When it comes to beaver the F words are fur and feelings.

I try to stay away from them generally. We’ll talk more about that later but first we have some delightful kid interviews about beavers. Isn’t that fun? From Wyoming all about beavers. It’s like they knew I was coming. This is the kind of recording I could listen too all day.

Episode 4: Why Are Beavers And Mountain Men Linked In History?

Madison Burckhardt and Breann Berg wanted to find out more about why they think Wyoming is wonderful. Madison a nine-year-old from Cody, Wyoming is interested in beavers and interviewed biologist, Jerry Altermatt about how beavers influence the environment and why they sometimes have to be moved. By the end, she confirmed why she thought beavers were awesome and their influences on waterways and meadows. Breann, a ten-year-old from Rawlins, Wyoming became interested in mountain men while learning about them at school and wanted to know more. In the second half of the episode, Breann interviews Clay Landry, fur trade historian, to discuss her favorite mountain man, John Colter, and his adventures in the Yellowstone region.

Madison Burckhardt

Madison is a ten-year-old native of Cody Wyoming. Madison is a fantastic artist who loves wildlife, nature, and horses. Madison’s love for beavers began when she had the opportunity to help a Wyoming Game and Fish Department biologist trap, care for and relocate a family of beavers.

Jerry Altermatt

is a Terrestrial Habitat Biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in Cody, Wyoming. He has been working to enhance habitat for wildlife in the Cody Region since 1992.

Not bad answers or questions from Wyoming, a state that isn’t always very patient with beavers. I enjoyed the first interview more than the second, but I guess it’s fun to hear a little about trappers worrying that everyone would think they were insane.

Yesterday this most amusing letter was published in Havre Montana, which of course you know I had to respond to. I feel very restrained that I said nothing about his having a ridiculous name in addition to his ridiculous positions.

Letter to the Editor – Some questions about Beaver Deceivers

I have been following the debate over the beaver situation in our Hill County Beaver Creek Park. We are losing a tremendous amount of trees and access to the creek itself by a common rodent. The beaver. Now that the anti-trapping people and other humane special interest groups have been called to graciously help solve our problem there have been many questions left unanswered.

Okay. Let’s stop right there and get out our fainting couches. There is going to be some shocking revelations coming, I just know it. Call me suspicious but I don’t get the feeling he’s asking questions because he wants an answer so much as he wants to hear the sound of his fingers typing.

1. How much will these Beaver Deceivers, pond levelers, cost? (I was told it was $12-15,000 each.

Ha! Are they really made out of solid gold? Inquiring minds are demanding answers.

2. What is the effective range of a Beaver Deceiver and how many will it take to cover the trouble area?

Oh a genuine question! I’m sure you didn’t mean it, I’ll allow.

3. Who is going to pay the price of these magical beaver foolers. This park belongs to Hill County. So, I think you know.

That’s more like it. “Magical Beaver Foolers”. Now that’s some good snark out of Montana. I never would have guessed you could snark as well as city folk. Now if my name were “Dibblee” I would avoid being too snotty but I don’t know very many people in Havre. Maybe that’s the most dignified name around. Maybe there’s a Dibblee courthouse and a Dibblee post office and a long pedigree making it the most respected name in town. What do I know?

4. Whose responsibility will it be to maintain “magical” devices?

Magical again. I expect less redundancy with my snark Jeff.

I will not take up any of your valuable time on the history and chronological factual information of the impact trapping has been for our state. I will say that this furbearing game animal can be properly maintained by conventional trapping methods.

Is trapping a painful, horrid death as claimed by Ms. York and her side kick, Ms. Braaten? I can’t say. I have never talked to a beaver to ask them how they feel about trappers.

Good lord. I can’t even. The problem with anti trap folks is that they trigger the anti compassion folks. I tell you what. Let’s not talk about beaver discomfort at ALL. Let’s just talk about selfish gain. The park gets more wildlife to shoot, more fish to trap and more water to swim in IF it keeps beavers. Is saves money by not having to pay trappers year after year and the place is big enough that you can afford to pick some small creek or stream to test it out. Does that sound reasonable?

Please do not let this Trap Free Montana organization fool you.

It’s not just about trapping. They want to take your hunting and fishing privileges away as well.

Think about this. If you have a piece of ground that deer and elk are raising havoc on, should the fish and game set up “deceivers” or issue extra “B” tags or damage hunt permits?

In conclusion I would like anyone interested in learning more about “your” park, to please attend the next meeting when announced.

Jeff C. Dibblee

Hill County voter, taxpayer, conservationist

I don’t believe their is an “Elk deceiver” but I could be wrong. I snooped around the internet and found another letter from Jeff about the importance of unions which he signed with ‘retired rail union man”. Okay. Someone buy him a copy of Lewis Morgan the American beaver and his works. I think Jeff needs a beer and a long chat with someone like Jerry Altermatt or Torrey Ritter and what ever you do don’t mention fur or feelings.

This is winnable, Montana. Just keep your eyes on the prize,

A friend just shared this on facebook. It’s from wildlife camerman Michael Forsberg and filmed on the Platte River in Nebraska. Make sure you turn your speakers way up for this treat.

Friday night – Movie night! Here’s a dusk to dawn video sequence of a beaver mom and her kit preparing and then repairing their lodge after an intense nighttime thunderstorm ripped through the Platte River Valley last week in central Nebraska. Watch the big storm roll through and make sure your sound is up! This footage was captured from a customized surveillance camera system that we have had in place for over three years now documenting activities on the lodge 24/7 year-round. It has been a fascinating experience with these remarkable creatures. To see more from our Live camera locations, visit the @plattebasin website www.plattebasintimelapse.com and click on LIVE in the menu.

Aren’t beavers wonderful? And don’t they work hard? It was a whine just like that which sealed my fate lo these many years ago. I remember standing at dawn next to Starbucks, watching the kits complain to each other, and thinking, “Do the people that want these beavers dead even KNOW about that sound?” And then, more somberly, “If I don’t do something to stop this myself when am I ever going to hear that sound again?”

So I figured I’d work on saving the beavers for the weekend. Maybe for the entire week. How long could it possibly take?

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Famous last words, I know. This morning we have some great words from a successful beaver relocation in Wyoming. It’s good to know folks there are doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Beaver relocation a win-win

CODY, WY — Three beavers are happy in their new homes after Wyoming Game & Fish relocated them this summer. They’re also doing important restoration work.

The beavers were trapped on private land south of Cody where they were causing flooding over roads. Game & Fish biologists captured and relocated them to a stream south of Meeteetse, where they will help in long-term efforts to improve riparian and stream habitat.

Habitat Biologist Jerry Altermatt said that beaver can be beneficial to both habitat and other wildlife. “As beavers build dams and pond water is created, riparian vegetation is improved along the stream, stabilizing stream banks, which creates better habitat for fish and wildlife. Beaver dams create ponds that allow beavers to escape predators, but these ponds are also productive wetlands that many birds, deer, moose, and other wildlife depend on. They also increase habitat diversity for trout, recharge groundwater, increase late-season flows and filter sediment and nutrients from water,” Altermatt said.

Oh yes they can, Jerry, And hey its nice when they get to stay where they choose and ,make that difference, but relocated is better than dead, we agree. And it sound like they work hard to relocate the entire family together.