‘INVASIVE AND PERVASIVE FURRY CHAINSAWS”

Don’t be alarmed. That big BOOM you heard was just the sound of your neighbor blowing up his beaver dam. Perfectly legal destruction. Just ask the sheriff who doesn’t sugar coat it. He tells it how it really is. I mean it’s like anyone in Newberry South Carolina needs clean water, wood ducks for hunting, trout for fishing or protection from fire, flooding or drought, right?

Right?

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FIELD AND STREAM OFFERS BEAVER BARBECUE

Every so often I hear from the new believer crowd that the “Tide has finally turned” and that “People understand why beavers matter now” and I make a grinding noise with my teeth and push back my bangs and point to articles like this. In FIELD AND STREAM no less.

It’s not over till its over.

You’ve Never Tried Beavercue? Maybe You Need to Start Trapping

I know hunters who are uncomfortable with trapping because they don’t like the idea of killing an animal without eating it. Generally, I’m of that mindset too. But there are limits. I’ve seen the virtue-signaling videos of people cooking and eating coyotes, for example, and carrying on as if they’ve done something really noble. But every winter I watch turkey vultures ignore skinned coyotes. Personally, I can avoid eating anything a buzzard won’t touch and still sleep OK. (more…)

DETROIT ISN’T EXCITED ABOUT BEAVERS ANY MORE

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beaver ecological impact, Who's Killing Beavers Now?, Who's saving beavers now? February 21, 2022

Remember when Detroit was excited to see beavers again after a century of setting the river on fire? Well that’s over. Short welcome committee eh?

DNR kills some beavers on Detroit’s Belle Isle

A decade ago, beavers returned to Detroit’s Belle Isle for the first time in a century, causing celebration among environmentalists. But now it seems the rodents have worn out their welcome on Detroit’s island park, or at least with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which has run it since 2014. On Thursday, the department announced it had killed some beavers during a Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee meeting.

Ron Olson, DNR’s chief of parks and recreation, confirms that the department killed four beavers on Belle Isle and the nearby Milliken State Park. Olson tells Metro Times the DNR isn’t trying to exterminate the aquatic mammals from the parks, but only trying to keep their population in check. Each pair of beavers has around four young, and around this time of year, they start moving out of their dens and establishing their own territories. (more…)

YOU SAID NOT TO DROWN THEM, SO WE FROZE THEM INSTEAD

heidi08 Urban beavers, Who's Killing Beavers Now? December 4, 2021

Drowning. Freezing, Starving we’re flexible either will do.

The city of Belleville Ontario was mightily hindered by those pesky citizens asking them not to drown beavers so they waited until everyone was away and then ripped the dams out entirely leaving a mudflat that will soon freeze solid so they can’t reach their food cache. Belleville leaders are flexible. They can starve the animals or freeze them too. (more…)

NO ROOM IN STEILACOOM

heidi08 Who's Killing Beavers Now? March 4, 2021

Steilacoom Washington is in the wet middle of the pacific edge of the state below Seattle on Puget Sound. It likes to boast it is the oldest incorporated city in the state and has probably been the site of at least on wayward whale visit.

It also is home to Farrells marsh which was home to some beavers. But it has no room for beavers any more.

Letter: Petition to Save the Beavers of the Farrell’s Marsh in Steilacoom

Submitted by Greg Alderete, Founder of Citizens for the Protection and Preservation of the Farrells Marsh.

Sadly, members of the group Citizens for the Protection and Preservation of Farrell’s Marsh Wildlife Preserve announce that Steilacoom Mayor Ron Lucas has again hired a trapper to kill the beaver family (nesting pair and three kits) so their dam can be destroyed. During the last year has chosen to not follow the expert advise of multiple environmental and wildlife experts against this cruel and unnecessary slaughter.

The optimal solution to live with the beaver is to place a small pipe in the dam at the optimal level of the pond, called a “Pond Leveler or Beaver Deceiver). Substantially more cost effective than $900 every year the Town pays the trapper. This will prevent flooding, keep the water level at an optimal habitat level while replenishing the aquifer. The beaver cannot compromise this system and will thrive as the marsh continues to provide for the fragile ecosystem while at the same time the removing contaminated street drainage (oil, pesticides, other heavy metals) before entering directly into the the Puget Sound.

Whoa. I have to keep reminding myself that this is Washington so even when mayors make stupid decisions the citizens know the right thing to do.

In the last year the Beaver have restored the marsh and amazingly wildlife and waterfowl, not seen in the marsh in decades, are returning. Several trails are flooded for now but alternate trails have been pioneered to work around this minor inconvenience until the water level goes down (May-June). Bring your Kayak and camera and enjoy the serenity of this spectacular wildness sanctuary.

If you frequent the marsh I would encourage you to learn how to remove one of these traps from your pet or child. A quick search on the internet will demonstrate just how inhuman and lethal these traps are. The trapper has been given approval to remove the beaver by Mr. Lucas because he sees them as an imminent threat to several residents homes who live near the ineffective culvert drainage system the town has decided not to upgrade.

Yeow! Greg Alderette you go straight to the heart of the matter. 1,2,3. 1 There is a better way to control Beavers. 2 Beavers have a dramatic impact on the ecology. And 3 trapping is dangerous and kills unintended species. Boom Boom Boom. You’ve sure got this covered.

Not sure why this letter is being printed now, since the beaver bruhaha happened way back during the summer, but I guess things are finally thawing enough to get accessible for the trapper? It’s amazing that you are so close to solutions and still chose to ignore them and rely on your trap-happy friends for help.