Category: Who’s Killing Beavers Now?

LOOK FOR THE BEAVER UNION

When the beaver revolution finally comes to Texas – and mark my words, it will come – it will be to somewhere like Tyler, where we already met at least two unrelated stories about women trying to save beavers on their little community lake. The first was Carmen Sosa, a staunch beaver defender that still donates to Worth A Dam every month, and the second is our new friend Brittany Poster Oak Hollow.

Residents speak out on beaver trapping in south Tyler neighborhood

TYLER, TX (KLTV) – Since the first of the year, beavers have been causing problems at a lake in the Oak Hollow neighborhood in south Tyler.

And they are taking care of it using a trapper hired by the property owner’s association through the property manageme

nt company.

Okay this you expect from Texas. But this next paragraph not so much.

“I just think there could be a peacful resolution for both the residents and the wildlife,” resident Brittany Poster said.Poster says while she understands the Beavers are a problem, she doesn’t agree with how that problem is being handled.

“The way that they were originally trapped is they just left them that way, “I felt that was both dangerous to the residents, our pets, and our children who use that lake. But it also seemed unfair to the beavers, who were just trying to make a home.”

Well said, Brittany, now if only there were a few more of you and a few less of these:

“We know it’s going to undermine the shoreline and they’re headed to the root system of the trees and we certainly don’t want to lose the trees,” resident Gene Shull said.

“We’re just really interested in protecting the lake and protecting our trees,” Shull said. “And we don’t want to be liable to misfortunes that we didn’t try and take care of.”

Game Warden Captain Quint Balkcom says that beavers can cause big problems and while they can be relocated, it’s not the best option.

Okay, saving beavers is never easy. It always takes more effort than you think you can spare. Step one is to talk to the media, which you’ve done. And step two is to UNION-IZE. Talk to your neighbors and that woman down the street who took your parking place, that nice mom with three little girls, and that english teacher you never liked. Find allies. All the allies, not just the ones who bring brownies to the meeting. Some of them will be flakes, some will be really annoying, and some will become your friends for life.

It takes a village to save a beaver. It really does. For some reason the voice of trapping is always louder than the other one. Even if it’s one against a dozen. You have to team up. Do everything at once. Fight the battle on many fronts. That’s what happens when you start a beaver-union.

BEAVER FAIRYTALES

Sometimes in my travels I come across a beaver article that is confusing, even for me with everything I’ve seen over the years. I can’t decide if its the wisest most progressive policy in all the land, or a monstrous set of lies getting ready to justify some really nasty trapping, or some combination of them both. Well, brace yourself, because if a city like this REALLY exists, we might all have to move.

Busy beavers a challenge for London officials

Workers with the City of London and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) are being kept busy these days managing the beaver population. It’s important work if the city is to maintain its infrastructure and prevent flooding.

Now before you start getting confused we’re not talking about THAT london. This is London, Canada which is right across Lake Eerie from Cleveland. The river that flows through the city is called the Thames. It is about 170 miles long.

“I will say that the population of beavers that we’ve seen in London has grown exponentially over the last four or five years,” said Brandon Williamson, land management technician with UTRCA.

But, the city has a beaver protocol to ensure that beavers are “treated in a respectful and consistent manner, balancing the various needs to protect the beaver and [its] habitat; the overall environment; city infrastructure; people and property,” according to a city document detailing the protocol.

Right now, the city and UTRCA workers are aware of about 50 sites where beavers are living in the city.

Now, I’m scratching my head a little at that. I sincerely doubt that public works is close observers of every colony, knowing family size for example like we did. I’m not sure whether their gues-timate comes from seeing fifty lodges along the river? Fifty dams? Or fifty trees that have been chewed? I mean that would be a beaver colony every 3.5 miles and that’s a little hard to believe since they would ALL need to eat.

One way the city is trying to stay ahead of the beavers is to install so called “beaver deceivers.” “It’s when they’re in our storm water management facilities or ponds in neighbourhood,” said Shawna Chambers, division manager of storm water engineering.

