Weapon for Shooting Beaver at Night

Trapping is really the best bet to catch most of them. Especially in the spring when they are stupid for castor mounds.
There has got to be someone like 330maniac down there. Too bad you couldn't bring him in for a week to clear them out. He is so good that he could catch beavers in convent.
 
A quick update on the beaver situation at our lease. Several of the guys pulled resources and assembled a 22 rifle, night scope, and suppressor. In two outings they have killed 10 beaver. The weapon is so lethal, yet quiet, the beaver are unaware of the demise of their den mate a few feet away. We don't know how many beaver are in this swamp, but there are four or five dens and four large dams. I'll hazard to guess we have 30-40 more beaver to go. Luckily the young members of the lease are quite motivated and single allowing them to put in late nights on the hunt. We are off to a good start on this restoration project.
 
Eric Patterson said:
A quick update on the beaver situation at our lease. Several of the guys pulled resources and assembled a 22 rifle, night scope, and suppressor. In two outings they have killed 10 beaver. The weapon is so lethal, yet quiet, the beaver are unaware of the demise of their den mate a few feet away. We don't know how many beaver are in this swamp, but there are four or five dens and four large dams. I'll hazard to guess we have 30-40 more beaver to go. Luckily the young members of the lease are quite motivated and single allowing them to put in late nights on the hunt. We are off to a good start on this restoration project.
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That is good to hear. Sounds like fun.

A suppressed .22 is a beautiful thing - I really enjoy mine. Shooting subsonics they are such a pleasure.
 
Nice! Duck Club Rodent Sniper School in session. Excellent to hear that the .22 is effective, I had my doubts as some of the beasts get to be as big as my labrador. Any weights on the big ones? If they haven't been culled for a few years, 70-80 pounders might be there.
 
SJ

The scope they are using is the one you recommended. I don't know the weights. I didn't think to ask.

This is going to be a big job. Like I mentioned, there are four very large dams and multiple dens. One of the dens is HUGE, suggesting to me a large colony. Ultimately, we are trying to get the water out so we can spray the undesirable vegetation. Cattails have consumed a large portion of the acreage and smartweed is thick and matted. We also want to and clear some of the dead fallen trees that litter the entirety. This place was once a large hardwood bottom flat until beavers got control and killed the oaks and other desirable trees, leaving a mess of tree trunks scattered everywhere along with cattails and super thick smartweed that reduced surface water dramatically and makes the place hell to traverse. As this happened duck numbers declined from what we've learned talking to folks that know the area. It's going to be a ton of work the first few years and then we'll go to maintenance mode. Habitat like this place is in short supply so if we are successful, I expect the ducks will respond. We'll see.
 
Eric Patterson said:
SJ

The scope they are using is the one you recommended. I don't know the weights. I didn't think to ask.

This is going to be a big job. Like I mentioned, there are four very large dams and multiple dens. One of the dens is HUGE, suggesting to me a large colony. Ultimately, we are trying to get the water out so we can spray the undesirable vegetation. Cattails have consumed a large portion of the acreage and smartweed is thick and matted. We also want to and clear some of the dead fallen trees that litter the entirety. This place was once a large hardwood bottom flat until beavers got control and killed the oaks and other desirable trees, leaving a mess of tree trunks scattered everywhere along with cattails and super thick smartweed that reduced surface water dramatically and makes the place hell to traverse. As this happened duck numbers declined from what we've learned talking to folks that know the area. It's going to be a ton of work the first few years and then we'll go to maintenance mode. Habitat like this place is in short supply so if we are successful, I expect the ducks will respond. We'll see.
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What is the length of the lease? I ask because I'm wondering about loosing it after you have done all the hard work.
 
Eric Patterson said:
SJ

The scope they are using is the one you recommended. I don't know the weights. I didn't think to ask.

This is going to be a big job. Like I mentioned, there are four very large dams and multiple dens. One of the dens is HUGE, suggesting to me a large colony. Ultimately, we are trying to get the water out so we can spray the undesirable vegetation. Cattails have consumed a large portion of the acreage and smartweed is thick and matted. We also want to and clear some of the dead fallen trees that litter the entirety. This place was once a large hardwood bottom flat until beavers got control and killed the oaks and other desirable trees, leaving a mess of tree trunks scattered everywhere along with cattails and super thick smartweed that reduced surface water dramatically and makes the place hell to traverse. As this happened duck numbers declined from what we've learned talking to folks that know the area. It's going to be a ton of work the first few years and then we'll go to maintenance mode. Habitat like this place is in short supply so if we are successful, I expect the ducks will respond. We'll see.
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If you put in the work, I bet the ducks come back. Hopefully Tod's point is not of concern.

The way the beavers typically live, is there will be a mated pair of big rodents in a lodge. The kits live with the parents until the next years litter arrives. So you might have the parents, a half dozen one year olds and the same number of kits in a lodge, until the parents kick out the one year olds. Then they of course, find a spot for their own lodge. They are rodents after all. They are a lot of fun to watch, until they do damage. Kind of like flying squirrels, until they get in the house. :oops:
 
Tod

Have you been eaves dropping on us? We have a short-term lease right now. The boys are mostly having fun with the beaver hunts. We are working with the owner to secure a long term lease, or possibly buy. If either of those occur, we will sink resources into the project. If not we will quickly move on.
 
Eric Patterson said:
Tod

Have you been eaves dropping on us? We have a short-term lease right now. The boys are mostly having fun with the beaver hunts. We are working with the owner to secure a long term lease, or possibly buy. If either of those occur, we will sink resources into the project. If not we will quickly move on.
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Sounds like you have it covered. :).
 
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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Hey Eric,
Fred T here, and contrary to popular belief I am not dead....LOL and I still have my duckboat!!! I am currently building a new to me trailer for it. I think its gonna need some love but we will see. At any rate, I have a PARD thermal image scope that is pretty damned awesome
 
Eric Patterson said:
The boys were at it again this weekend. Total confirmed kills reached 16 and serious damage to the dams has been achieved.
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That many beavers dispatched should make a dent in their future dam building escapades. Especially if they whacked the big ones. I bet the boys are having fun doing it.
 
Eric, heard you on the podcast and came and joined. I grew up hunting with my uncle over the river in Lacey's Springs. We had one lease in particular that beavers were a constant problem. Sounds like you got the problem whipped but we always used slugs to make sure we anchored em. I would say 30-40 lbs of tannerite would do the trick on any dam you need to take care of.
 
Will

So glad you came on board. Thank you for letting me know. I am very familiar with Lacey's Spring. The land I referenced getting permission to in the podcast is in Lacey's Spring. The beaver problem we are working on now is closer to Scottsboro. By far the biggest beaver population we've ever dealt with. Thomas actually blew one dam with Tannerite last weekend. Took a big chunk from it and there are plans to refine the process and repeat over several dams.
 
I was reading back over the older posts on this thread and saw a suppressor was used with the .22 rifle. Did you worry about the rifle crack pushing local woodies or resting ducks out at night? Or was the can just for efficient beaver hunting?

I have heard a lot of people say any type of rifle "crack" near or over open water is bad news for keeping birds.

Has anyone else heard the same?
 
The boys tell me the suppressor is very effective and other nearby beavers are not alarmed. I figure if it is that quiet then distant waterfowl are probably not impacted.
 
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