You want to catch a Mt. Beaver? The following is a typical response to questions regarding possible "safe" ways of relocating a mt. beaver. Live-trapping mt. beaver is not easy on the animal and may not be easy on you! It is a better choice than other more lethal options and I would be happy to discuss this with you. "It sounds like live trapping any animals digging in your yard and relocate them some distance away in suitable habitat is probably the way to go. This isn't much of a sure thing for the animals but may help you get things stabilized in your yard. Geotech efforts may be necessary to get the slope stable and then you may have to work to keep mt. beaver out. My experience has been that pets can play some role in this, especially when young mt. beaver are dispersing as they are rather vulnerable then. You probably don't have the numbers of regular predators such as bobcats and coyotes, etc to help with these populations given the development in the area now. Live trapping mt. beaver can work pretty well using double door traps about 22-28 inches long placed very near active burrow openings and baited with some slices of apple or other tasty items. I usually place a few bites outside the trap to lure the critter that direction. Some individuals will push the traps away and can be difficult to catch. In any case, don't leave the animals in the trap long as they will injury themselves trying to get away. I try to tape any sharp edges for that reason too. If the weather is bad when you trap, try to provide some shelter and check the traps often to protect the animals. I don't know if this is much help but I hope that you can work out a reasonable compromise that keeps your home stable and mt. beaver in the general vicinity. I find the animal fascinating and good for the environment in general. Your situation may just a bit too much of close "neighbors" having recently moved back into the area (your yard now) and getting carried away with all that earthwork! I hope this information is helpful and please don't hesistate if you have any questions or want to discuss this further. I'll be interested in hearing how things go and hope things work out for you." If you feel like you need to try and control some activities by mountain beaver on your land, I hope this will help and wish you Good luck! Here is a very thoughtful discussion on what to do if you think you need to control some mountain beaver damage on your property. Dave Pehling is with Washington State University Cooperative Extension and has considerable experience controlling mountain beaver damage. I have included Dave's thoughts on the subject below and if you are having problems with this species up in his area, I encourage you to contact him directly for more ideas. We would both like to hear how your experiences in this effort work. Controlling Mountain Beaver In an area where there is only limited damage such as a single rhodie or tree being stripped, enclosing the plant in a wire fence will often discourage the pest. A two-strand electric fence with the bottom wire about 4 inches above the ground should also work. One can also fence the entire yard with a rabbit-proof fence (chain-link, chicken wire, etc.) to protect the landscape. Be sure the bottom of the fence is tight against the ground or even buried a foot or two. Repellents have not proven consistently effective but some researchers have had fair results with 36% putrescent egg solid based products. Other researchers have found the Thiram based repellents of some value for protecting Douglas fir seedlings..I have not seen any new info on the efficacy of repellents and I think fencing is still the best way to go. I had one person tell me that he has seen these critters climb a wire fence so it would probably be a good idea to put a single "hot" wire along the top of any chicken-wire or chain link fence. Mountain Beavers can also be easily cage-trapped and re-located, although some studies have shown that most re-located wildlife does not long survive. Drowning the animals in a garbage can full of cold water may be the most humane treatment. Check with your local State Wildlife Department for their recommendations. A rabbit-size cage trap can be set directly in the main entrance of the mountain beavers tunnel system and covered with a tarp or burlap bag. The cover directs the animal into the trap and protects it until it can be dealt with. You can also bait the trap with a piece of apple or sweet potato. For live-trapping, I like to use a partly peeled apple (one person told me that sweet potato worked very well, too) in the trap and trail the peeling into the hole. Mountain beavers are very prone to hypothermia so do your trapping when the weather is mild. In Washington State, body-catch traps are no longer legal, as of Dec. 7, 2000, for any species of animal, except that "common rat and mouse traps" may still be used. Conibear 110's also work very well but must be set INSIDE the tunnel to minimize non-target catches. Even so, bear in mind that other species may share mountain beaver tunnels so you may end up catching weasels, skunks or other non-target animals. With any trap, it is most important to make the set at an active burrow. Mountain Beavers make a lot of holes but use only a few regularly. Hope this helps..... Dave's Favorite VERTEBRATE MANAGEMENT LINKS Dave Pehling W.S.U. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION-SNOHOMISH CO. | | 600 128TH ST. S.E. | | EVERETT, WA. 98208 U.S.A. | | PHONE - (425)338-2400 | | FAX - (425)338-3994 | | EMAIL pehling@wsu.edu | |Return Home| last updated 4/29/01