It’s believed that if the water continues to flow, the beavers will move to a new location.

Um, no. The purpose of installing a flow device isn’t to drive them out like st patrick and the snakes. How did it happen that London is smart enough to install flow devices and still too stupid to know how they work? I’m not sure whether the reporter is just confused or the entire public works chain of command is like one giant game of telephone and that’s the message that got through.

Looking at that photo is beyond confusing. The fencing looks right, right distance from the pipe and rounded top like Mike Callahan uses. But what’s it function of the fence? There’s no dam visible. And what is that board? Why is the pipe going uphill? Is there some understanding that if the pond gets very, very deep then water will suddenly flow up hill hit the board, disturb the beavers and make them leave?

Another piece of the protocol is feeding the beavers, although not human food, of course. Instead, fast growing, inexpensive, native species of trees are planted in areas to provide food for the beavers.

“If you plant these trees, like a poplar tree, that’s really quick growing and a low value tree. The hope is the beavers will choose them over sugar maple and black cherry and hickory and some of the more desired trees that we have,” said Williamson.

Having said that, beavers still go for some of those more desired trees. When that is happening, steps are taken to protect the higher value trees by wrapping them in a wire cage, according to officials.

Something about this entire article is fuzzy. Like those cotton candy dreams where everything seems perfect but you find out it’s really NOT. So an entire city plants trees for beavers to eat but can’t find time to protect the valuable ones until after their chewed? I’m starting to smell a fox in our hen house.

When asked if the city would consider a cull to reduce the beaver population and prevent damage or flooding, that isn’t the plan.

“Ever since the protocol has been enacted in the city we haven’t had to resort to those measures,” said Chambers. “We have definitely not been talking about anything to the extent of killing the beavers.”

“I think in the future there may be some other ideas that we may have to look at because we can’t always put a flow device or a beaver deceiver in but before a cull is even considered there’s going to be lots of other options that we’ve got,” said Williamson.

Suddenly I get the feeling that this entire article has been gently leading readers by the hand to this conclusion. We tried our best, they woefully say, installing flow devices and planting low value trees, but there’s just TOO many of them. There’s only one way out. And reasonable people will agree that unless we all want to be drowned in our beds, it’s time to reach for the trap.

Instead of killing the animals, there’s a commitment in London’s beaver protocol to increased public education.

“We need to let people know we’re trying to work with the wildlife and trying to live cohesively with wildlife to make sure that both sides are happy in this,” said Williamson. “Beavers are known for being creators of wetlands,” said Chambers. “In nature it can be quite nice to set up that blockage and the water is dammed behind it. It creates biodiversity.”

“Education is huge,” he said. “We’ve got people who say [the beavers] are cutting all the trees down so we’ve got to get rid of them. Well that’s their food; that’s their habitat. They’re allowed to be there.”

I haven’t stopped scratching my head through this entire article. Do you have any people shouting “Why the hell is our city LETTING the beavers chop down trees instead of wrapping them?” Any action by beaver loving residents that was big enough to result in THIS policy I would know about. But I don’t. Unless it happened more than 11 years ago when a massive city protest resulted in huge changes, because it’s nothing I covered on this website. And there’s nothing written about it on the internet, I don’t know. Doing a beaver deceiver demonstration at earth day is remarkable and if a city were really committed to coexistence it would be a good idea. But I’m a naturally suspicious person and there are a ton of errors in their thinking. Could this be true?

Is London a beaver city on a hill?

DISRUPTIVE BEAVERS

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Who's Killing Beavers Now? March 18, 2019

If there’s one thing your average hoosier can’t stand, it’s a DISRUPTIVE beaver. Sure they can tolerate a well-behaved beaver as long as the next man, but once it starts disturbing the peace or making rackets that’s IT, it’s time for the euthanasia machines.

Am I right?

Northwest Indiana counties target disruptive beavers

WAUKEGAN, Ind. (AP) – Beavers in Northwest Indiana are causing problems by blocking storm water drainage systems with their dams, so counties are turning to trapping and euthanizing the animals to deal with the issue.

