Beavers?

[roy reali]

This morning my dog and I decided to celebrate this week's court decision by going hunting. I took a rimfire revolver and a shotgun. The targets were jackrabbits and starlings. On the way out a truck was heading in. We both stopped and chatted.

He was a county water management guy. He asked me if I shot any beavers. I told him I didn't even see any. I asked him why. He listed a bunch of damaging activities they do to the irrigation ditches and the vegetation in general. I asked him if they were legal to shoot. With a wink, he said technically it was illegal. I got the strong hint that he had wished I had shot some beavers.

I have never hunted nor have I ever shot one of these creatures. I am not saying I would, I follow regulations.

Has anyone here ever shot a beaver? What did you use?

[tyrajam]

Don't trust the "wink wink" to get you out of trouble if you shot a beaver. It will be a pretty serious offense, in every state I've heard of you can ONLY trap them. I understand the damage they can do. Growing up I spent a lot of .22 rounds shooting nutria and muskrats that were damaging the irrigation canals, and I'm pretty sure muskrats were trap only also. But the farmers asked me to and what kind of kid is going to say no to that

I did have one friend who shot two beavers with an SKS because of the damage they were doing on the family farm, but it was kind of hush hush. I'd definately advise against it.

[roy reali]

Thanks for the reply. I am not going to shoot any beavers. I just was wondering if a .22 rimfire would be effective. I have never seen an actual, live beaver. I have seen stuffed ones at museums, they looked like good-sized animals. Plus I figure their fur might hinder a bullet's penetration.

Again, thanks!

[jimcorbin]

When I was on a hunt for beaver, i usually took them to a bar and fed them tequilia! that would help me bag them as I am not good looking or rich!

[Scorch]

A 22LR well-placed will definitely kill a beaver. However, if you shoot them in the water, they will sink immediately, and you will have a hard time recovering them. When they come out on shore, you poke 'em in the ear with a hi-vel 22LR and they flop right over. As opposed to the other beavers mentioned, where you give them a few tequilas and they flop right over.

[Sidetracked]

The state of Utah published a study back in the '70s or '80s about the 'damage' beavers do. In the end, killing them caused more damage than the beavers ever did.

I'll see what I can do to dig up the report, and repost.

[Glenn Bartley]

I would think a .22LR as inadequate as a reliable round for beaver. They can get pretty big, they have dense fur, and they can have a good layer of fat too. I centerfire rifle caliber, maybe a .223 or 7.62 x 39 would be a better choice. Then again, you need to remember that if shooting at beaver you would likely be shooting at them in the water. Water has the tendency to deflect shots and cause ricochets.

Of course I am not advocating shooting beavers if it is illegal, just giving opinion on what I would consider to use to shoot them if it was legal. I am pretty certain that here in NYS they must be trapped.

Best regards,
GB

[22-rimfire]

If you have a beaver problem, sometimes you take the most expedient approach. Wink Wink. The three S's apply. Hunting beavers is illegal as far as I know. Trapping during the open season is legal if the state has a beaver season.

An analogy... most have no hesitation to shoot squirrels on their property if they cause damage or sometimes just bug you. They eat all my bird seed and I get tired of trying to outsmart them. Shooting squirrels is not legal except during the hunting season. Even then, it is probably not legal due to the proximity to a dwelling.

[hogdogs]

On a hog hunt, we seen a black blob (like small pig size) lumbering along and my buddy said "Dern beaver, sure hope the dogs don't trash on him" bout that time we see 3 curs running him down. Bud says "well if you don't want them curs tore up you better turn loose the bull dogs..." All said and done 3 curs and 3 bulldogs in total and everyone had at least a hole in it! Junior had his pant leg torn, I had a boot bit thru... Mean stinkin' bugger I tell ya!
I think on your own place or with owner permission in Florida you can trap, snare or shoot them off.
Brent

[Art Eatman]

I've found it interesting how beavers can change an ecosystem. Start with a flowing stream in an area where the drainage is not extensive, and there aren't the very heavy rains associated with, say, hurricanes. Thus, no major flooding. Mr. Beaver builds his little dam. That slows down the water and makes a pond. Over the years, the beaver family extends the dam, enlarging the pond. They also cut nearby trees. Eventually the once-narrow creek-channel area widens and you have a meadow with a small lake. The meadow then provides forage for grazing animals. The reduction in smaller woody growths reduces the forage for browsing animals.

[22-rimfire]

I think it's pretty amazing too. Most just don't want them in the yard.

