Shootin Beavers

[Deleted member 103481]

Got some problem beavers damning up a pond overflow stream, this is causing some massive overfilling that is destroying both driveways on our property and neighbors property. I'm fine with beavers, were generally pretty good, but they've overstepped and time to go to war. Friend who's a beaver trapper suggested I just knock the dam then shoot them than evening when they come out to rebuild.

Anybody got experience shooting beavers? I'm a little wary of shooting around water but my state agency lists shooting as a beaver killing method, mentions them being in the water, and mentions you'll probably need a "high caliber" rifle or shotgun over 22. My state also says it's perfectly legal to kill beavers year round by a landowner, so we are all kosher legally for those watching....



What do I shoot them with?

6.5prc? 12 gauge? An AR? Suppressed 300 blackout subs seem like a decent option?

Anybody got a good beaver recipe?

 

[bigngreen]

22 LR right in the ear or back of the head or wait till they climb up on the dam and hit them in the lungs.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

22 LR right in the ear or back of the head or wait till they climb up on the dam and hit them in the lungs.

Seems simply enough. Any issues with ricochets?

 

[26Reload]

Richocets? Plan on missing.....
If you have to worry about richocets use the shotgun.....
Or just swim out under one as it passes by stick it with a knife.....
22lr will kill'm dead........at least my old Sears and Roebuck pump up 22 caliber did...hard to say if a 22lr will do the job......

 

[Deleted member 103481]

Thanks all

 

[Blackdirt Cowboy]

I had a beaver burrowing into a levee on a tank on my farm a few years back. I sat and waited, wasting countless hours watching him swim by. Do you know how hard it is to aim at a beavers nose as he swims by, because that's all that's sticking out of the water. I actually hit one one time. It was all luck. The second one, I could never hit. So I watched him and every evening he swam the same path and surfaced at the same place. So I decided to ambush him. I dressed in my best camo to blend into the vegetation on the tank dam. And when he surfaced, I was waiting five feet away with my ak-47. I no longer have a beaver problem in that particular tank.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

I had a beaver burrowing into a levee on a tank on my farm a few years back. I sat and waited, wasting countless hours watching him swim by. Do you know how hard it is to aim at a beavers nose as he swims by, because that's all that's sticking out of the water. I actually hit one one time. It was all luck. The second one, I could never hit. So I watched him and every evening he swam the same path and surfaced at the same place. So I decided to ambush him. I dressed in my best camo to blend into the vegetation on the tank dam. And when he surfaced, I was waiting five feet away with my ak-47. I no longer have a beaver problem in that particular tank.

Kind of why I was considering the ricochet issue, seems like in the water I'm looking at a quarter swimming around that I have to hit. I'll scope out the area and see if I can find a point that I can smack him when he gets up on land.

Found a good video of a guy popping them at night with thermal... might need to get one of those.

 

[therifleman556]

17 HMR will have far less ricochet potential than 22lr. Or 223 with a Barnes varmint grenade.

 

[Heavyiron]

Have removed a lot of beavers with a 22mag. Killed some that weigh close to 40 lbs.
Sniping them when they come to repair their dam. Tear out a portion of the dam, and hang a lantern nearby the dam.

 

[BigGrizz]

Tannerite.

1lb pyrodex and Hodgdon fuse.

There's options out there.

(BTW, 8lbs of binary explosive- Tannerite -is a milk jug. Almost exactly.)

 

[Riflehunter1776]

My state also says it's perfectly legal to kill beavers year round by a landowner,

when I read this I had to do a double take. I thought it said "lawnmower"

 

[MtPockets]

+1 on the 17 HMR. That's my go-to whenever ricochet is a concern.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

when I read this I had to do a double take. I thought it said "lawnmower"

Not sure I can catch him on my husky but I'll film it just in case.

 

[hauntedbyelk]

Head shot with .22 mini mags or similar hot 22 loads. High angle shot to avoid ricochet. Save the pelt for a nice momento.