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#6708 - 07/22/07 03:49 PM when do beavers repair a dam?
Steve Gilliland Offline
Member

Registered: 08/19/06
Posts: 109
Loc: Kansas
I have a large drainage ditch that beavers have damed. Above the dam for a mile the water is 2-3 feet deep, and below the dam the drainage is bone dry. My desire is to get some video footage of beavers at work. If I beak a significant hole in that dam early in the morning, will the beavers come out in BROAD DAYLIGHT to make repairs?

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#6709 - 07/22/07 08:47 PM Re: when do beavers repair a dam?
Hal Offline
Moderator

Registered: 07/17/00
Posts: 10227
Loc: Blue Creek, Ohio, USA
I would suggest breaking the dam late in the day, the beaver sould come just about sundown to start repairs. I doubt you can lure them out in the middle of the day.
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#6710 - 07/22/07 08:48 PM Re: when do beavers repair a dam?
jackson Offline
Member

Registered: 11/30/06
Posts: 278
Loc: missouri
I use to break dams in ditches and canals with everything from a chainsaw, cable and winch, and even an outboard motorboat that we rigged with a plow such that we could ram the beaver dam and break through. We would do this sometimes for several days, but never did we actually see beavers out in daytime rebuilding the dams. Now, I have seen beaver repairing their dams just at dawn, and obviously they had worked the night through. I'm sure day length and maybe up in the northern regions they may work in the daytime.

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#6711 - 07/22/07 09:56 PM Re: when do beavers repair a dam?
musher Offline
Moderator

Registered: 07/22/03
Posts: 2375
Loc: Qc.
I've seen beaver working on dams in daylight. This is especially true in the fall. They seem to get into a work frenzy in October.

As Hal said, sundown is your best time.

I'd like to hear about the chainsaw and cutting dams. That is pretty rough on equipment. laugh Any lessons learned?

I have noticed that when a beaver dam blows a hole at the bottom (not from top to bottom but just a hole in the bottom)it seems as if the beaver cannot fix it.If you break it from top to bottom they patch it in a hurry.

If my observation is always accurate that would mean that a chainsaw cut THROUGH the dam could solve a beaver dam flooding problem.

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#6712 - 07/22/07 11:43 PM Re: when do beavers repair a dam?
jackson Offline
Member

Registered: 11/30/06
Posts: 278
Loc: missouri
The chainsaw was just one item of equipment we used along with pry bars, a large trimmer, a hay hook for pulling wads of mud and weeds, etc.. After we'd pull off the top mud and sticks there usually would be the anchor log the'ol beaver had drug into the middle of the damn.[not every dam had a large log] This is mostly where we'd use the chainsaw on the dam; however, the saw was also used in trimming back willow trees and limbs to get to the dam. Once we broke or sawed out the anchor log, the beaver would just patch it with mud and weeds, that's when we could plow through with the boat. But at times we have installed piping in the bottom of a damn with the up-stream end fitted with an elbow that could be adjusted to the water level desired, and let the beaver build over the top to their hearts desire. It worked better in the winter, 'cause turtles in the summer usually wedged their onery selves in the pipe and stopped it up anyways.

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#6713 - 07/23/07 12:39 AM Re: when do beavers repair a dam?
musher Offline
Moderator

Registered: 07/22/03
Posts: 2375
Loc: Qc.
Thanks for the reply, jackson. I thought that you actually cut an opening in the dam with the saw. I know it can be done but it's really hard on the saw. The chain dulls after 30 seconds because of the mud.

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#6714 - 08/08/07 04:33 AM Re: when do beavers repair a dam?
dnew Offline
Member

Registered: 03/11/05
Posts: 45
Loc: west al
I do a lot of drainage for Timber co's and like Hal said, at sundown. They will work till sunup to stop the loss of water.

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#27002 - 01/07/20 04:52 PM Re: when do beavers repair a dam? [Re: Steve Gilliland]
Archive Offline


Registered: 03/12/03
Posts: 1486
Dated for search.

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