Beavers are tearing up my woods..

They are flooding part of my woods and leaving trees girdled, which are up to 14" through the stump. I've had it with them and have obtained a permit to eradicate them and break the dam down.
I'm a hunter not a trapper, so I am not real familiar with beaver's habits. My permission is to shoot or trap..and I intend on shooting them. So who can tell me a bit about them ? Are they primarily nocturnal ? What is a good way to hunt them ?

Any advice from a voice of experience, would be helpful..

I don't know, but post some pictures after whack 'em. I never realized how big those things can get until one decided to swim over and check out my friend's canoe. (Don't ask me why.) It had a head like a volleyball.

I'm sure they are more nocturnal. Only experience I've had was I once lived close to the St. Francis river in S/E Mo., we drove the levee and seen some on occasion. Fun to whack though, have fun.

You'll see them during the day, evenings are a good time. Try taking out some of their dam so the waters running and they will come to make repairs. I've shot many beavers with a .22 - brain shot. Every one of them sank to the bottom and resurfaced about a week later about 4 times bigger around than normal size. Drag it up on shore and something will eat it. Good luck.

Thanks guys;
I was thinking about as Vermonter said, the sound of rushing water triggers their "must repair" instincts..but I diodn't realize they would immediately sink. I'll have to try to catch them on the shallow side of the dam, if I want to skin them...

They are nocturnal and sleep a lot during the day.

But they are industrious little ba$tards. Our lake had moss pretty bad and the little $hit$
collected every piece of moss from the entire lake and built up a 12' high pyramid of moss mud and sticks around the stack
so they could clog up 8 2" holes.

Almost impossible to tear apart but the lake is clean now.

My dad caught one mid day asleep under the boathouse and
dispatched it with a shotgun.

You will see them sometimes in the very early morning or
very late evening. I never have hunted them at night.

If they disappear destroy their dam it will drive them nuts
and they will get back to work.

They don't always go back to their houses either. If they can find a safe place like under a boat dock, they might sleep there.
Trying to find where they were one time I destroyed one of their houses and several just took up residence under the boat dock.
You could stomp on the boat dock middle of the day and off they would go and pop up about 70 yards away. Good target practice.

I put out traps for them sometimes, but would rather shoot them.
I prefer the sport.

Tiny target though, like 2" of head sticking out of the water
so a dialed in tight shooting rifle is a must. Best one so far for me was my savage
26" barreled 223 that would shoot 3/8" groups.

If you are going to trap them, supposedly small strips of green poplar bark will drive them crazy and they will walk right into a trap.
I have never tried that one.

There is a really good scent that will do it too, but I have yet to find out the name of the one that works best.

I caught a a few with large spring traps from sportmans guide.

If they sink, you definitely want to shoot them on shore or in shallow water. When I was mushing up in Alaska this winter I wore a pair of beaver mittens. They are, IMHO, the ultimate cold weather protection for your hands.

You could probably drop them left and right with a .22lr, but I am telling you they can get a lot bigger than you think. The one that "charged" our canoe was 60 lbs at a minimum, but I'd put $20 on it weighing over 70 and honest to goodness expect it was closer to 80. It could have been the granddaddy of all beavers for all I know, but I've never seen a coyote that big. You may want to use a .223.

I'm surprised there haven't been any sick jokes yet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by borg

I'm surprised there haven't been any sick jokes yet.

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Whatever could you possibly be referring to?

the one I cleaned out for farmers in the streams I got right about the time you almost can't see in the evening. I use a 10-22 and double tap them. tear out some of the dam and see if it gets repaired. the areas they flood, they also trench to float there food back. really make a mess of a corn field.

Blueavenger;
Right you are ! I believe a yearly cornfield some distance across the creek is what presumably attracted them in the first place. My woods is generally, a sloping hillside sweeping down to the creek. The other side of the creek is a couple hundred yards of brush with cornfields beyond.
The PETA types have spoiled trapping so now the beavers must be eliminated another way. Before the animal-rightsers, those beautiful pelts used to go into fine clothing and accessories...The end result of more "liberal logic"...

As others have said ......... tear a good hole in the dam and they will "be back" forthwit!

They will likely start in the evening at dusk or a little later.

Get yourself a shotgun and rig it up with a good flashlight taped to the side of it.

Best of luck

Three 44s