101–110 of 126 posts
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They will continue to breed, expanding territory unless there are predators. When they come across a culvert (or bridge), they will block it, eventually overtopping roads and washing them out.
Is there no more demand for beaver pelt and/or meat? I've heard the tail is particularly tasty and easy to skin and cook.
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They will continue to breed, expanding territory unless there are predators. When they come across a culvert (or bridge), they will block it, eventually overtopping roads and washing them out.
Thanks for the good faith reply. I can see that this would require regular maintenance. It is interesting that we see our infrastructure as 'valid' or correct, but the work these engineers (beavers) put in as a nuisance. In an ideal world, the benefits to local biodiversity and ecosystem health should be balanced with the cost of relocating roads when necessary.
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TFA implies the issue is land owners won’t allow it: > But beavers can only thrive if landowners allow them to.
Because the government makes the water that comes with them a huge liability. Tons of vacant land owners would be happy to allow beavers and everything else if not for the fact that it destroys any prospect of doing anything on the land.
With freshwater increasingly being a problem, being able to slow down tributaries and allow the water to percolate and help rebuild aquifers is something that should be happening everywhere possible. Lost cost, high reward. Not sexy enough to get the attention it deserves.
There's a really good book about a homesteader that did something similar to this in the 1930's in British Columbia, "Three Against The Wilderness". Basically he restored the dams that had been dynamited by the ranchers, and that restored all of the wetlands in the area. Later on, the government brought him some beavers from elsewhere, and they flourished.
Funny how much of "ecological restoration" sometimes turns out to be undoing a change we made decades ago and then letting the original ecosystem resume doing the maintenance for us
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Is there no more demand for beaver pelt and/or meat? I've heard the tail is particularly tasty and easy to skin and cook.
No, the people I know that trap them because someone hired them to remove them just dump them.
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Thanks for the good faith reply. I can see that this would require regular maintenance. It is interesting that we see our infrastructure as 'valid' or correct, but the work these engineers (beavers) put in as a nuisance. In an ideal world, the benefits to local biodiversity and ecosystem health should be balanced with the cost of relocating roads when necessary.
There are many ways to prevent blockage of culverts and even control the water level behind beaver dams it's just that people don't want to bother, are ignorant, or just don't care.
My dad is a crazy old German retired machinist/tool&die maker. I think he enjoys the challenge. Not everyone would.
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Throw in some wolves and create a brand new set of problems :)
That's the beauty of it. When wintertime rolls around they simply freeze to death.
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TFA implies the issue is land owners won’t allow it: > But beavers can only thrive if landowners allow them to.
I actively allow beavers to exist. They have two dams on my property.. Previous owners a long time ago actively exterminated them. The county also actively exterminates them instead of simply putting in simple flood/beaver control devices where necessary.
We had a beautiful set of beaver ponds, but the town won. Now it's just underbrush with a stream running through it. I'll never forget though: don't let your laws get in the way of doing the right thing.