beaver???????

[jamala]

Ok everyone I need advice again. We woke up this morning to find a beaver in our pond. Now I thought beavers only lived in rivers/streams/creeks etc. with flowing water. My question is do I want this beaver to stay--if not how to I get him to move on. My worry is that all around our pond I have my fruit orchard. Trees are anywhere from brand new this year planted to almost 5 years old. Is this beaver going to get my trees? It is extreamly dry in our area but the nearest stream is well over a mile away so I don't know where this guy came from or if it is possible he traveled that far to find our pond.

[spiritrider]

Beavers eat bark! Your fruit trees are not safe.
If it stays it will cut trees to make a house somewhere in the pond.
3S the rascal!

[springvalley]

Yes your trees will be food, trap him and eat him, I hear they are very tasty.> Marc

[Nevada]

From the title I thought is was a thread about Barbara Billingsley, Beaver Cleaver's mother.

[FoxyWench]

i too would promptly remove him one way or another.

[Bearfootfarm]

Are you SURE it's a beaver?

It could be a Muskrat or a Nutria, although I wouldn't want those in my pond either.
If it's a Muskrat, your trees are safe.
A Nutria may damage smaller trees

[soulsurvivor]

If you see one beaver just know that there are more on the way. They work fast. My advice is to hire an experienced trapper now.

[Gregg Alexander]

Shoot him!!!!

[jamala]

Well my son tried to find the beaver in the pond a little bit ago and nearly stepped on him. Scared my son when the beaver took off from behind him gave his sister a good laugh. He is hiding at the moment but my son is "stalking" him. This beaver has got to go tonight because we read that they can chew down up to 12 trees in a night.

[NickieL]

I would put wire cages around the trees but leave the beaver....but I like to encourange wildlfie and feel they deserve to share the earth with us and most people don't.

[Ed Norman]

If you put wire cages around the trees, what will he eat? They can harvest a field of corn in season, and I mean a FIELD of corn, but otherwise, they want trees.

[jamala]

They are hunting him as I type this. My 15 year old son went out earlier to find him and nearly stepped on him.

[deaconjim]

You might need this:

COUNTRY STYLE BEAVER

2-3 lbs beaver steaks 1/2 inch thick
Bacon grease
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 medium onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can or 1/2 lb mushrooms

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a closable bag or 2 quart closable plastic container and shake until mixed. Add beaver and shake until well coated. Save remaining flour. Dice onions. Melt enough bacon grease in the bottom of a fry pan to sauté onions and beaver. Sauté onions and floured beaver in bacon grease, adding more grease as needed. Place beaver aside.

Combine soup and mushrooms in frying pan. Dissolve 2 to 3 heaping tbsp of seasoned flour in 2 cups cold water. Add to soup mix and simmer 5 minutes. Add beaver and onions to mix and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

[jamala]

Thanks deaconjim, I really had no idea you could eat beaver.