personally relocate beaver with Conibears and yes, quite often juvenile beavers will return at some point. Sometimes I will go years without seeing them and other times it is only months. I will upload you a image off a beaver tunnel. I currently have a pond with the water pulled down for repairs because tunnels dug by beaver into a dam and emergency run around.

Think of beavers that tunnel into the banks of ponds and lakes as supercharged muskrats. Their tunnels/dens are 3x as wide, and could be 4x as long as muskrat dens.

In muddy water, walking along crotch deep in chest waders, stepping into a beaver run could easily put the water over the top of the waders.

On shore, dropping a rear wheel of a tractor into a run could tip the tractor over into the water if it's on the downhill side.

Good luck wows1604! Beavers are the bane of my existence! I have had a lot of trouble with them at 2 ponds that I manage. They REALLY like the vibration from the feeder tubing going to my aerators. I have had to repair the feeder lines 6 times at these ponds, lol.

I echo what esshup and tums said. They usually do come back. 2 years ago I called a trapper to get rid of the beavers, and we didn't have a problem with them for the rest of that year and the following year. This year 3 of them popped back up. It's a constant battle it seems like.

If only we could be so lucky

Oh I didn't need to see that......didn't know they dug.

Just found where beavers cut two trees on my pond so I wrapped three trees in the yard with net wire to prevent them from getting chewed on.

I need to find and give them a craniotomy ASAP.

Beavers are right up there with GBH's to me. Both are very smart, and take a little more effort to deter than some other critters. Mine wised up to lead poisoning, then cages, then conibears, then I finally got with esshup, and went to snares because of his advice, and finally got all mine. To me, the biggest issue was knowing what to look for hut wise, and keeping on the lookout for slides and new tree damage.


One hut trail that we dug out, and repacked.

Al are night vision scopes effective against beavers?

Mark, I haven't been able to write that check yet. Highflyer has NV, so maybe he knows.

I did put out game cameras near tree damage though, and the beaver kept fairly regular late night hours. If you could sit and wait for them on the shore, it would certainly give a better full bodied shot.

The good thing about snares and traps is that they are on the job 24/7.

Al did you have bank beavers (that tunneled into the shore) vs. beavers that build the traditional beaver house?

Bank beavers are like muskrats on steroids.

Al I think once the cabin is done I can sit on my front porch and
have a clear shot, but Jeeezzz you are right those night scopes
ain't cheap.

Beavers or muskrats don't like big white dogs...

Or steel

Yes. I only had one hut. All the rest burrowed in the dam just below the waterline, and were only findable because of the muddy water over the slides.

You guys must have a shortage of coyotes.

really good to eat also. taste like beef. clean, cook slow little water ,apple, onion ,pull off bone. shred, remove fat. BBG sauce.
Good stuff.

Mark,

NV is a game changer for night work. They let me see what is going on and where to place my traps.