Busting a Beaver Dam

Molalla1 · Jul 21, 2019

SandraOpines said:
Oooh thanks guys. We are way too close to the Interstate to shoot a gun and since we were wiped out of trees by Hurricane Michael, there is not a bloody thing to slow a bullet down now. We haven't shot a gun since Oct 10th

We were hoping the other lake/pond owners up and down stream would dispatch the critters since everyone has the same issue....... but so far they just do the same as we do... clear the debris with gates and other DIY fixes.

No one seems interested in pelts or trapping around here. It isn't our bag either but it may come to that.

Pelts will make for a nice dog bed . . .

Jstpssng · Jul 21, 2019

Crazydad said:
I used traps and scent from bass pro shops. Go to YouTube to see how to use them. Also a .22 with a scope and some lights near the scent mound you make.

He must have been right into the mud when you caught him. Is that a 280?

Crazydad · Jul 21, 2019

That is the duke #330 10 inch. She was blocking the drains on pond dam that would destroy it. I found a slide near the drains and cleared them, then used some of the leaves and mud to make a mound above the slide baited with scent, plied sticks on both sides of the trap to funnel them in. I knew they would come to block the dam again as the did every night after I cleared it.

Jstpssng · Jul 21, 2019

^^^
That's a good sized beaver, he filled the trap nicely.

mscheeer772 · Jul 24, 2019

I live on the Teal River in Northern Wis. The beavers built a house which provided cover for the minnows, which became dinner for the fish. The fishing has been fantastic the last 2 years around their house.

The beavers then started gnawing the trees along the river bank which provided more cover for the fish.
I must have wrapper 350 trees I didn't want them to gnaw on.

My family owns property east of Ghost Lake in Spider Lake Township, Hayward Wis.The beaver have built a dam 300 yards long blocking up a creek that flows through the property. It was become a waterfowl Mecca.

They started the dam by plugging a covert. They expanding thisx engineering marvel to include the 300 yards.of earthen dam that is now 4-5 feet high in some places. I guess what I'm saying is, I've learned to live with these pests.
I'll take pictures tomorrow

EddieWalker · Jul 25, 2019

Here, we shoot them when we see them. Usually early in the morning or towards last light. I don't understand the part about not being able to shoot them because of the highway being close. I would try to find a way to position myself so the highway is behind me and the bullet is gong away from the highway, towards the beaver. The only way to get rid of beavers is to kill them. In CA, where I'm from and where hunting laws are kind of crazy, they allow shooting beavers at night with the use of lights because of all the damage they do to the Delta and the levees. If beaver cannot build a home in the middle of a shallow pond, it will dig a tunnel into the ground or the dam and build it's home there. Dam failure because of beavers is very common there. Even with massive chunks of concrete along the shore, the beavers still find a way to dig their tunnels. If you let the beavers remain, it's just a matter of time until one of them digs a tunnel into your dam. In CA we would shoot them at night from a boat with archery gear. Some of my friends where really into that and we would get some huge beavers. I think 90 pounds was the largest that I saw. In a good night, we might get two dozen of them!!!! They swim around non stop all night long and you just ease the boat up to them close enough for a shot. It's not very challenging, but it does get interesting after the shot. If my beaver issue gets any worse, that's what I plan on doing, but so far, we're able to shoot a couple every year from the shore line to keep their numbers under control.

Molalla1 · Jul 25, 2019

EddieWalker said:
Here, we shoot them when we see them. Usually early in the morning or towards last light. I don't understand the part about not being able to shoot them because of the highway being close. I would try to find a way to position myself so the highway is behind me and the bullet is gong away from the highway, towards the beaver. The only way to get rid of beavers is to kill them. In CA, where I'm from and where hunting laws are kind of crazy, they allow shooting beavers at night with the use of lights because of all the damage they do to the Delta and the levees. If beaver cannot build a home in the middle of a shallow pond, it will dig a tunnel into the ground or the dam and build it's home there. Dam failure because of beavers is very common there. Even with massive chunks of concrete along the shore, the beavers still find a way to dig their tunnels. If you let the beavers remain, it's just a matter of time until one of them digs a tunnel into your dam. In CA we would shoot them at night from a boat with archery gear. Some of my friends where really into that and we would get some huge beavers. I think 90 pounds was the largest that I saw. In a good night, we might get two dozen of them!!!! They swim around non stop all night long and you just ease the boat up to them close enough for a shot. It's not very challenging, but it does get interesting after the shot. If my beaver issue gets any worse, that's what I plan on doing, but so far, we're able to shoot a couple every year from the shore line to keep their numbers under control.

Shushhhhh Eddie . . . let's just have our early morning plinking.

buck12 · Jul 26, 2019

I’m not sure that beaver eradication is possible. My family has battled them for years. We eliminate a few every year via gun, leg traps, and body traps but more eventually move in from upstream and the process begins again.

Turbys_1700 · Jul 27, 2019

I am fortunate that a friend that lives close by is a trapper. Couple years ago he came and got the two beavers that had dammed up our small stream. They were pretty good size. He traps them for the fur. I will be 60 in September and this is the first instance that I have had with these critters. So far so good.