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Author Topic: Beavers, active or not?  (Read 486 times)

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Offline INbeavertrapper

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Beavers, active or not?
« on: January 23, 2011, 06:12:43 AM »
Hello all,

I've recently been doing some ADC work on a drainage ditch.  I tore a hole in the beavers dam and set a dam set for two days. I checked the set the first day and saw that the beavers pond had been severely lowered by the hole in the dam.  I saw no signs of the beavers trying to patch the hole.  I left the set for another day and saw that the beavers still had not patched their dam.  I am wondering if there are any beavers here or not.  At the site I saw stumps from trees that had been cut by the beavers a long time ago, I saw no fresh cuts.  I have since replaced the dam set with two under ice sets 20 yards from each other.  They are both baited with green willow branches.  Is it possible that the beavers moved on or died off?  ???
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Offline TRAPnHUNT

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Re: Beavers, active or not?
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2011, 12:58:48 PM »
It's hard to say but if you dont see any sign from the fall months, I'd venture to say that it may have moved on. Dont give up though. Leave your trap sets there and give it time.
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Offline INbeavertrapper

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Re: Beavers, active or not?
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2011, 01:09:05 PM »
Will do, thanks for the advice.
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Offline Bogmaster

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Re: Beavers, active or not?
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2011, 08:00:09 PM »
 Was there fresh mud on the dam? was there a wet spot or area on the cross over?
 I do not break a dam when doing beaver,first off its illegal here,but even when I am doing adc work--I dont break the dam, I want the water levels to stay where they are--its just easier with stable water levels, than with dropping levels.
 If the cuts you saw are old,and you find no fresh cuttings --no new feed bed or no new chews,and no new mud on the dam--look elsewhere.How long is the ditch?
 Tom
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Offline fishdaddy

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Re: Beavers, active or not?
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2011, 10:47:13 AM »
the property owner might of shot them
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Offline INbeavertrapper

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Re: Beavers, active or not?
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2011, 01:37:04 PM »
Bogmaster,

There was no fresh mud but there was a trickle of water for a crossover.  it is about a quarter mile to the dam. right before the dam the ditch makes a 90 degree bend.  today I walked close to a half mile upstream from the dam to the drain.  On my walk I saw old cuts, slides that were covered by snow, I saw no feed bed due to there being ice covered with snow over the water.  I didn't see any twigs or branches coming up through the ice. 

Thanks for the responses. 
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