O.K. its aspen but what's the deal here?

Jeff · November 23, 2002, 10:42:24 AM

Yes Its Aspen but what is it that is distinctive about this photo?

Tom · November 23, 2002, 11:11:06 AM

Not enough area to make a good guess but I suppose that is the challenge. I'll guess:

The butt of a log showing the hinge area where perhaps fiber was pulled from the tree when it was felled. :-/

Bro. Noble · November 23, 2002, 11:30:58 AM

Looks to me like it was cut down by a big rodent.

Noble

Texas Ranger · November 23, 2002, 12:01:14 PM

What Noble said. Their tail makes good eating. sort of like a meat flapjack.

Tom · November 23, 2002, 12:14:55 PM

Yeah, I can see that ! Hadn't thought about some other kind of lumberjack. :D

Jeff · November 23, 2002, 02:15:46 PM

Righto

I am going to make a lamp or sumthin out of this. The beavers did most of the work on getting this tree down. Its over 12 inches.

Tom · November 23, 2002, 02:36:33 PM

Things must be tough up there, Jeff. Maybe the DNR should consider putting out feeders for the beavers. Give'em something decent to eat so they don't have to gnaw trees. Sheesh! What will they do when they run out of trees? Oh yeah, I think we covered that already. :-/

woodmills1 · November 24, 2002, 05:12:48 PM

do you have to put the beavers on workmans comp?? :D

Jeff · November 24, 2002, 06:50:12 PM

No, if at all possible we put them in a jar, and then later over noodles.

DanG · November 24, 2002, 07:34:58 PM

I thought, fer a minit, it was a aerial shot of Aspen, Colorado. :

Jeff · November 25, 2002, 02:22:43 AM

Are thre Beavers in the southern states?

Tom · November 25, 2002, 05:21:11 AM

I hear of a few in N. Fla and S. Ga but not many of them. It doesn't take too many.

Noble_Ma · November 25, 2002, 06:01:10 AM

In my state you can't do anything about them if they flood your property. You just about have to get an act of Congress to get them moved. I have a friend that has been fighting with the local officials and audubon society in the area for years. He's starting to lose trees from the flooding not to mention their appetite.

Bro. Noble · November 25, 2002, 06:57:59 AM

They are a nuisance here along the creeks. Dad traps them because they cut trees that stabalize the creek banks. The hides aren't worth much.

We have a little hayfield across a creek from my parents house. I was going there to check to see if the hay was ready to cut onetime. Was zipping right along on my dirt bike, went around a bend, through the brush, and down the bank to the crossing. Before I knew what happened, I was chest deep in water----the bike was completely under. Mr. Beaver only thought he had a new home. It took a lot of work to tear the Dang dam out. I didn't ask anyone if they had any objections.

Noble

Ron Scott · November 25, 2002, 11:24:29 AM

Aspen Gets Even With Beaver. This photo was taken on Beaver Island out in Lake Michigan. If this keeps up, they will have to change the isle's name.

Also a good message here for safety in tree falling.

SteveS · November 26, 2002, 03:59:08 AM

Beavers are considered a nuisance around here to. You can't hardly sell the hides, but the local county conservation office usually has a bounty out on them. They pay $10 to $15 for each tail that you bring in. Most of the time the animal is wasted. They were never a problem when the fur prices were decent. Now with all the anti-fur campaigns, it takes up some of our tax money to keep the population under control. Makes a lot of sence huh.

Corley5 · November 27, 2002, 01:03:19 PM

They can be a real nuisance around here too. Road Comm. here pay trappers a bounty to remove problem animals that are plugging up culverts etc. There didn't used to be that many around then the fur market went to h*#!, thanks animal rights people, now they're everywhere.

