I've got a beaver problem on my land. It was neat having them at first, but they're really starting to put a hurting on the trees. I tried to find some stuff about hunting them on the internet, but just use your imagination for what my search returned. Ha. Ha. I dont want to trap them.... dont want to catch something else. Im planning on taking them with my rifle. I just need to know whats the best time of day to catch them up and about, how tough they are to kill, and can you eat beaver meat? Thanks for the help, and happy new year.
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South Carolina leads the way.... March 15, 1776 and December 24, 1860.... it's time to do it again!
Stevens model 200 .243 Win, Bushnell Elite 3-9X50, Rifle Basix trigger 3.5#, 1/2-3/4 MOA with Federal 85gr BTHP
First off, where are you located. Check with your Dept of Nat. Resources or a Game Warden to make sure you can shoot them. In your case it could be called "in defese of your land". They are relatively easy to kill. I shoot them with a .22 Hornet. The best time to take them is in the early evening up to dark. One way is to tear a hole in the dam around noon, then go back in the late afternoon. They will come from their house to repaire the dam.
Beavers are edible, especially young ones.
Good luck. If you can shoot them legally, it will give you a tremendous amount of practice. Head shots on the water is like hitting a walnut moving downstream.
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If you can't bite - don't growl, If you can't hunt - don't howl.
sounds like you need a beaver cleaver!... I agree with X-Mountie, but as far as eating them, I think just about everything is edible. Heck, I'm part Mexican we eat anything, if wee can cash it!
Give him your family recipe for armadillo and dumplings Bob!Shoot one if legal and make a wall hanging out of it! Or do like Jeff Foxworthy said...have it stuffed standing up so it can cradle the Thanksgiving turkey!
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If it weren't for hunting I wouldn't work! Gotta pay for my vices somehow don't I?
05 Diamond Victory(thanks Greg)
They aren't amazingly hard to kill, pretty much standard stuff... Sit out there in the early morning or late afternoon to catch them, use anything that would work on a coyote, and save the meat and hide.
As far as how they taste... I didn't care for it. Tasted like a big, tough, squirrel. Kind of "dusty" tasting, like a big rat. Beautiful looking meat when it's cooked though, so I probably just cooked it wrong.
The hide is the best thing on a beaver, makes great leather and the fur is wonderful insulation.
Like was said be sure that it's legal to shoot them where you are. In most places they're protected, but often landowners can get permits to shoot or trap beavers that are damaging their property.
You can catch them out at first light, but I've found they're often easiest to get late in the evening. I've had the best success finding active slide areas and waiting them out. I wouldn't bother trying to shoot them while they're swimming because they don't give much cross section. Instead wait for them to come out of the water and work their way up their slides. Then you have a rather large, and slow target. I've had good luck with a .22 magnum, and while I've taken a few with a .22lr it's pretty light for an animal that can push 50 pounds or more. If you have a large population try being really patient and waiting for several to come out onto land. They aren't quick on their feet and if you can shoot quick you can get multiple kills in quick succession. If you pop the first one that comes out of the water it will often flop around and splash which alarms any others that might be nearby. On my best night I was able to take 9 by waiting them out and snuffing them a couple at a time as they came out of the water and got far enough away that they didn't splash around when hit.
Beavers
