Beaver dam? Tannerite? Hold my beer!

[finallydribben]

Yup. You would be suprised how quick they can rebuild

In the 90s, I worked for Georgia Pacific contract trapping Beavers and blasting beaver dams on hundreds of their properties. I trapped each place for a couple weeks before blasting the dams. I used KinePak explosives and typically blasted a dozen dams per week. If I didn't fully trap the beavers prior to blasting they would rebuild...sometimes overnight. Several times my Conibear traps were even pulled up and put in the dams as building materials. They are hard workers for sure.

They also built some amazing looking water systems. I remember many of the ponds I blasted were many acres in size and I am sure downstream the water rose significantly.

Never had the cops called on me.

 

[oosik]

The water level on my ten acre lake is controlled by a very nice beaver dam at the outlet. Over the period of one year - the water level will vary only 8" to 10" because of the efforts of this beaver family.

This is one case, at least, where their efforts are appreciated. So often - they are flooding areas that folks want left dry.

 

[BigBlue1]

Why would they take the guy's gun? It's not illegal to use tannerite and it's not illegal to remove a beaver dam, is it?

 

[MossRoad]

Why would they take the guy's gun? It's not illegal to use tannerite and it's not illegal to remove a beaver dam, is it?

From the article...

CO Dan Liestenfeltz responded to a loud explosion complaint in Montmorency County. Several 911 calls came into the Montmorency County dispatch stating there were multiple gun shots and then a very loud explosion that had shook multiple houses in the area. One of the callers stated that they thought a new property owner had blown up a beaver dam that was in Crooked Creek. The same caller stated that the river began to significantly rise causing flooding onto their property. CO Liestenfeltz was able to locate the location of where the explosion had occurred. CO Liestenfeltz saw that the water level had dropped dramatically leaving way less water upstream of where the dam had been as well as much higher water levels downstream until it evened out. CO Liestenfeltz observed four .308 rifle casings on the ground and placed those into evidence. After walking to the property’s residence, CO Liestenfeltz contacted a subject who had admitted to blowing up the beaver dam with a large block of Tannerite. The subject stated that he did not think of what would happen when he removed the dam in such a drastic and immediate manner. CO Liestenfeltz seized the .308 used to shoot the Tannerite and placed it into evidence as well. Charges will be submitted to the Montmorency County Prosecutor’s Office for removing a beaver dam without a permit.

 

[BigBlue1]

Dam government

 

[Jstpssng]

Dam government

There have been cases where taking a beaver dam out has caused massive erosion downstream... including roads and culverts. Consider that just the top foot of Oosik's lake contains over 58,000 gallons of water. When we pull a dam it's generally with an excavator, a bit at a time over the course of several days... AFTER removing the beaver. With today's low fur prices the government trapper makes sure they don't come back. I could morph that comment into the coyote thread, but I won't.

 

[oosik]

About 8 or 10 years ago I noticed the lake had dropped about a foot . I will post a pic here so you can see how I can tell. Anyhow - I made a trip down to the outlet and noticed the center 8 feet of the beaver dam had been torn out. It's a rather low dam - 2 to 3 feet high. Must have been some form of conflict within the extended beaver family. Anyhow - they had it repaired and the lake level came back up to normal in about three weeks. My house sits back on a basaltic lava cliff on the far SE end of the lake. This is a picture taken off the porch on that side of the house. Over the 40+ years here I've developed a fairly accurate lake level gaging system on that big basaltic bluff - down at the far end. From the porch I can read it with my telescope.

 

[BigBlue1]

There have been cases where taking a beaver dam out has caused massive erosion downstream... including roads and culverts. Consider that just the top foot of Oosik's lake contains over 58,000 gallons of water. When we pull a dam it's generally with an excavator, a bit at a time over the course of several days... AFTER removing the beaver. With today's low fur prices the government trapper makes sure they don't come back. I could morph that comment into the coyote thread, but I won't.

That's not really the point. Sure, permits exist for a reason. But if the guy would have removed the beaver dam with an excavator or with a chainsaw they would not have confiscated his excavator or chainsaw. This is the problem. Give the guy a ticket for the missing permit. That's the resolution. Not taking his gun. This was not a 'crime', it was a civil issue.

 

[MossRoad]

Hey, you go fishing out of season they can take your fishing gear.
You hunt out of season they can take your gun.
You trap out of season they can take your traps.
In all of those cases they can take your car, too, if it was used during the infraction.

Some people should probably not be allowed to get their hands on tannerite.

CAUTION: STRONG LANGUAGE!

 

[BigBlue1]

Hey, you go fishing out of season they can take your fishing gear.
You hunt out of season they can take your gun.
You trap out of season they can take your traps.
In all of those cases they can take your car, too, if it was used during the infraction.

Some people should probably not be allowed to get their hands on tannerite.

CAUTION: STRONG LANGUAGE!

Would they confiscate your chainsaw or excavator? Simple as that. This was not a wildlife poaching situation.