ADfields · December 04, 2002, 04:08:04 AM

Thay are in Arizona and Alaska both! Bill Williams was the traper/gide the quit the Doner wagon train in Colorado becous it was to late in the year to make it over the Sierra Navadas befor the snow. Well he went from ther south into Arizona and traped beaver on what is now Bill Williams mountian and founded the town of Williams Arizona, on I-40 west of Flagstaff. Ther are beaver in Arizona every place you find year round water, ther just all over Alaska where ever thay can be away from the otters.
Andy

ADfields · December 04, 2002, 04:17:06 AM

I was told once by an old cowboy from John Day Oregon that if you kill a baever in your ditch for fluding your hay field ther will be a new one ther in the morning. But (he sead) if you beet the cr** out of it and just neer kill it it will go away and none will erplace it that summer. I always wondered if that was true or if he was pulling my leg, he was not the leg pulling kind of guy. ??? :-/
Andy

DextorDee · December 05, 2002, 08:28:59 AM

I had a real long post about how much I like @#$ beavers and the damage they do , but I got to emotional and changed it to this one. Jeff B, I can't speak for all of Ga but here in N.E. Ga we have plenty.. I won't go into any details ,but a 22mag and the conibear trap work real good. I wonder whose bright idea it was to release beaver in a populated area? (re release)is that a word?
Guess most of yall have seen this one .
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/beaverdam.htm
may have to copy and paste the link
I got plenty of them stumps if ya want to go into the lamp business ;D

L. Wakefield · January 23, 2003, 03:59:42 PM

QuoteAre thre Beavers in the southern states?

About 5-6 years ago they stocked beave in the lower waters of Spruce Creek back in the holler where I used to live and still have the farm. One of the local farmers was fit to be tied because they kept damming up the crick and flooding the road he used to get to his hayfields. So he'd tear out the dam and the beave would re-build it. It was highly entertaining to those who knew how hot-tempered this guy is. If it weren't for the dire consequences I know he'd have shot the beave in a minute..

They seemed to do quite well down there. I don't know about the quality of the pelts though. lw
'

Texas Ranger · January 23, 2003, 06:47:22 PM

I understand there are a lot of pelts on the beaches in Florida, is that right, Tom? :

Tom · January 23, 2003, 07:00:08 PM

The beaches that they frequent are few and far between, Don, but when you find a beach they like they are almost too numerous to count.

We used to count them when I was a kid...... for scientific purposes, you understand. We used binoculars and stayed back in the dunes to keep from disturbing them. If they see you they all run for the ocean.

SwampDonkey · November 28, 2007, 04:06:35 PM

Introduced Beavers Plaque South America

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-1-26/37411.html

:-\

Geoff Kegerreis · December 10, 2007, 03:25:48 PM

Quote from: Tom on November 23, 2002, 02:36:33 PM
Things must be tough up there, Jeff. Maybe the DNR should consider putting out feeders for the beavers. Give'em something decent to eat so they don't have to gnaw trees. Sheesh! What will they do when they run out of trees? Oh yeah, I think we covered that already. :-/

About 5 miles from here there are well over 1,000 trees felled by beavers (at least 10 acres). On my own property, which is only about 30 minutes WNW of Harrison (Jeff's area) - I have at least two trees that were a good bit larger than the one in the photo above that were felled by beavers about a decade ago. They are still out there, but not so fresh looking anymore. We no longer have beavers in our pond (more like a wetland on our side which is co-owned with our neighbor) since they were trapped about at the same time and never made it back.

In the Evart block, which is approximately a 12k acre contiguous chunk of land NNW of Evart, I have seen lots and lots of bigtooth Aspen in excess of 20" DBH and 10 sticks high merchantable height, some of which have been felled by beavers. I prepared a timber sale for the state of Michigan DNR that was entitled "The Beaver Knows" in 1998 (I think that's the right year). The story behind the name is that those beavers appeared to be attempting to regenerate their own aspen stand via clearcutting it. It was approximately 90 years old and certainly ready. I don't know who bought it, but I might have the records somewhere in storage.

Beavers are part of the forest community and like snakes and porcupines, it's best if they're left a little habitat and aren't looked at like a bullseye for death. It is healthy to maintain diversity for any forest, even if you may not like the affects of the critters. Oh, and by the way when they lose habitat in one place, they will (I know two other foresters who have witnessed this) move through areas that are not suitable habitat for them to get to new places.

If you roam around a bit in the woods you can find all kinds of natural treasures. I once found a shelf conk (mushroom) that someone carved a deer on in the woods (on state land). They left it and I was glad to find it. It's hanging up in my house now.