Sometimes life in the beaver-biz is very rewarding. And sometimes it just annoys the stuffing out of me. Take this article out of Whinging-ton Ma for starters.

Hopkinton selectmen vote to trap beavers

HOPKINTON — Selectmen have agreed to hire a beaver trapper after flooding became a problem on the recently purchased Pratt Farm and neighboring properties.The board voted 5-0 on Tuesday night to pay for a plan to eliminate the beavers.“We decided we need to protect the town’s land,” Selectmen Chairman Ben Palleiko said in an interview.

Palleiko said the plan will likely cost about $5,500 — $4,000 for the trapping and $1,500 for taking apart seven dams. The board decided on an option known as a kill trap. A live trap would be as twice as expensive and the beavers would be euthanized at a later time, not released elsewhere, officials said.

How surprising! The folk in Hopkinton seemed so darned open-minded and committed to humane solutions! (Not). They have been gunning for those beavers since day one, and they kept promoting their death in the paper until they tipped the argument just enough. I especially admire the duplicity necessary to get this quote from their ‘beaver expert’ printed in the paper.

“Due to the beaver activity, an accurate flagging of wetlands may not be possible at this time, which will stall the work of the team,” she wrote in a letter to the board.The board made its decision after hearing from Malcolm Speicher, a beaver specialist, who has done work in town, including Legacy Farms. The town needs to seek bids for the work.

Speicher said it is only a matter of time before the town’s aquifers feeding to the town’s wells will be contaminated with bacteria from beaver feces.

Palleiko said Speicher believe there could be up to 40 beavers in the area.

Now maybe you’re wondering where they found this illustrious specialist. We are talking about MA, so maybe he’s at Cambridge? Harvard? MIT??? Ohhh no he’s a trapper who happens to specialize in beaver and fisher. So of course he knows all about beaver stools causing bacteria in the water.

Grrrr.

And now this. Things just got real in Mountain House. Now its time to bring out the big guns. Folks were shown Mike’s video about how to solve problems so they tried to think of an unsolvable one. We in Martinez know erosion trumps flooding. That’s why, after Skip’s flow device worked well and no one was worried about drowning anymore, the lawyer sent a letter about the foundation slipping because of unseeable burrows and that’s how Martinez got to buy 350,000 worth of sheetpile.

Obviously, this is deja vu all over again. Officials are now saying the biggest problem is these.

You can guess how true I think this is. Coal mining beavers?

But I think it’s always good to ask smarter minds than mine. Glynnis Hood says that beavers in her research do cause tunnels that collapse and its possible that a bank lodge this big could exist if the beavers have been around for some time. And Mike Callahan says its theoretically possible if there are tunnels inside leading to the water.

But I think if in 10 years of having beavers in Martinez they ever excavated anything like that, the mayor would have personally thrown me in it. Michael Runtz says a bear could do this, but he doubts beaver.

Stay tuned, I’ll tell you when I hear from more folks.

Apparently beavers are going on Broadway now, with Alan Cummings new musical. This made me howl with laughter – especially the leaping ballet beavers at the end. Enjoy!

A few more gifts arrived yesterday, and I’m thrilled for beavers good fortune. The first was some promised plates from this adorable set at thirdhalfstudios. How fun are these?

And the second is a beyond lovely sterling silver floating necklace that arrived from Winterchild. Like this but with a beaver symbol and on a breathtakingly delicate sterling silver figaro chain. I’m not sure I can keep from bidding on this. You definitely shouldn’t.

Bills to revisit old trapping laws for beavers

As beavers chew through more territory in Massachusetts, several bills before the Legislature this session would revisit a 17-year-old state law barring many methods of trapping and killing these and other types of animals.

The proposals include better tracking of how many beavers are trapped annually and a repeat effort to repeal a state law banning many types of traps, including the leg-hold trap.

What a great idea! Bring back leg hold traps! Hey, why stop there? Why not bring back the guillotine and the rack too! Apparently Massachusetts is so crowded with people that they need easier ways to kill beavers and coyotes. All these pests aren’t going to kill themselves you know. Of course being as its packed with people it’s probably packed with pets too, right? Maybe they better offer one of these while you’re at it…

Catch and release: Dog owners learn how to free pets from traps, snares

HELENA — Michelle Jenicek loves walking her dogs along the creek near her house in Bernice in Jefferson County. She knew a neighbor set traps for furbearers, but it wasn’t an issue for her — until the day her 143-pound dog was caught with his neck in a snare.

Since the entire article doesn’t contain one mention of our old friend Herbie, I have to ask did Mr.Bergquist use up his indefatigable brand? Or is he on vacation, fishing for dolphins in the Bahamas?

The Massachusetts Trappers Association supports lifting the ban. President Malcolm Speicher said modern traps can catch animals without causing painful suffering.

“A lot of people can’t comprehend how the technology has changed, because in their mind it’s the old barbaric method,” Speicher said.

Now there’s a man who’s learned his lines! Not like that slacker from DEC last year who accidentally let it slip that the traps slowly drown beavers and caused Amherst, NY to stop using them! Well, Mr. Speicher hasn’t learned ALL his lines yet. He certainly doesn’t know when to stop talking.

Speicher said trappers want to see other restrictions lifted. For example, trappers are not allowed to keep beavers killed under emergency permits. With beavers caught in regular trapping season, trappers can sell or barter pelts, meat and castor glands used to make bait and some perfumes, but not other parts of the animals.

“I have people that always want skulls,” Speicher said.