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Author Topic: pleasant surprise!  (Read 5804 times)

Offline 220_Woody

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pleasant surprise!
« on: July 25, 2009, 09:24:06 PM »
my son & i were just out back fishing at the two ponds. i've been witnessing what i thought were two very large muskrats out there for the past year. last fall i was out on the dock with my red lensed headlamp and seen 6-7 muskrats out swimming at once. 2 very large ones and 4 smaller. i figured it was two adults and 4 kits. now i'm not even certain there are muskrats in there at all. never really seen them any earlier than dusk. well, today one swam right in front of me at about 7:15pm and it turns out the two overly large muskrats are actually BEAVER!!! my trappin buddy from college was out a few months ago bass fishing with me out back and he even commented that he's never seen a muskrat as big as these two were. i never suspected these two large muskrats were actually beaver as they are not cutting down any tree's around the pond, nor are there dens the typical beaver dens. they look exactly like muskrat mounds.
never woulda thought that there would be beaver living in Chester Co. this one i saw had a tail that was about 3-4" wide and about 8" long. it continued past me and swam down to the dock where my son was fishing and turned back. well, he casted his bobber a little too close to the beaver and it splashed down, tail slap and all...a second later another tail slapped on the other side of the pond.
i had intended to trap out some of what i thought were muskrats this past winter. boy would i have gotten a surprise when i pulled a flat tail out instead of a rat tail out.

kinda neat. thought i'd share.
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Offline 220_Woody

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2009, 09:45:16 PM »
......and NO Longhair.....i will not be converting the Izuzu into a submarine!!!!!  ;D
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Offline Leglifter

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2009, 09:54:50 PM »
Great find woody
Take care of those flattails
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Offline CoyoteJeff

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2009, 02:46:57 AM »
I think you may need a bigger trap for them then the 110 coni.  Let me know if you want something bigger I have a few 330 or legholds if you need them.
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Offline Lookn4Fur

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2009, 08:14:03 AM »
Hey LegLifter, I think I just located some beaver for us to trap this year.
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"Predators are either active & feeding, semi-active & callable, or utterly inactive & then practically speaking, no call is needed; we're just taking our guns for a walk. We can & should get used to it, & follow their leed cuz they just ain't eager nor apt to follow our’s any time soon!

Offline 220_Woody

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2009, 10:35:11 AM »
these two beaver are not that big. i'm thinkin 110's will suffice.

now i'm curious if any of the other swimming critters in there are muskrats at all..??

i'm kinda torn now. i have a pair of beaver living out back which for chester co is a rarity. but, they are diggin into the banks pretty bad and causing some damage. i had no issue with thinning out what i thought were muskrats. now that i know there are beaver there i'm tempted to leave them alone. than again...too many beaver in one area isnt a good thing neither..

what to do...what to do....

maybe trap just one of the two...???
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longhair

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2009, 11:47:07 AM »
Quote from: 220_Woody on July 25, 2009, 09:45:16 PM
......and NO Longhair.....i will not be converting the Izuzu into a submarine!!!!!  ;D

That would require alot of work BUT on the other hand maybe a "FLOATER" rather than a sinker. A bunch of plastic 55 gallon drums and a truck load of duct tape and you got yourself a "I-ZU-SKI" houseboat. Put a couple of lawn chairs on the roof and a habachi and your good to go. Hey, do your float trip down the "susky" with that and you'd be front page news. ;D
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Offline swarter2

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2009, 06:55:15 PM »
Hey Woody,

It is uncommon to find beavers making a den in the side of ponds and small streams.  My father-in-law some years ago, when he did wild life management control, was hired by the PGC to trap some bank beavers in Bucks County.  The PGC offered him some good money to trap them and relocate them, but he turned down the money and did for free.  He was able to trap 1 out the 2.  Word has it my father-in-law turned down $3000.  For any you trapping guys he used a clam shell trap.
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David P Swarter
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Offline Leglifter

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2009, 08:23:09 PM »
Clam shell must be a hancock trap made from chain link fence
step on the pan and the trap closes like a big 3x3 clam shell
Yeah Tim just don't tell woody
We could catch some rats there and super glue some old beaver tails I have to them,
That way he won't miss those beaver
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Offline swarter2

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2009, 05:23:42 AM »
YEs, it was a hancock now that I think about it.
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David P Swarter
286 Parkview Drive
Souderton, Pa 18964
Cell (215)285-1820
e-mail - swarter32@verizon.net
District 2
Bees Obrien Game Calls Field Staff

Offline Hern

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2009, 07:51:07 AM »
Woody,
110's are too small for Beaver trapping. Less problems with large footholds, 330's or snares.
Snares would be the inexpensive way to go.
It's very common for Beaver to den in bank (bank Beaver) in ponds, lakes, rivers, streams and ole canel sections.
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Offline Leglifter

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #11 on: July 27, 2009, 11:17:49 AM »
Woody,
I have a few beaver snares I'll give you if you want to take a beav or two
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Offline PaCoyotenut

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #12 on: July 27, 2009, 11:03:36 PM »
 Ben, believe it or not. A good friend of mine who is now 43 years old trapped a Beaver in Chester county when he was 19-20 years old (23-24 years ago) The Game Commission told him back then that there was alot more Beaver around here than anyone would think.

 He trapped this Beaver in Spring City from a pond. Right along the Schuylkill River. I know you know where Spring City is.

 They are here in SE PA. Good luck trapping. I hope you get one of them.

 Mike
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Offline buerysgrove

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Re: pleasant surprise!
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2009, 12:18:23 AM »
Woody if you would like to borrow some traps when the season opens give me a holler.
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