Weapon for Shooting Beaver at Night

Shots at low angles with flat water would seem to be a recipe for a skipping bullet should you miss the target. You remember from physics the rule that the angle-of-incidence is equal to the angle-of-reflection, or as I like to call it "outcidence."
 
Ahhhhhhh I hadn't thought of the water part. I was thinking about bullets bouncing off beavers. I thought dayum....they are much sturdier than I ever knew.
 
I'm learning a lot about beavers I wasn't aware of. Here in the land of Chicago beavers are protected unless your a licensed trapper. Not saying it doesn't happen down state but I hear its a pretty hefty fine if caught.
 
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Joe Friday said:
a timely discussion. One of my friends is responsible for removing the critters from a farm where we hunt and recreate, and he set a trap on Sunday Dec 31 for this fella, who had dammed up a drainage ditch. I am amazed at the size of these animals. He will preserve the pelt, and he eats the meat. (I don't think I care to try it.) They can really stop up a farm's drainage system. Prior to 9/11 we had access to dynamite and I helped blow up a few dams, which was kind of exciting, really. Good luck on controlling them.
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A large can of Tannerite might blow up a Beaver Lodge.
 
If it were legal to do so, I'd send you down my Ruger 10/22 with a nice scope on it. Don't know what the laws are for loaning rifles out however. Happy to do so. I do think a .17 would be much more effective. Dave McCann owns one and he swears by it

Mark
 
Eric Patterson said:
I don't know the permissible weapon laws, yet. I will need a permit for night shooting but don't see that as a problem. I don't see ricochet as an issue since the place is remote, surrounded by dense trees, and I'll be shooting down from a stand. Buckshot would be the cheapest since I already have several shotguns. I think I'm going to hold off a purchase until the need is upon us to give me more time to see how we are going to go after them. Thanks.
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In my career as a game warden I have delt with A LOT of beaver problems. All the control devices do is just slow them down. You'll still have problems annd you have to maintain them on a regular basis. Eradicating them is the answer. Most warden's used .22, but my preference was 12 ga with 00 buck. You don't need to be as accurate and it does the job. Tear out the dam/house and hit them at dusk.
 
Eric Patterson said:
Ed

They are a nuisance animal here. No closed season no bag limit
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sounds like you have plenty of experience but since it wasn’t already stated I’ll say this for anyone who doesn’t know: beaver control is simply an ongoing process, especially when theres no money in it for the sport trappers.

they are tough, I don’t think 22s have enough snort
 
Eric, my advice is this, I know it has been discussed before. Either learn some trapping techniques or hire a trapper/get to know a trapper. Let the traps do the work for you most times you can clean them out in a night. I have trapped for 45 years and done some ADC work for those that could not get it done right. I go for eliminating them all the first night usually that happens, if not I catch the last a day or two later. I am sure a person cannot get that done gunning them. (first shots they start to hide) Plan on 2-8 beavers. If you need help message me. Gary
 
There are now a pile of good videos on YouTube on beaver trapping.
Snares and 330 Conibears are the way to go in most cases.
But if you can breach the dam in an area of deep water, #3 footholds and drowning rods are effective too.
Beaver pelts are about the only thing other than bobcats that still have reasonable value.
 
Eric Patterson said:
My son and myself, along with some friends, have leased some duck property that is a bit of a restoration project. First order of business after the season is getting the water off the land. Beavers dammed it up probably 15 years ago and killed every tree except tupelos. Aquatic vegetation is out of control thanks to the beavers and the bottom is littered with sunken tree trunks and limbs. Part of the beaver control program will be night shooting, in addition to trapping. I need a good .22 rifle and night vision scope. Any recommendations, particularly the scope?
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fyi, beaver sink
 
I've got a lever action that shoots .38 special and .357 Mag that might work to handle a beaver better than a.22. But am uncertain about night scope options for it.

A.223 for sure has night scope options that the pig hunters use.
your target will probably only be its head and that is about the size of a grapefruit.

A shotgun with #4 or larger buckshot or a slower moving large projectile like a .38 or subsonic 300 blackout would hammer a beaver. What distances will you be shooting?
 
Todd

I won't know for certain until we declare war after duck season and get a better feel for the plan of attack. Right now I'm inclined to say I'll be perched in a tree stand in close proximity to the breached dam. For that scenario a shotgun would be quite effective, as long as I can see. I don't know if a flashlight will spook beaver, but I'll need some means to see after dusk. We have located three lodges so at up to 8 beaver per lodge we are talking up to 24 beavers need eradicating. I suspect there are more lodges we haven't come across yet. This property is 236 acres and about 150 is flooded including tupelo stands, former hardwood stands, cattails, woody vegetation, and open areas too. A lot of duck and beaver habitat. I suspect we are going to use methods like Darin and Gary suggest. Hit them hard and fast and decimate them. We need the water out, so there isn't really any room for compromise. They have to go. This wonderful piece of natural wetlands stands to be lost to aquatic vegetation of we don't get things under control. I've been in contact with my local NCRS rep and he agree the beavers have to be dealt with to restore this place.
 
If there are any banks with 3’+ elevation above the water line , there may be bank dens as well as lodges.
I’d start setting trap and snares now, get the numbers down.
 
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