[tplumeri]

well if you don't want them curs tore up you better turn loose the bull dogs..."

whats a cur?
didnt wyaat call someone that in tombstone?
tom

[hogdogs]

According to Mr.Webster a cur/curr is any mixed breed dog or an inferior dog.
To hog hunters the term used on a dog is to say they find the hog and do whatever to stop it than they bark/bay until the bulldog (catch dog) arrives. The currs are the money dog and having them hurt or retired is tough on a poor guy like me!
Now in the other sense of the word a curr is derogatory... If a bulldog fails to catch and hold he is said to have curred out and will no longer EVER be a CATCH dog. In human speak, if you bow down and submit without giving it yer all than you have curred out thus making you a curr.... That help any?
Brent

[fisherman66]

I got on a plane from Dillingham, AK to Anchorage and the lady next to me had a stuffed beaver on the lap for the trip. I took a picture. To bad it wasn't digital or I'd post it. What a sight.

[publius]

I am pretty sure it's not illegal to shoot beavers in Louisiana or Miss. any time, as I, as well as pretty much everyone I know shoots them on sight. I have never heard it being illegal and keep pretty much up to date on game laws. I have killed them with everything from .22 rifles and pistols to .338 Win. mag. Most w/a .22. Off topic but something I found unusual, TX, and maybe other states, has put a season on Crows of all things b/c they are supposed to be migratory. Funny, I see those pests all year round.

[fisherman66]

Off topic but something I found unusual, TX, and maybe other states, has put a season on Crows of all things b/c they are supposed to be migratory.

I'm having a hard time locating that in the TPWD website. Are you sure it's Texas you are thinking of?

[stevelyn]

I've shot a few beavers. We hunted them during the early spring when I lived on the Yukon River. Never needed anything more than a .22lr.

Just thump them with a head shot and you're good.

[Desertfox]

I have shot quite a few beavers. I worked for a municipality in Texas and we got rid of quite a few that stopped up irrigation pipes and built dens in reclaimation ponds.
The game warden was aware and told us we could eliminate them but could not harvest anything off of the beaver. Just drag it up on the bank and leave it.
I can tell you this, after leaving more than 25 beaver on the bank, none of them were there the next morning. The coyotes or something really liked them.
Biggest beaver weighed about 85 lbs. 5 foot from nose to tip of the tail. Most shot with .357 or archery.

[Socrates]

I'm sorry, but, everytime to type something, I can't but help of sexist jokes.

Form someone my age, well, I should be more mature.

I would use a larger caliber then a 22lr. I've used the 22 on rats, and, it was marginal...

[SilentHitz]

the lady next to me had a stuffed beaver on the lap

I should be more mature also, but really people...that's a funny mental pic.

[Socrates]

Well, considering my girlfriend weighs 105 pounds, and a good sized beaver 80 pounds????.....

[SilentHitz]

That's a big beaver paw paw!

I've never shot a beaver, but I've blown up a few. Their dam was causing the lower part of a friend's soy bean field to flood..it had to go, so beaver parts flew.

[T. O'Heir]

"...looked like good-sized animals..." Yep. 70 plus pounds and 4.25 feet long with the tail for a big adult. When they slap their tail on the water as an alarm signal it sounds like distant gun shot.
"...can't but help..." Socrates, it's not just you. snicker. Something about a bigger girlfriend with a smaller...no, no, no, I won't.

[tplumeri]

The currs are the money dog

hey brent,
thanks for the explanation!
so bulldogs are the catch dog. what type of dog works best as a curr (for hogs)
thanks
tom

[AZAK]

A few years back when I was living on the Yukon River in the interior, I was riding snowmobile (snowmachine, snowgo, you pick...) into a village and saw one of the strangest sights that I have ever seen.

It was about -20 F below and strapped to the back of a parked snowgo were two frozen stiff, skinned out beavers! Just one of the strangest visuals that I have had in my lifetime!

Try to picture two naked stiff as a board mostly pink, with a lot of frost/snow all over them, twin beavers hanging off the back of a snowgo! Still to this day I can not think about beavers with out seeing that sight.

And to the best of my knowledge, they are trapped not shot. But, I have never bothered to look it up in the regs, as I have never realistically wanted to either trap or hunt them.

I do have a very nice warm hat made from some beavers, also a nice pelt which is on the back of my office chair. Very warm! The hat only goes on when the temp drops below 0 F, otherwise my head starts to sweat.