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more then 25 years ago I suggested that Maryland introduce or move extant beavers to creeks that feed the Chesapeake Bay, which will cause the runoff to slow thus allowing silt to drop out, AND the aquatic plants that the beaver ponds attract are voracious feeders on lawn fertilizer, and will suck up the chemicals in the runoff from the neighborhoods, thus allowing cleaner, clearer water into The Bay. I further suggested that bat-houses be placed in trees near the beaver ponds to control the insects that would spring up due to the slow moving water in the ponds. The dams would be organic and if the beavers got too out of hand or too numerous, they could be live trapped and moved. The cost would over time even out and then become profit as the seafood resources of The Bay would rebound, and more revenue for the State would be generated by greater seafood sales.

The look the politicians gave me was akin to my asking them to donate both of their kidneys before they had passed on..... Instead of trying to artificially move nature, or controlling nature, I was suggesting working with nature, with a little nudge here and there....,

Oh well...,

LD
 
We have them on our creek - bank beavers. When they've exhausted nearby trees, they'll move on and start in again. Farmer on the Osage River had the front wheels of his "tricycle" tractor drop into a bank beaver den that collapsed when he drove over it. He was not fond of them.

We also had river otters show up and suspect they were using the beavers abandoned den for awhile. That one was beneath a sycamore tree root wad. Otters cleaned out any fish over the size of your hand in a few weeks.
 
40+years ago DNR claimed there where no beavers in Indiana. I was deer hunting along White river in Southern Indiana and heard several trees hit the ground. Got closer and seen why,beavers were very busy everywhere. Now there are beavers everywhere north of there,in the middle of large towns and cities.
 
more then 25 years ago I suggested that Maryland introduce or move extant beavers to creeks that feed the Chesapeake Bay, which will cause the runoff to slow thus allowing silt to drop out, AND the aquatic plants that the beaver ponds attract are voracious feeders on lawn fertilizer, and will suck up the chemicals in the runoff from the neighborhoods, thus allowing cleaner, clearer water into The Bay. I further suggested that bat-houses be placed in trees near the beaver ponds to control the insects that would spring up due to the slow moving water in the ponds. The dams would be organic and if the beavers got too out of hand or too numerous, they could be live trapped and moved. The cost would over time even out and then become profit as the seafood resources of The Bay would rebound, and more revenue for the State would be generated by greater seafood sales.

The look the politicians gave me was akin to my asking them to donate both of their kidneys before they had passed on..... Instead of trying to artificially move nature, or controlling nature, I was suggesting working with nature, with a little nudge here and there....,

Oh well...,

LD
They would rather have the extra money tied to your water and sewer bill, easier to line their pockets that way.
 
View attachment 211217
I don't know where else to put this and am hoping someone know a little more about these interesting animals than I do. The Conesus Creek, which runs north to the Genesee River, is my western boundary, the little creek runs through my land. The Genesee has no place for these animals to build dams and I have heard the ones living there as 'river beavers', there is really no place for them to build dams in this part of the creek either, though I would welcome one just a bit north of me.
If they are not dam builders, where do they live? in stream banks? Do they still build some kind of lodging? The tree looks freshly gnawed, could it be one just passing through?
Well, its' pretty interesting anyway.
Robby
Bank dens and they live year round ,dams are made for suppling food /protection and on rivers no need for either ! When feeding off a creek/seepage/they create dams and beaver house to elevate water table to facilitate their requirements for food transport and protection . I know this because I trap them and they told me so !/Ed
 
I have no issues with beavers. I like their ponds. They supply habitat for muskrats, mink, ducks, geese, coons and more. Tbdd Ed only reason I trap them is to keep their numbers under control. Animals that eat trees can eat themselves out of a place to live pretty quick and it takes a long time for them to from back. I will say even after the beavers move on most dams will hold if not forever, a really long time.
 
