Mojotex

If the beaver dam has flooded a good amount of your 20 acres, or if you are concerned that significant damage is going to be done to your timber, it might be wise to get them out as soon as practical to do so. Otherwise I'd leave it be .... scout and adjust where I hunt the deer.

Bocajnala

People are saying let them be.... YES.... but, I've seen beavers flood peoples entire property. A property I hunt right now has lost about a quarter of it's huntable area to beavers. Also, they'll kill allot of your trees. I'm all for nature. But if a guy has 10, 20 acres whatever, Beavers can potentially ruin that whole property.
-Jake

westMDbowhunter

I'm with rockport, go buy some 330's conibears and try to see it as an opportunity.
pelts aren't much money now but getcha some good meat
when life gives you beavers, make... a trapper out of yourself! lol

westMDbowhunter

I would be overly protective of my hunting land if it was that size for sure, It's your own mini ecosystem.

WV Hunter

I think beavers are so cool. We had trouble one time with one, he mowed down so many trees in an area I was trying to grow trees... can be frustrating. If the area he was in was in a different part of the property I'd have left him be.

I agree, they can rebuild in a hurry even if you tear down the dam. You'll have no choice but to get rid of them if you can't leave it be...they WILL rebuild it no matter what you do if they are still there.

A guy I know bought some land a few years ago, the beavers had dammed up a stream and it made about a 5 acre lake. The owner before him had stocked it and man was it a fishing hole. So there can be a good side also.

Sheridan

Allow "a few" beavers to live on your property (given it's big enough), and you with have some beautiful wetlands.

All else springs to life through that ecosystem.................

tankerchief

So, visited my property for the first time this spring. Because of the mild winter the beavers were extremely active. About 1 1/2 surface acres are flooded. I will have to watch that they don't increase the dam anymore because it could back onto my neighbors property; but for now I'm going to let things be.

Turns out that I now have wood ducks using the area. And, dam is big enough to support a nice fish population. Biggest plus is deer are now funneled into two areas on either side of the dam; so stand placement should be easier.

All in all looks like I'll be able to make lemonade out of the lemons handed to me.

Bocajnala

It's good that it worked out that way. Deer use swampy areas, and if you learn how to hunt swamps you can have allot of success using funnels, bedding areas, etc. Sounds like it's working out so far.
-Jake

Game Stalker

Kept under your control, this certainly can be a great thing. Don't know what other water sources are around, but yours is one more thing to keep them or entice them to your property.