Thursday, March 25, 2010

Trapped

Chance and I went on an adventure on Tuesday. We went down to the river..just one mile away.

Last year this culvert was washed out, this year the township has repaired the road..and hauled in some fill.   I pulled over to the edge of the road..not exactly a heavily travelled road..no one came by during the twenty or so minutes that we spent there.  Chance is only allowed to view from the car.  He was quiet..watching..
The first thing that I noticed was a brown hump..I knew right away it was a beaver.  I took two photos through the passenger window before I got out of the car.  I was certain it was going to plop into the water, perhaps even splash it's tail and disappear.   There were a pair of Canadian Geese on the river and a pair of Swans.  The Canadian Geese took off just a honking.  The Swans kept swimming around.  The beaver stretched out and became less humped up.   I cautiously went to the edge of the road...beavers can be mean..it was obvious to me at this time that this beaver was either ill or injured.  I leaned up against the car and watched.  I was ready to get back in the car or hop up on top of the hood if the beaver came toward me.
Castor canadensis or the beaver is a rodent.  They usually weigh  40 to 50 pounds and can chew through a six inch tree in fifteen minutes or less.   Beavers make dams and create more wetlands..they are the ultimate builders.  Trapping season is open until May 15th in Minnesota.  There is no limit to the amount of beaver that can be harvested.  Drowning or killing traps must be checked every three days.  Foothold or snare traps must be checked everyday.
Chance and I drove home and got Far Guy, I wanted to see what he thought.  He thought it was in a trap.   We consulted with several experts who felt that the trap was probably one left over from a winter trap line.  Perhaps the trap was iced in and the trapper was unable to remove it..so he just left it, or perhaps someone is trapping..either way it is illegal to mess with anyone else's traps.
We went back the next morning..Far Guy confirmed that the beaver was indeed in a snare and was dead in the river.  It was very sad, and to me it seems like an inhumane way to die..trapped, unable to move until you either drown or succumb to the elements or starvation.   Years ago when we lived on the lake, neighbors on either side of us used to dispatch beaver to beaver heaven swiftly when the beavers began to wipe out their little trees.  One well placed shot, and the beaver did not have to suffer for days. We just let the poor things have as many trees as they wanted along our shore..they were just looking for materials to build homes with.
I respect the trappers..but I suspect that this one left a trap and forgot about it..either that or if he was actively trapping..he was not following the rules.  I will ask around and find out who was trapping that part of the river..whoever it was is going to get just a little piece of my mind about following the rules, or a gentle reminder to count all his traps and go back after the iced in ones:(

23 comments:

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

I too so agree, a trapper must follow the rules. They are allowed to do so to help control the population of the little critters but not to just let them suffer. You really did get some great pictures Connie.

Have a fun~filled day full of blessings from above!

Becca's Dirt said...

Shame on those trappers. Good pics of the beaver. Have a good day.

Connie Peterson said...

What a shame ...

wendyytb said...

Be careful. Anyone that shows cruelty to an animal will likely not be too pleasant to speak to....

Rae said...

That is too sad. It still deserved humane treatment. I would be very upset if I had witnessed that.

DayPhoto said...

Oh, that is really sad. I don't want to die like that and I don't think anyone really does either! An humane and quick approach is the best for all.

Your photos are wonderful, once again.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

Patsy said...

Poor Beaver, but to see so much wild life in one spot would have been a great day.
Patsy

Gail said...

I respect the job of trapping but the trapper must also respect the law and the animal they are trapping.

Lynda said...

I agree with the others. It is wrong to make an animal suffer.

The Retired One said...

We had a beaver on our property this last month..he gnawed several trees down...but now it seems he has gone away. I wanted to get a picture of him and checked several times, but could never catch him on film. Too bad this one was dead..

L. D. said...

The whole story is sad. It is so hard to not be able to help out in the situation.

Anonymous said...

Hi,
my name is Sisi, I'm originally from Iceland but live in CO. now. Don't recall how I ended up on your blog, but I love the things you write and the pictures are very good. Hope you don't mind if I pop in from time to time :)
So sad about the beaver. But a beautiful spot regardless.
Reg.
Sisi

Anonymous said...

That's just a bad deal! I'd like to be a fly on the wall when you find out who it is.

LadyFi said...

Oh, poor creature! Seems very cruel.

And hey - lucky you! No snow and lots of open water! Spring is there...

Sunny said...

I hate to think of any animal suffering.
Sunny

Coffee with Cathy said...

Your compassion and respect for nature just shines through your posts, Connie. Thank you for sharing with us.

Pamela said...

smack the trapper up the side of the head for me. twice. each side.

Pamela said...

I probably would have gotten my finger bit off trying to get the poor creature lose -- or worse, rabies.

DJan said...

It just makes my heart sick to hear about that poor innocent beaver, just building its home like it's programmed to do. How very sad, and I really hate to hear of any animal suffering, and in this case it breaks my heart.

Lanny said...

We enjoy a good show every once in a while by our resident beavers, right now however the river otter (does he know he is hanging out in a pond not a river?) seems to be doing all of the entertaining, well of the wet mammalian sort any way, the grebes and wigeons steal the feathered entertainment awards at the present. We would love it if swans came to visit more often, we only get ours if they are blown off course. So I do so enjoy the pictures of yours.

Unknown said...

I don't want to see any creature suffer, even those that are a nuisance. We have beavers here and their dams are flooding our fields. We have men who trap them but we can't seem to get ahead. The beavers use all kinds of materials to build their dams including our fence posts! Jack was driving the combine beside the creek one day and the combine dropped several feet into a den alongside the bank. It was scary to say the least. It's a good thing we have a back hoe because that's what it takes to tear out their dams. Those guys can build!

RURAL said...

A gentle reminder? I think that the poor dead beaver on his doorstep might remind him.

You really held it together here, rodent, or not. Trapping is cruel.

Poor thing.

Jen

gayle said...

This is sad! I agree with you...hope you find out who it was......he needs a reminder!!