Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Beaver dams/wetland resto

The bastards are good a damming up culverts and pipes which in my business, causes strong negative feelings towards them.......

The impact of the beaver (let it rest guys) in coastal drainages depends mostly on which college the millenial got his/her/they got their bio degree from. Blue State degree holders tend to go with a cuddly industrious creature that we give eternal thanks to, for forming our river valleys, keeping silt from salmon spawning streams in the PNW. Beave can do no wrong. Farmer John, who actually produces something beneficial to society, finds Beave to be a nuisance. Take your pick.

They dammed a small creek and flooded probably 50 acres of bottom land and pine plantation along with one of our prime stands with three really nice fields. 2 1/2 - 3 of water blocked our access. We hired a trapper to remove them and we’ll probably have to do it again in a few years.

I have watched them my whole life here on Ranch, when I was a kid the creek was solid white sand, what would run foot deep in big storms,as time went by it stopped raining like 50’s and 60’s grass moved in and streams got foot or two wide. Beaver’s moved in in 70’s and started building dams, ponds started filling up , perch, bass and cats were caught on every cast, ducks were on every pond, river grass are in every bottom now for cattle to eat in drought summers when no body else has any grass. I used to try and control numbers but when I did it seemed to hurt the water flow. The place is a paradise with all the deer , turkeys, duck, quail, I don’t think, I know what good Beavers do for cattle and wildlife.

Interesting posts. I appreciate you guys sharing your experiences.

I've never owned land where beaver were residents. However, I grew up with a prejudice toward them. After seeing some of the natural restoration that they can provide with minimal $ input compared to human attempts at restoration I'm impressed with what they can contribute.
No doubt there can be an overpopulation and too many dams for some areas or situations. it would seem like a balance could be struck in those situations?

One rancher, I think in Idaho, was raised to hate them. Somewhere along the way he started his own attempts to reintroduce them as the stream on his ranch dwindled to about nothing. He eventually got in touch with wildlife biologist and other professionals who were able to help him get things dialed in.

Along with dam introduction they fenced cattle off the stream and provided irrigation tanks. He began a grazing rotation that involved intense grazing on small areas for short periods of time. Based on his experience his pastures were healthier, he had abundant wildlife and his cattle ended up putting on more weight than in previous years.

That depends entirely on which coast you are referring to, but I agree with most of your post regardless. Harmful for farms, great for hunting lands unless the fans are huge.

Idaho's unit 54 has a lot of beaver ponds and the moose population is booming. It's the only unit in the state with enough moose for a cow season.

About 20 years ago we had a colony of beavers build some dams on our property. They only took out the crap trees to build with so I didn't mind at all they were there. Unfortunately, I think someone trapped or shot them out and they have not returned. I'd take them back in a minute.

kwg

Edit:
I have no bio degree. I just know a good thing when I see it.

kwg

I've been personally studying the Canadian Beaver for 40 years or so. Trapped them extensively when younger. I think you need to wade your way through 10 negatives to find a positive. In wilderness areas I think the numbers is more favorable for the Beaver. Around arable land they're pretty much all negative. They can create great habitat for other wildlife. Coyotes are hard on beavers especially when they're runs get further from water.

I'm not a wildlife biologist either.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all