You can not believe how I feel like the guy from Caddy Shack

You're pretty lucky at that. We have long, hard winters with much snowfall. In the spring during iceout the beavers handiwork really comes into play. Those rascals back up every stream in an area. The snow melt backs up something fierce, flooding quite a few cottages and roads as well. Sometimes it's quite difficult to even reach the cottages. Cottage owners have resorted to using dynamite. Just blow the dams to smithereens, and the beaver with it. The water then drains away quickly. I know it sounds drastic using dynamite to get rid of beaver dams, but it's really a necessity up here. The beggars may be our national animal, but sometimes they just have to go. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

I cant belive this post is still going You guys crack me up I cant belive that these suckers cause so much damage. Kbis, if you do end up resorting to dynamite, take some pictures. I think you could win kill of the year with a photo like that. LOL I wonder if a taxidemist could put that old Beaver back together again LOL Oh yea, do you throw the dynamite? If so I wonder if Dallen's Point Blank Ballistics charts could tell you how much a stick of dynamite will drop if thrown at 70mph over 100 yards. LOL

Knifeboy, You guys got me laughing on this one

I met a neighbor about a mile north of me and asked him about beavers. It seems he has a large lake at his place and is overrun with the critters. They were burrowing into the dam for their homes and really weakened it to the point that he had to line the the ting with gravel and boulders to the tune of $5000. The beavers now build their homes on the lake in huts. He is considering using dynamite. If he does, I will see if I can get a picture.
He did mention that if I put a red lenses over the floodlight, that thay don't spook as fast, so now I have to find a lense.
As to the taxidermist, I could ask him to make it a patchwork quilt .

kbis wrote:

As to the taxidermist, I could ask him to make it a patchwork quilt .

Now thats funny.

Knifeboy

Howdy kbis. Haven't heard anything lately how are you makin out with the beavers. Are you gettin them or are they gettin you

kbis wrote:

He did mention that if I put a red lenses over the floodlight, that thay don't spook as fast, so now I have to find a lense.

Use a redneck lens - red magic marker.

I may have won a battle last Sat. night, not necessarily the war.
My lake spillways flow into a small pond where I spotted one of the critters. The first shot was across the pond, he heads for the spillway and I am in hot pursuit. I spotted him below me at the spillway about 10 foot away, no time to aim just shoot. The smoke clears and he is gone and I have not seen any signs of them since. If I did hit him (which I am sure I did) and he died in the pond, it will take about a week for him to float to the top of the water.
I know that if an old fat man was running around at 11:00 at night blasting at me with a 12 Ga. I would sure leave. On the other hand they maybe enjoying the show of me huffing and puffing around the lake trying to catch them
It is raining here AGAIN, so if it stops, I will check the property again for dead boddies.

UPDATE

Got home today from the usual Sunday trip to Wal-Mart for groceries and I see vultures circling the back of my property in some very nasty woods (I am still picking stickers out of my a**), this is a good sign. I follow the stream from my pond a short ways and lies a dead beaver :). I am happy. It was not as big as the other ones, probably about 35 pounds but big enough.
So all of you were right, it was a beaver not a nutria rat or muskrat. How could I have ever doubted you guys :).

Howdy kbis. So did ya get them all or was he a loner

shrpshtrjoe

Funny you should ash tonight. For the last 4 days I have been feeling very victorious, the beaver is dead, my spillway are clear and I am happy :). Yesterday we got 1.5 inches of rain and I thought I should check the dam, I just got back from the lake and the spillways are PLUGGED. I guess that there are at least 2 of them. I won the battle but they are winning the war.
So there will be some more late night trips to the lake. I sure wish someone would have a sale on 00 buck, this is getting expensive.
Ken

I still want to see some dynamite pictures. LOL

Knifeboy

You guys are too much.....This is the first thread I check when I log on. This has been a riot to follow. Can't wait for the next development.

Blaine

I sure hope this will be a short story and not end up being like "War and Peace" :).

They/it were back again last night. Not the neatest dam building job but it is working. Mostly mud and grass, no sticks or logs. They must know when I have to get to bed early and come out when I turn off the lights.

I trip wire and a claymore (sp?) would sure make life easy. I am sure even in this gun loving part of the country that the game warden would have something to say about that.

Sounds like young beavers.

Here ya' go Blaine......

Here is a method that does not usually kill the varmints but it sure will light up their life and get the message across. An electric fence (like those used for livestock). Battery powered units are available where no household electric is available. From the charger, run a single strand of electric fence wire across the spillway (about 6-8 inches above the water line). The wire will need to be supported by fence rods and on post insulators like normal installation. After the pests get zapped a few times they'll be looking for another home.
One important note, from personal experience: The charger will usually turn itself off if grounded/shorted out by debris but sometimes they will stay hot. Remember to turn the blamed thing off before servicing.

Happy zapping