Lake County has euthanized about 140 beavers from 2016 through 2018, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported.

“It is a necessary evil,” said Dan Gossman, Lake County’s senior drainage administrator.

“We have tried having a crew out there full time removing dams multiple times, thinking they would leave, but they come right back and can rebuild in a day,” Emerson said.

Disruptive AND persistent? You’re kidding me! Boy you sure got the unlucky beavers, The rebuilding of dams almost ~~NEVER~~ ALWAYS happens! I’m sure sorry you got the flukes.

State rules require beavers to be relocated within the county they’re found, but Lake County doesn’t have a beaver sanctuary, Emerson said.

You see our predicament, don’t you? We would love to just move the disruptive ones but the state won’t let us, and there isn’t a beaver SANCTUARY ya know. So what’s a fellow to do?

Porter County Surveyor Kevin Breitzke estimates that the county euthanizes about 15 beavers annually. Beavers that are relocated often run into problems in their new environment, he said.

“The poor beaver, usually a 2- or 3-year-old, who is relocated is confused by their new surroundings and attacked by the beaver who is already established in the territory,” Breitzke said.

Wait, why would you relocate a beaver to a place where another beaver already lives? That seems kinda lazy or hostile? But Mr Breitzke has done his reading (or watched one PBS special). He wants you to know he understands that beavers can do some good, when they’re not busy being disruptive.

“Beavers can provide a lot of habitat benefits. A lot of species benefit from beaver ponds. It creates wetland habitat for fish and wading birds. Beaver dams also can act as wildlife highways across flowing water,” Albers said.

The dams can cause issues when they’re found in urban areas, Emerson said.

“Their dams back up water and flood homes, and cause a lot of still water that provides habitat for mosquitoes,” he said.

Do you know what ELSE is disruptive? Mosquitoes, that what! Always barging in and ruining your quite picnic or barbecue. Of course beavers cause mosquitoes. They are both disruptive together. Beaver trapping is really just like using a giant can of OFF if you think about it. It’s not cruel or short-sighted.

I’m a great fan of the Leslie Nope character in Parks and Rec, but honestly, the entire state seems woefully ill-equipped to deal with wildlife of any kind. Which is a surprise when you think about how darn rough-and-tumble our vice-president seems. Hoosiers don’t do wildlife I guess, whether it be coyotes, o’possum or disruptive beavers.

THE BEAVER KILLING FIELDS

heidi08 Who's Killing Beavers Now? March 4, 2019

Today is a mixed review of a beaver day, a triumph and a tragedy. Or rather 146 tragedies, made possible by a California Department of Fish and Wildlife that still believes that it’s a reasonable thing to report under past attempts that you had diligently tried “Hazing and debris removal” before requesting a permit. If you were asking for a permit to give up on your children you might just as easily write that you tried “loud music and making collages” as a earnest attempt at parenting. Because it would be exactly as useful.

All of the awarded permits combined add up to an allowed take of 2,626 beavers in a mere 23 counties in the state. They are generally where we’ve come to expect, surrounding the delta and wicking out from that center. The majority of permits was once again issued for Placer county, but the majority of beavers was authorized for take in Sacramento which I suppose is what we should expect.

Interesting to me in a grim kind of way is all the regions we used to see beaver permits issued and now don’t. Like Kern and Riverside and Mendocino. Places where the beaver population was starting I guess to rebound, and then they were depredated and progress stopped. Of course CDFW would say that just because 2626 beavers were permitted to be killed it doesn’t mean that many were actually killed. Except there were still 6 permits given for unlimited beaver, so for all we know it the actual tallies could even be higher. Plus there is no official with a clipboard coming to check that if your permit was good for 17 beavers you actually didn’t kill 18 by mistake. Or 118.

So I think it’s reasonable to assume that California kills at least 1500 beavers a year, maybe more like 2000.

What does that mean? It means that all the salmon those beavers would have helped, all the fires they might have prevented, all the drought they would have averted is lost in a pile of bones and fur. Some in the name of development and some just to preserve someone’s rosebush in their front yard. It continues to be a hard world out there for a beaver. And there are so many places where the light still doesn’t reach.

