Give it up for Oklahoma,  where a nature writer David John enjoyed the beavers on his property for a record thirty days notes. Noting, without any touch of shame, ”

“I tried doing the right thing, But it was hard. So I stopped”

Move over Thomas Aquinas!

Nature Note: Bye, bye beavers

In early June, a dam was built at the outlet to the pond, next to a little bridge, probably with the help of an older female that appeared on the pond. Flowing water is a magnet for beavers to build a dam, to keep the water as deep as possible. The dam raised the water level nearly 2 feet, a good thing, but it also flooded trails around the north end of the pond.

In July I decided I needed to relocate the beavers, so I live-trapped both and released them on Bird Creek, the stream from which they came. My hope was to be able to live with them, but they caused too much damage; chewed down trees and produced flooding. Not their fault, that’s what beavers do. They need a large area in which to work. We just didn’t have enough room for them.

Although beaver dams can cause flooding, they are amazing engineers at flood control. No high tech stuff for them, just sticks and mud.

A whole month? You tried to do the right thing for an entire month? My god. By sooner state standards you’re practically a saint.  Nice of you to let the kits be born before you stuffed them in a cage, or more likely, made them orphans.

That’s the classic pro-life position isn’t it? Make the kids be born and then forget about them.

Pardon me if I’m feeling a song coming on.

Oklahoma where a beaver cannot be sustained
And the drought deserved must be preserved
so the dustbowl state’s again regained!

Oklahoma, where the birds and fish will never rest
In ponds deep and cool, they’re no one’s fool
So the frogs and turtles travel west.

We know climate change is a scheme
And fondly of dry creeks we dream

So when we say…YA!
I’ll try my best todayyyy….HA!
I’m only saying I’ll live with beavers a whole month
For a whole month, O-k-l-a-h-o-m-a
Oklahoma!

Gosh that was fun. I feel better now.

Time for the second fun start to your day, Ben Golfarb was on Montana public radio yesterday with a great interview and a very nice interview-er. They both do a great job. Enjoy!