more then 25 years ago I suggested that Maryland introduce or move extant beavers to creeks that feed the Chesapeake Bay, which will cause the runoff to slow thus allowing silt to drop out, AND the aquatic plants that the beaver ponds attract are voracious feeders on lawn fertilizer, and will suck up the chemicals in the runoff from the neighborhoods, thus allowing cleaner, clearer water into The Bay. I further suggested that bat-houses be placed in trees near the beaver ponds to control the insects that would spring up due to the slow moving water in the ponds. The dams would be organic and if the beavers got too out of hand or too numerous, they could be live trapped and moved. The cost would over time even out and then become profit as the seafood resources of The Bay would rebound, and more revenue for the State would be generated by greater seafood sales.

The look the politicians gave me was akin to my asking them to donate both of their kidneys before they had passed on..... Instead of trying to artificially move nature, or controlling nature, I was suggesting working with nature, with a little nudge here and there....,

Oh well...,

LD
Now that's just unfair! The beavers do all the work, and the politicians get no credit..:dunno:
 
We trap a remote Creek in Bush Alaska and it's loaded with Beaver, they make dens in the bank.
IMG_20230312_124947.jpg
 
One of the most memorable Rendezvous was on an actual active beaver pond with a dam. Was Cool to hear that slap in the night. Really brought Buckskinng to life.
 
I see bank beavers near West Branch of the Susquehanna in the back water of flood control damn when Im canoeing. Not much rapids but the water flows pretty good.
Those tail slaps could induce a heart attack.
 
View attachment 211217
I don't know where else to put this and am hoping someone know a little more about these interesting animals than I do. The Conesus Creek, which runs north to the Genesee River, is my western boundary, the little creek runs through my land. The Genesee has no place for these animals to build dams and I have heard the ones living there as 'river beavers', there is really no place for them to build dams in this part of the creek either, though I would welcome one just a bit north of me.
If they are not dam builders, where do they live? in stream banks? Do they still build some kind of lodging? The tree looks freshly gnawed, could it be one just passing through?
Well, its' pretty interesting anyway.
Robby
There are quite a few beaver in the streams around Rattlsnake hill
 
Back in the 80's I went on a canoe trip on the Stanislaus River (might've been the San Joaquin River... I've slept since then) in California with some other members of the Bay Area Mountain Men club I was with then, and we saw all sorts of beavers in the river, but nary a lodge. They all lived in burrows in the banks of the river.

I remember having a hard time getting from our rendezvous location at the Manteca gun range to the river because of the tule fog setting in... Couldn't see past the front bumper of the truck! Pretty much had to wait it out until visibility improved. It was worth the wait, tho!
 
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Guys that "noodle" for catfish in river and lake banks sometimes get bitten by beavers or, worse yet, gators.

There are millions of acres of pine trees on tracts in the South owned by timber companies. They have a whole lot of damage done by beavers and usually hire trappers to kill them.
 
Guys that "noodle" for catfish in river and lake banks sometimes get bitten by beavers or, worse yet, gators.

There are millions of acres of pine trees on tracts in the South owned by timber companies. They have a whole lot of damage done by beavers and usually hire trappers to kill them.
Hmm, that is interesting.
I do see some beaver damage to a few pine trees here and there, and the occasional hemlock, but mostly it seems those small trees were in the way. They seem to largely prefer birch, especially yellow and sweet birch, and willow, for snacking. I see a lot of maple (nothing nice, young maples, swamp maple, striped maple), birch, beech, a little sassafras, and some unidentified species,,, in the dams I cross. Almost no identifiable pine. When I do see beaver gnawed pine the tree is usually still near the stump with evidence of other things being dragged past it. Sometimes I see stuff that's more brushy, like mountain laurel, in the damn, seems to be getting used as something to stick mud to. Maybe the beaver there are using pine branches for that?

I guess they would use what is available for work purposes.
Are there other species of tree nearby these pine plantations that the beavers could be sourcing for food?
 

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