Any body know for sure? A person who shall remain nameless shot a very large beaver with a 22-250 (GREAT VARMIT GUN) while it was swimming across the lake. It then thrashed wildly in a sea of blood for a good 10 seconds. Looked like something out of a horror movie. Approaching the spot, there was a large amount of blood in the water, but no sign of the large beaver. I'm sure it won't be cutting down any more trees, but I wanted a new hat! JB

p.s. Been a while since I posted. I sure missed you guys...

My guess is it would sink first and then float.

First hand experience up North in Yellownife, NWT spring 1997. A first nation hunter shot a large beaver in the head with a .22 rifle. There was a strip of open water between the ice and the shore of about 100' and the beaver was floating... dead.

I stopped my truck, got out with my pregnant wife and my faithful chocolate lab. I assessed the situation and decided to send my dog to fetch the animal. She swam around it for what seems to me 2 minutes, sniffing, not sure if it was to be trusted... sure did not smell like a duck to her nose!

Finally she picks it up and swam back to us. We pulled this 50 lbs beaver out of the water for the old hunter. He could not believe that our dog could fetch it nor did his wife!

My old dog passed away last year, and I am still telling my 9 year old daughter that story once in a while to remind her on how special that dog was…

A dead beaver does not sink...too much fat said the old Indian hunter.

Cecil is correct. I have Xed a few. They are hard to eliminate. Usually even when shot (mortally but not yet dead) they go under and won't float up for a few hours. Some even dive down and bite on to or under limbs to stay down. Once in a while on a good shot they will flop around for a few seconds and then dive under. Once I saw a head shot with a rifle (243) that flopped once and stayed afloat.

That answers my question. Thanks! I'll look carefully in the am to see if it has floated up after giving up the ghost. I'd be very surprised if i wasn't mortally wounded.

I think the answer might differ depending on whether the varmint was head shot or well ventilated (a 22-250 would be capable of the latter, I imagine).

JB, glad to see you back. I have had a few pull our traps loose. It takes a couple of days depending on temps for them to float.

I've searched the lake carefully for two evenings with no success. I'll keep looking and let you know if it's found. And yes, a 22-250 will definately 'well ventilate' a beaver.

My take is that it depends. If it trys to evade you and drowns or is excessivly ventilated (lungs full of water)and dies, it could be submerged for a couple of days. Depending upon water temp, it will be back sooner or later. As soon as the bacteria in it's innerts start to work, it will puff up like a baloon and be back on top. Good question...

I have noticed some fish never float up and decompose on the bottom. I wonder if this would also apply to a beaver?

Maybe he recovered enough to escape back to the lodge and died there, in this case you'd never find him.

JB do not worry about it too much. If you see trees cut you will know he's back and he will be more wary around you. I think he is dead somewhere though.