# Beavers back in the UK.



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Beavers are back in the UK after being hunted to extinction some 400 years ago. Opinions are split as to whether this is a good thing or not. At the moment its just a 5 year trial.

http://www.scottishbeavers.org.uk/visit-knapdale/visit-knapdale/


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

One would think that they could fairly well predict what their behavior will be. They are beavers afterall.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Its more the impact they'll have on the native wildlife and environment.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

They shouldn't have any more than they did before being wiped out, unless of course their natural predators have been removed also.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Lynx, wolf and bear all gone!

I say that the lynx has gone but there is a small population now from escapees.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Well those *[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]* beaver will be making ponds everywhere, cutting down trees as well...the enviromentists will be up in arms about that. Next thing you will know they will have to apply for permits to build thier dams.

If you need any beaver traps just let me know.

On the bright side. The enviromental impact is positive creating wet lands for other critters. We could import some bear and wolves when you need them coyotes too.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Well we'll see how thing go. It's already been shown that they improve the habitat for many species. Control will be needed as we can't have them flooding woodland and killing tree's and wild flowers. I'd love to hunt wolf and bear, lamping coyotes would be fun!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Beavers in the forest are not easy to contain


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Well only time will tell.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Those lucky Scottish beaver vergin areas to work on. Actually they should be able to control them through trapping. Beaver tend to easy track down. If you get the chance you should go check them out Matt.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

You wont be killing these if they are to stay Brian, I think they will get relocated rather than trapped. I wouldn't mind having a look.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Down the road when they become a pest...and trust me they will and when there are no areas to relocate, they will be trapping to control numbers. Beaver may not populate as fast as rabbits but they are capable of multiplying.

I was not at all indicating they should be trapped now. Personally I think it is great idea and the impact will be positive. It just takes time. Actually I am surprised they had not introduced them before this. Otter and mink most likely run the area now and this will be a help to them as well.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

We are doing all we can to control mink, they are an unwanted pest that are having a very bad effect on native wildlife. At the moment there are only a handful of beavers and it will be a long time until number reach anything like problem levels. But they must have an eye kept on them.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

When the kits get kicked out of the lodge at two years old they move on to new areas...and they can move great distances, or just down the stream. Yes mink can be a problem with nesting birds, frogs, snakes, toads, crustations, however they love to eat rats, mice, and other unwanted critters.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

No Brian mink are a major pain in the arse, they are not native. They are really hammering our water voles.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/content/articles/2009/04/16/mink_culling_feature.shtml this was from a few years ago but it tells the story! You can have all the mink back!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

I see they are a problem. Man and his ideas. Keep on trapping them. Best of luck.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

No anti fur idiots letting them go!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Wow what idiots, numptys, fools around here that is a chargable offence ! Big time.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

A bunch of &%^*(())$$%*'s! Thats about all I can say!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

are they year round trappable ?


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Oh yes!.....


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

You and I Both Know Most Government Experiments Go Way overboard, More than likely they will allow the Beavers to Over populate before allowing any kind of Management of them.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Yeah then they say...wow, we have a problem Houston.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

We'll see, it will be interesting!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

At least the beaver will not be eating your voles.

Ask Dave about beavers being a problem. He tears out dam all the time with a backhoe.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

I've heard they are a major problem around peoples homes.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Well the only problem is with them enjoying those expensive flowering trees. They tend to feed at night and the home owner wakes up to his apple trees cut to the ground


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Oh right I was more thinking of the loss of land and flooding!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

That happens also..the flooding is not as extensive as you might emagine. Sure creeks are backed up and look like a swamp and swamps are blocked from draining and look like ponds but that does not happen over night.

However there are measures to slow that down like putting pipe through a dam. Live trapping works but you always have others moving in. I had a ADC job near to here in a neighborhood, wealthy home owners. Along the back of a property one of the owners had a beaver building a dam. The dam cause the water to erode to the south taking out a section of his land and they were cutting his trees also. I was hired to trap them...a neighbor had a fit she was upset I was trapping beavers. She made such a fuss that the guy I was working for told me to stop. I had removed 2 a 50 and a 40 pounder well fed. That was 14 months ago.

I spoke to a friend of his last month...he said they are so bad that they are up into thier yards eating the landscape trees...waiting "on a call"







.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Stupid woman! Lets hope there's some more work in it for you Brian.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

I am hoping...there should be couple colonies living in the area now







.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

How many animals do you think that would be?


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I would imagine she would have changed her mind if it was her property being eroded.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Oh there could be up to a dozen in the area. In one lodge 6 or so. I accedently killed off a lodge that had two large beaver and a kit. Next season I went back and it was empty







!!!!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

youngdon said:


> I would imagine she would have changed her mind if it was her property being eroded.


Yeah...it was just at the edge of hers. Problem was..her husband ok'd first with the guys I was working with.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

On a call said:


> Oh there could be up to a dozen in the area. In one lodge 6 or so. I accedently killed off a lodge that had two large beaver and a kit. Next season I went back and it was empty
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How did you do that Brian?


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

It was apparent that the adults did not have good reproduction. When you trap a lodge you do not want to remove all the beavers 3 or 4 is enough. No one else was trapping the lodge and I was going to take 3 or 4. It was a very large lodge. I have pictures of it. Generally you want to remove half leaving the other half to reproduce. A good litter would be 4 so that makes 6 as long as there are none of the previouse litter hanging around. Beaver tend to kick out two year olds. That is unless someone like me comes along.

I enjoy beaver trapping very interesting.

To answer your question...I had caught the parents and the kit was less than a year old. When I caught that I stopped. The kits generally do not leave the lodge the parents bring back food to them.


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