Beaver and beaver dam removal

[denverteacher]

Have beaver that has relocated itself onto my families stretch of river after the upstream neighbors pulled out his dam and allowed it to drift down stream. Is destroying the dam itself enough for the beaver to move along or, is termination the best option here?

 

[Irrelevant]

What I've seen on the half a dozen or so client properties I assist with is that if you have great beaver habitat you will have beavers. No amount of shooting or trapping or dam removal will be effective long term. However, those are all decent alternatives for the short term. We also just learned to live with them. Mitigate the water levels with pond levels, and address bank slides and burrows as needed.

 

[marksjeep]

Ditto above. I've been on creeks in western Colorado where the beavers have been shot/trapped out and the dams removed. Next year, they are back.

 

[rjthehunter]

We have arguably the worst beaver problem I've ever seen... I mitigate the problem by trapping them. I usually trap their dam which is allowed here for problem beavers but check your local laws. I dig out an area to make the water flow slowly, then set a foothold on a drowning rod.

We've got 1000 acres of land that has a lot of swamp so I trap them out of areas where I need to control the water depth.
Often they just want to plug the culverts and make all of our roads wash out... I trap them on an as is basis. If they're not ruining the property, then they're fine imo.

Breaking the dam won't deter them. I've spent 100s of hours tearing dams out to just come back a few days later and see a new dam. I've used excavators, shovels, it doesn't matter how deep you dig, they have 24/7 to build it back up! Good luck and enjoy the battle

 

[Jbotto]

Same as the the others here, every time I’ve pulled a dam apart it was rebuilt soon after. If I was doing it by hand, it was overnight. If using equipment it took them a bit longer. Best chance is to put a dent in their population and then remove the dam. That’s your best bet, but they’ll be back. If it was a good spot for one colony, more will find it eventually. Good luck! Learn to keep an eye on the stretches that are keeping beavers and knowledge about 330’s, snares, and some good footholds w/drowners is paramount to keeping them in check. Obviously follow local laws.

In one place I lived they could be shot if causing damage and we’re supposed to be reported to the CO. I would call the CO in our area and every time he’d laugh and tell me that I’m the only one who calls. Figured I’d stay on the right side of that.

 

[Sask hunter]

You break a hole in the dam they will fix it that night. Have to kill them

 

[rjthehunter]

Same as the the others here, every time I’ve pulled a dam apart it was rebuilt soon after. If I was doing it by hand, it was overnight. If using equipment it took them a bit longer. Best chance is to put a dent in their population and then remove the dam. That’s your best bet, but they’ll be back. If it was a good spot for one colony, more will find it eventually. Good luck! Learn to keep an eye on the stretches that are keeping beavers and knowledge about 330’s, snares, and some good footholds w/drowners is paramount to keeping them in check. Obviously follow local laws.

In one place I lived they could be shot if causing damage and we’re supposed to be reported to the CO. I would call the CO in our area and every time he’d laugh and tell me that I’m the only one who calls. Figured I’d stay on the right side of that.

Yep, we had a CO that we told once and since it's on private property he said don't worry about it. Before I trapped I would tear out a piece of the dam then wait there at dusk with a 22 or 12 g with buckshot, or even a 416 Rigby just for fun.

 

[denverteacher]

Thank you all for the advice! I am heading up there Friday and will hopefully have something to show for it when I head back home on sunday!

 

[F250]

Certainly lethal control of the population will help. I suggest that you google "beaver baffle". The system absolutely works, and can give you another tool in the fight.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Thank you all for the advice! I am heading up there Friday and will hopefully have something to show for it when I head back home on sunday!

You can send a green hide to USA Foxx and they will make a hat/mittens/ dog bed pretty much whatever for you... just saying.

 

[Addicting]

I vote for 10lbs of tannerite on the back side of the dam. You might as well have some fun with it.

 

[denverteacher]

Got two beavers and maybe a pair of mittens.