USDA Wildlife Services has released its national death count for 2014. Here’s what they report for beavers in California. I was surprised to see more beavers killed by rifles than traps, but I guess that makes sense. No wet feet required.
Thats a total of 1095 dead beavers in our state last year JUST at the hands of USDA. In our review of all the depredation permits there were 82 solely issued for them and half of those were for an unlimited number of beavers.
By my count this suggests unlimited means about “19”. Or three families.
One of the problems I have with unlimited permits is that it gives us no idea of how many beavers were killed. Should we assume federal trappers are extra thorough? Or that unlimited always means 19? Looking at our review of the depredation permits that would put California’s beaver death count 1841 in 2014. But who knows, Maybe wildlife services is especially good at it.
For now just realize that your tax dollars paid our federal government to kill 22, 496 beavers nation wide. Which I guess makes someone happy.
Apparently we’re getting another scathing article about this on Sunday, I’ll wait with baited breath. In the mean time you should really have a look at the surprising list, Blue Herons, Avocets, Voles, Woodduck. It would make a very scary serial killer list. Which of course it is.
Our kit-watch remains more suspenseful than satisfying. But at least we were able to see that once again our Martinez mom is recognizable, this time by her white-ish muzzle. Have a look. Here she is checking us out. Remember that great photo with teats pointed us in the right direction.
Never mind that we’re still waiting for kits. Rusty in Napa snapped this great photo if the little kit beside the big lodge. He looks so dwarfed! Like I feel around the tall buildings in San Francisco.
