[philztoy]

In order to get to the back of my property and food plots back there I have to cross a stream. In it's normal state it is 3 " deep. But I have been fighting the beavers there for about twenty years. Roughly the beaver dam fills a pretty big swamp and sometimes that is good for getting the big bucks closer to my stands. But the crossing gets to be a couple of feet deep and right now it is almost over my foot bridge and getting close to where I can't get a tractor or ATV across.

When I was younger I would take a j hook pole thing I welded up and pull out a hole in the dam periodically. Every month. Then every two weeks then they rebuilt it in a day with Flying buttress support. After that I put a hole in it and sunk two or three different 6" by 10 foot long pipes in it. sort of a rudimentary clemson bypass. After that they moved to the dam upstream of my babbling brook crossing for about 7 glorious years.

The last few years they decided to move 40 yards downstream of the original dam to an older dam spot. I have been letting it go, telling myself that it forces the bigger bucks out into the open more. When really it is a lot of work putting a hole in that dam. But now I have to do something. I am really close to not getting equipment across the stream/ lake now.

The dam is in the middle of 75 yards of really soft (maybe floating) bog all around the dam. I can get an ATV in but I have never had much luck pulling the dams out with that. I don't think I can't get a tractor or backhoe in without getting it stuck or buried. I think taking something tracked in there like a mini skid steer would also get stuck.

I left my j hook pole by the other dam which is now under water. So I am going to have to weld up a new version of that thing.

Just wondering if anyone has any tips or tools they have used to manage a beaver dam. I won one battle but they are winning the war.

 

[fly]

when you let beaver has its way, everyone wins

get a boat


i dont know single life form that does not benefit from dams they make and eventually as you have seen they will change place

its most likely reason you have deers there too, as ive heard here, they do like edge of wet places

 

[philztoy]

We have done the boat to get across. The problem is tractors for cutting fields and managing food plots. I don't have a boat that will hold a tractor.

 

[robertyb]

The only way to manage beavers is to trap them out then tear out the dams. I have been fighting them for about 30 years here and they now build down stream from my property and the property owner doesn't allow trapping so the City sends a crew every few months and tears out the dam which is rebuilt in a week or so.

 

[philztoy]

The only way to manage beavers is to trap them out then tear out the dams. I have been fighting them for about 30 years here and they now build down stream from my property and the property owner doesn't allow trapping so the City sends a crew every few months and tears out the dam which is rebuilt in a week or so.

I haven't been much of a beaver trapper. I had a couple clam traps which never worked for me. I did snare one, but those big conibears are intimidating! I had a guy that used to come out and liked to trap them. Might have to search that option out again.

Does the water have to be across the road to get the city or municipality to do it?

I am about 20 years into this beaver war. This dam is on the property line so I may be SOL if they move downstream.

 

[Runningbuck]

Find out what your state says about nuisance beaver trapping. A half dozen conibear 330's put in the right spots will take care of the problem. Snares work good too.

 

[philztoy]

I had a nuidance trapping permit for awhile and then one year they just pulled it I need to reduce the population for sure.

 

[Tnmtns]

You got to give it to beavers though! Yes they are a problem for some, but it's amazing what they can do......

 

[robertyb]

I haven't been much of a beaver trapper. I had a couple clam traps which never worked for me. I did snare one, but those big conibears are intimidating! I had a guy that used to come out and liked to trap them. Might have to search that option out again.

Does the water have to be across the road to get the city or municipality to do it?

I am about 20 years into this beaver war. This dam is on the property line so I may be SOL if they move downstream.

I can call them and nothing happens but my cousin who owns over half the town it seems like calls them and they show up that day or the next. When it floods the road they have to shut it down until the water drops again. When that happens my whole back field is pretty much under water. My cousin always calls way before it gets that high as he is only a couple of hundred yards upstream of me on the same creek and gets flooded also.

 

[OHXBguy]

A stick of dynamite works good……….,,seriously though as someone has said trap them then get the dam apart as soon as possible. Good luck

 

[The man.]

Find a nuisance trapper. Conibears work great. Caster to attract them, they are territorial. If you have time, a .22 works great also. You have to destroy more of the damn at one time while the water can help erode the dam. Pull sticks, let water run and then pull more. Don’t set traps in the dam.

 

[philztoy]

You got to give it to beavers though! Yes they are a problem for some, but it's amazing what they can do......

They are amazing. The summer I was really on top of taking them on I came back to the dam and there were 5 perfectly spaced flying buttress angled log supports reinforcing the back of the dam. That beaver was trouble!

 

[Shalako]

The three “s” solution comes to mind

shoot, shovel, shut up

 

[rockrollnload]

Damn, shaved beavers are nice! Oh, never mind. Wrong beaver.

 

[philztoy]

Damn, shaved beavers are nice! Oh, never mind. Wrong beaver.

I think there is a thread about that The "Good Morning" thread for the early risers. ?
I will have to do some research there!

 

[fly]

i dont know if there is anything better than rowing in a middle of the lake

on a beaver lake, i would care for the rocks really

 

[Runningbuck]

A stick of dynamite works good……….,,seriously though as someone has said trap them then get the dam apart as soon as possible. Good luck

You don't want to do that, unless you have a couple of miles between you and the next residence. Its extremely loud and most times you throw sh%T all over the place!

 

[The man.]

You don't want to do that, unless you have a couple of miles between you and the next residence. Its extremely loud and most times you throw sh%T all over the place!

Ok tanerite it is 😃. Forgive my spelling

 

[Generator]

If you don't trap/physically remove them, they will "build back better". These critters know how to overcome adversity and accomplish whatever is necessary for their livelihood.

Contact a competent trapper, pay him for his work. When the trapper tells you their gone, have the dam and living quarters removed. Its the only sure method.