Many times when I hear about beavers, it reminds me when I owned a Blaser S2 sxs double rifle, chambered in the 9.3x74r. When I was spring bear hunting, I shot a beaver at the edge of a small pond, I blew him right-out of the water, whereas, it landed on the side of the bank.............amazing.
Muskrat AND beaver problem
- Thread starter eco
- Start date
350tracker
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Interlake Manitoba
^^^ When this type of setup is available it sure makes for a great day out taking care of business.
When the buggers start hiding behind trees and items with their nose just sticking out from behind. I find the 375 hh works great as they can’t hide much then. Also works great as gives a little more penetration in the water if they try a dive to swim away
Soft Point or FMJ ?When the buggers start hiding behind trees and items with their nose just sticking out from behind. I find the 375 hh works great as they can’t hide much then. Also works great as gives a little more penetration in the water if they try a dive to swim away
350tracker
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Interlake Manitoba
Well the 375 HH would be a great way of taking care of the problems but sure won't be cheap..
350tracker
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Interlake Manitoba
I guess reloading is great way to keep the cost down.
Local trapper had no interest in coming out to lower beaver populations on a river that borders my property. Another trapper got permission from the first and came out once, the river has floating muskeg on both sides, at some points is fairly narrow. I’ve always speculated this muskeg puts out heat, water around it never seems to freeze very well. His huge snowmobile apparently was breaking through. He got nervous and pulled his traps. I plowed the river with a Honda 350, the only spots my tires punched through was at beaver dams or if I got a little close to a beaver food pile.
Recent years they’ve damed up right where I’d launch a canoe. Kids wanted a rink built. I went down this winter and and drove a spike through the ice beside the dam on the first hit.
A Chinese mini ex and a few pontoon floats is a idea..
On private property, in Ontario at least, they can be shot if causing property damage. They’re damn good bear bait too. I’ve found nothing better to bring spring bears in.
Recent years they’ve damed up right where I’d launch a canoe. Kids wanted a rink built. I went down this winter and and drove a spike through the ice beside the dam on the first hit.
A Chinese mini ex and a few pontoon floats is a idea..
On private property, in Ontario at least, they can be shot if causing property damage. They’re damn good bear bait too. I’ve found nothing better to bring spring bears in.
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Butcherbill
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
So have I, a little too gamey for my likeingShoot, Simmer, Stew?
I’ve eaten beaver stew and it was delicious.
Butcherbill
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
I can’t remember what time of the year we got it at, my dad had some connection with a trapper north of Parry Sound who would save him rear 1/4’s. I don’t remember it being gamey but it was along time ago, it was more of a goulash as well so lots of spices and heavy on flavour.
redbirddog
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Maple Syrup land Ontario
Damn beavers!
Same story, knew a trapper out of Marten River. Ended up having mystery roast for dinner, ended up being beaver
As many have pointed out ..... your problem are beavers and not muskrats.
I have been dancing with the beavers now for over 15 years ..... here are the lessons I learned:
1.) Beaver meat is really good if prepared correctly. There is a reason why natives preferred beaver meat to moose, deer, bear ... etc. .... One needs to remove the scent and oil glands cleanly and to avoid the contamination of the meat ....
2.) Trapping with Conibear traps is the most effective way to get rid of the beavers. However, you need to know what you are doing .... You can't just put up a trap and expect beavers to walk into it. And beavers learn fast! Very very fast!! The first ones of a colony are relatively easy to trap ... and as time passes and the beavers learn and become more and more suspicious .... it becomes more and more difficult to trap them ... and to the point of being nearly impossible to get the last ones of a colony into a trap. Sometimes the last ones need to be shot. (And yes, from time to time I am catching a muskrat in my beaver setups.)
3.) I am having some success with putting drainage pipes into beaver dams (and my creek) and to keep the water level at a certain level and to keep the beavers from raising the water level further. I am putting 10 to 20 meter sections of drainage pipe into the ponds .... and they work best if the drainage pipes are suspended somewhere below the water level and above the pond's bottom. Thats when the beavers have a hard time to plug those drainage pipes. Some of those drainage pipe installations have survived the beaver's determination now for over ten years ..... others, the beavers managed to clog within 3 -5 years and I had to redo those installations. I am still dancing with the beavers ... learning myself ... and perfecting that system .....
In the meantime .... I am enjoying my beaver BBQs ..... yummmiiii ......
p.s.: Trapping beavers (or shooting beavers) is a temporary solution. At one point I had trapped every beaver on my land and on my neighbors lands and in a radius of several miles in all directions. My land was free of beavers for 2 years .... and until the beavers had migrated back in on the neighbors lands and eventually back onto my land as well. Today, I am still trapping beavers and to control their population ... but I am focusing more on containing them and the damage they can do .... and by putting drainage pipes into the ponds and dams ... I have given up on the idea of getting rid of them completely.
I have been dancing with the beavers now for over 15 years ..... here are the lessons I learned:
1.) Beaver meat is really good if prepared correctly. There is a reason why natives preferred beaver meat to moose, deer, bear ... etc. .... One needs to remove the scent and oil glands cleanly and to avoid the contamination of the meat ....
2.) Trapping with Conibear traps is the most effective way to get rid of the beavers. However, you need to know what you are doing .... You can't just put up a trap and expect beavers to walk into it. And beavers learn fast! Very very fast!! The first ones of a colony are relatively easy to trap ... and as time passes and the beavers learn and become more and more suspicious .... it becomes more and more difficult to trap them ... and to the point of being nearly impossible to get the last ones of a colony into a trap. Sometimes the last ones need to be shot. (And yes, from time to time I am catching a muskrat in my beaver setups.)
3.) I am having some success with putting drainage pipes into beaver dams (and my creek) and to keep the water level at a certain level and to keep the beavers from raising the water level further. I am putting 10 to 20 meter sections of drainage pipe into the ponds .... and they work best if the drainage pipes are suspended somewhere below the water level and above the pond's bottom. Thats when the beavers have a hard time to plug those drainage pipes. Some of those drainage pipe installations have survived the beaver's determination now for over ten years ..... others, the beavers managed to clog within 3 -5 years and I had to redo those installations. I am still dancing with the beavers ... learning myself ... and perfecting that system .....
In the meantime .... I am enjoying my beaver BBQs ..... yummmiiii ......
p.s.: Trapping beavers (or shooting beavers) is a temporary solution. At one point I had trapped every beaver on my land and on my neighbors lands and in a radius of several miles in all directions. My land was free of beavers for 2 years .... and until the beavers had migrated back in on the neighbors lands and eventually back onto my land as well. Today, I am still trapping beavers and to control their population ... but I am focusing more on containing them and the damage they can do .... and by putting drainage pipes into the ponds and dams ... I have given up on the idea of getting rid of them completely.
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