Thank you to Robin Ellison for obtaining the permits and to Molly Foley and Jon Ridler for helping me process them. It’s been a grueling 4 days. But there is a small comfort in that many many more permits in 2017 reported or recommended wrapping trees or painting them with sand as a defense and 11 of those permits discussed the use of a pond leveler. I guess that’s something.

Baby steps for babies.

Meanwhile Ben Goldfarb continues to fight the good fight and received a Pen award for his efforts. In case you want to see what a big deal the ceremony was (like the Oscars for writing) and hear his hopeful acceptance speech I have cued up his award and acceptance which is a fairly optimistic look at the differences we can make. Enjoy.

NO, NOT IN NEVERS!

heidi08 Beavers, Who's Killing Beavers Now? February 16, 2019

it’s been a long time since I was reminded of the flurry of community objection to killing beavers and the grumble of public works staff when they explain at a city meeting why they need to go. I wonders, is it like riding a bicycle? Does it all come back to you once you out your feet on the pedals?

Beavers decimating trees in Nevers Park to be trapped, killed this spring

SOUTH WINDSOR — Licensed trappers will utilize deadly traps this spring to remove the two or three beavers living in a Nevers Park pond that have damaged and felled nearly 200 trees over the last six months.

Unless the beavers abandon the area before spring arrives, trapping will be used as an uncommon last resort to protect public safety and prevent further damage, town officials said.

A January Facebook post by a resident on a South Windsor community message board asked town workers to stop destroying the dams that beavers built in the northern section of the 157-acre park. The post received over 80 comments from residents who overwhelmingly agreed that the town should leave the beavers alone if they’re not harming anyone.

“We do not hate beavers,” he said, emphasizing that officials are in favor of peaceful and safe coexistence whenever possible. There’s beaver activity at about 40 park locations in South Windsor, he said, and town workers don’t typically disturb them.

Well, well, stop me if you know this one. A flurry of folks object to killing beavers! And the parks department says ‘we don’t hate beavers’ – that sounds so familiar! i think this is an ACTUAL QUOTE from our director of public works. Let me pull it up.

What do you know, I guess this really is like riding a bicycle!

Favreau explained that the beavers eating tree bark and building dams have destroyed over 187 healthy trees and caused trees to fall onto the Nevers Park trails. Flooding in the area from beaver activity also creates stagnant pools of water that serve as seasonal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Ahhh the old song and dance! Mosquitoes and falling trees! i’ve heard that song before! Tell me, if you have beavers at 40 locations how is it that you haven’t learned to wrap any trees yet? How could you be saying that you actually installed a flow device and never learned to wrap trees? That’s like trying to do a lung transplant before you dissect your first frog in biology class.

While beavers can provide benefits to an ecosystem by raising the water levels of bodies of water and creating habitats for other wildlife, officials said their activity in Nevers Park has become hazardous, and trapping and killing them is the best option.

“In this case it’s in a high public use area,” Favreau said, “and we feel it’s the safest thing to do.”

Yes there are a few nice things beavers do but this is SERIOUS! A tree could fall on a child!

Town staff also tried several times to remove the dams the beavers built to encourage them to leave, but they persisted and rebuilt each time, Favreau said.

As a last resort, Favreau recommended trapping and killing the beavers, which is listed as the best option for their population management on the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s website. Relocating the beavers is a costly way of moving the problem from one site to another, DEEP research shows.

Beavers overpopulate Connecticut, Favreau said, reproducing in great volume and remaining unaffected by predators or diseases that could control their population naturally. Beaver damage complaints led to a regulated trapping season in the 1960s, according to DEEP.

I’d be very curious about the definition of the word ‘overpopulate’. I mean does it mean more than there used to be? more than is convenient? or more than can be sustained? I’m sure it’s not the last because if there weren’t enough food for them they’d die off on their own. I believe it’s just another case of using a word about beavers to mean whatever you want it to mean.

Been there. Done that.