On Saturday when author Frances Backhouse did a wonderful podcast for beavers on “Roughly Speaking” she said that the arguments for beavers were becoming more prevalent and that the change was happening “At the same pace” as the arguments against them. Remember? I later told her I loved the program but didn’t agree that the two sides were neck and neck. Since I reported about the issue every day I thought I had some perspective – we weren’t there yet, but that I would be very happy when we got there.

She said that she had seen a change since she wrote her book and thought things were looking better for beavers almost everywhere. I said I wished that were true but that I didn’t think I should retire just yet.

Here are just a few reasons why.

Don’t leave it to beaver: County, state provide help when critters’ dams cause problems

While the clever animals can produce significant environmental benefits, they can also create safety hazards and cause damage to roads, bridges and people’s properties.

But there’s a program that’s offered at a minimal cost to help landowners in alleviating beaver damage and preventing further damage to their properties. Wilson County has been a part of the state’s Beaver Management Assistance Program, which is operated by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, for two decades.

Wilson County pays $4,000 per year to be a member of the state program and the Wilson Soil and Water Conservation District is the point of contact for the program. After landowners apply for the program, a wildlife specialist will contact them.

The first visit is free and wildlife specialists will discuss with the landowner the positive and negative effects of the beaver. They will also work with owners to formulate a a strategic plan, which can include trapping the beaver. The cost for the landowner is only $25 per visit after the first initial assessment.

Oh is that all? For the cost of dinner at the local olive garden you can get a federal agent out to kill all the beavers on yer property. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance?

Alaska teen gets winter’s adventure in pursuit of the trapping experience

LAKE MINCHUMINA, Alaska — I have to confess to feeling a bit skeptical about beaver trapping in mid-winter.

“It’s a lot of work,” I warned my almost-13-year-old niece. Usually, my sister Julie and I get too busy checking fish nets and running a days-long marten trapline to invest time in pursuing the big rodents.

Karen wanted to go anyway.

She wanted to sample the succulent flavor of beaver meat, roast the tail and maybe keep the skin (or not, since, I declared, if she wanted the pelt she’d have to do the skinning).

Well isn’t that touching. A niece learning the trapping trade from her uncle at such a tender age. Who wouldn’t love the chance to go kill a beaver with their favorite uncle? I’m reminded of a young Anne of Green Gables.

Wis. 19-year-old is quickly gaining experience and having success in his trapping

Rankila, a 19-year-old from Lake Nebagamon, really hoped to find a beaver in an under-the-ice trap he placed in this pond. But his first priority was to not plunge through any weak ice into the frigid water below.

“The appeal is knowing you have active sets out there 24-7,” Rankila said. “It’s just a matter of whether that animal comes by. You hope you can trick him.”

That’s what Rankila likes about trapping.

I won’t post the video of the young sociopath bragging about his craft. But if you doubt me follow the link to the article and hear him spew. The article interviews his father and the older trappers he has learned from, brightly proclaiming his future. I’m sure they’re right and he’ll be VERY good at trapping.

I doubt he’ll ever be as good about selling a lie about trapping as this fellow though. He’s really something special.

Increased protection of wolves/coyotes increases danger to pets, livestock, wildlife

“Algonquin wolves must receive the full protection of the law if this threatened species is to have a chance of recovery,” says the report of the environmental commissioner of Ontario who is recommending a prohibition on hunting and trapping of wolves and coyotes in all areas where the wolf could be roaming.

“The government banned hunting in forty-one townships around Algonquin Park in 2016,” said Ray Gall, vice president of the central region of the Ontario Fur Managers. “Now they want to expand that to cover most of the province.”

“The endangered species act, in my opinion, has become weaponized by protectionist groups,” said Gall, who says the proposal will ban hunting or trapping of the wolves in a 40,000 square kilometre area.

He says one of the concerns for trappers is the wolves’ predilection for beaver meat.

You hear that? The aptly named Mr. Gall is worried that those wildlife-nazis will save so many wolves that the greedy bastards will eat up all the beavers.

Beaver trapping quotas have already dropped by 30 per cent, a result of the decline in the number of the animals being caught.

“Everyone thinks that wolves predominantly eat deer and moose, which they can catch easier in the winter snows, but during the summertime, they mostly eat smaller animals and they eat a lot of beaver,” Gall said.

“Without the beaver we end up with dry hay marshes, not fit to feed any wildlife, and the other things that are going to suffer as a result of a decline in beaver ponds and wetlands are the already endangered species like salamanders and turtles, as well as the moose and deer. That’s one of my big issues.”

Oh PUL-EEZE. Spare me your concern for the decline of beaver ponds. I’ve never heard you comment on their importance when its time to trap beaver. We all know that when the market demands you trap beaver you trap beaver. And when the government lets you trap wolves you’ll trap wolves. The very idea that Mr. Gall objects to letting wolves live because they EAT all those important beavers before they can offer their valuable ecosystem services is beyond ridiculous.

Is Ray Gall’s middle name “UNMITIGATED” by any chance?

When I think about it though, I guess the idea that a trapper is using information about beavers as a keystone species as an excuse to kill more wolves kind of backs Frances point. It’s in the public lexicon. The ecological benefits are so well known that the vice president of the trappers association will use it to LIE about killing something else.

I guess that’s a kind of progress.