Dynamite?

[stonebroke]

You are just going to have to kill them . They will outlast you. and they multiply.

Stonebroke

[Fla._Deadheader]

No "reenactment" guys, with "Cannon Fuel" down your way ???  : :

[LOGDOG]

Actually my neighbor did demolition work for Barksdale Air Force base here. He offered to come blow them for me. I think what I'll end up doing is making a hole in the dams - one at a time - and sitting off a ways with my binoculars and my 300 mag.  I hate to do it but they don't take the hints very well.  :-\

LOGDOG

[Warbird]

Got any trappers in the area?  Best way to get rid of them, IMO.

I hope this story is okay to tell here...  if it isn't, would a Moderator move it to the Full Members section or just delete it?

*edit* After thinking about it for a few, I just decided to delete it.

[Warbird]

Interesting...  you can't report your own post to the Moderators.  Whoever reads my above post next, would ya report it to the Mods, just to make sure they don't think it's over the top?  I don't want to offend anyone.

[stonebroke]

The best time to shoot beavers is right at sunset, They are the most active at that time. At least northern beavers are.

Stonebroke

[sawdust]

Would you consider trapping? No point in wasting the critters, their pelts ought to be really good about now.

[LOGDOG]

I would consider trapping. How big of a conibear trap would I need to do it? Their runs are all over. Wouldn't be hard to put out a dozen traps at the base of each run and wait. Might be pricey though. As I recall those traps aren't cheap. I used to read Fur, Fish and Game growing up and wished I knew more about running a trap line.


LOGDOG

[beenthere]

Googled conibear beaver trap, and one hit was this article...interesting

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page563.html

[LOGDOG]

Beenthere,

   That's an excellent site! I think I'm going to buy a few traps and make that a project. I have a mile of creek (called bayous here) that runs through my property. Lots of animals in it. I have a ton of bobcat and coons too. Might make for a good hobby and some interesting taxidermy for the cabin too. Thanks for the lead. 

LOGDOG

[dail_h]

   LD,
   You might try some of the black corrugated sewer pipe. Cut it into 10 - 12 ft pieces, put it into low spots in the dam. The beavers can't figure out the leak. Worked for me a coupla times

[LOGDOG]

Good idea Dail. It could almost act like a siphon huh?

I went out and sat on the bank tonight with the 300 until dusk. I was downstream and downwind of the one dam about 50 yards with about a 125 yd upstream view. I kept waiting for a beaver to come around the bend but never did. All I saw were a bunch of wood ducks, gray squirrels and catfish that were feeding over my shoulder. Oh and I found one undiscovered dandy rub that i had missed from this season. Overall it was a nice evening but no beaver. I'm thinking traps will be in order since I don't have that much time to sit and wait.


LOGDOG

[trapper]

logdog
If you are thinking of taking up trapping as a hobby check out your state trappers association.  The conventions normally have a lot of good information and demostrations.  Also trap and lure prices at them are normally the best you can get.

[PineNut]

The sewer pipe method described by dail_h may be a good way to go. I have heard of several methods of putting a distributed leak in their dam. Most of them were more complicated than the perforated sewer pipe but they all involved some method of a slow distributed leak that the beavers can't find. 

[brdmkr]

Logdog,

If you are going to use Conibear traps, you will want to go with the 10"x10" traps.  Most any trap supply dealer will call them a 330, but that size trap goes by different names depending on the manufacturer.  I suggest Duke brand as they are cheaper and do a good job.  RP (or R&P) outdoors is located in your state.  They have good prices and really good service.  If you decide to buy traps, I'd bet they would be your best source.

Corley5 suggested buckshot.  I must admit that #4 buck is about the best load I have ever used for beaver.  Lead BB is perhaps better, but it is really hard to get.  Avoid steel shot at all cost.

To shoot beaver in number, you really need to do it at night with a light.  I don't know LA laws, but can bet that this is illegal without proper permits.  I'd not risk it without calling.

If you call USDA APHIS Willdlife Services, they will often send a trapper who will set traps for  you.  In most cases they will set the traps for free and will allow you to check the traps.  If they run the traps they will charge you an hourly fee.  In my experience, this fee is CHEAP.  These guys will also blow dams for you. 

Blowing dams is about as much fun as a man ought to have, BUT it will not get rid of the beavers.  The beavers must be removed.  Also, given the scenario you supplied, you will always have a beaver problem.  If there is flowing water, you can bet that the site will be recollonized.  Still, an intensive removal will give you a break for some time.

Good luck!

[Deadwood]

I have only been to court twice in my life. The second time was for my divorce. The first time was for ripping out a beaver dam.

The fine was only 2500 bucks, but the attorney fees were 9 grand. Ask me if it was worth it and I will tell you this...NO!!

We were putting in a logging road so we could harvest 400 acres that had not been cut since the 1930's.As I bobbed around in the courts, the landowner grew tired of waiting, and I watched as another logging contractor got the right permits, built the road and clearcut the woodlot.

As for dynamite and blasting caps, you can find that anywhere around here if you know where to look. My Uncle had just sold his house and we were in his old barn when the new homeowner said his boys had ADHD. That was when I said "well you don't want this then." I reached up in the rafters and pulled down a box of blasting caps and some boxes of dynamite. I threw them in my truck but did not give it much thought until I went into walmart one day. Here i had a couple of boxes of dynamite and blasting caps right in my passengers seat and thought what would happen if someone saw the boxes with "Dynamite" written all over it.So I covered them up with a shirt and later stored them eleswhere I could just imagine coming out of the store and having my truck surrounded by the ATF, the swat team and the bomb squad.

[LOGDOG]

Deadwood,

    That's quite the story. I bet it really chapped you to lose out on that timber and then have all those fines and such to boot. Down here the nutria and the beaver are viewed like rats. In fact I think there's still a bounty on them. (Nutria looks like a beaver with a rats tail. Kinda like a muskrat on steroids for you northern folks.)

    We flooded out here at my place on about 25 acres this last weekend. Our house is well above the flood zone but there's a bottom between the two ridges that floods. Even with the two dams in there right now it drained within 3 days. The larger problem is down below me. It backs water up on me. If I were to say block this bayou off and back water up on my neighbors upstream I'd be breaking the law and could be held liable for any damage to their property. Let the beavers do it though and it's just "nature". Personally I'd like to see a crew go down the length of this bayou all the way to the lake and trap the beaver out and then blow the dams. The state must not feel it's worth the money. So instead, they decided about 3 years ago to build a water retention pond about 1/4 mile downstream from me to protest this subdivision from flooding. Levy flanks the bayou with a subdivision on the other side on a hill. Two big spiral pumps to pump the water over the levy. They spent like 2.45 million dollars on it and I don't think the spiral pumps have run once.  : Amazing what they will appropriate money for.


LOGDOG