Trad Gang

So I am thinking about shooting a beaver for a landowner and wanted to know if you guys have ever used bowfishing gear to do it?  My thought was put a broadhead on the tip and leave the metal finger that jigs back behind the broadhead to snag as I pull it in.  What do you guys think?

Then I want to know how I turn the tail into a handle wrap? Is there a product that I can tan it with?
Allan

Might want to check with your local fish and game department first of all to see if you can take beaver this time of year.

If you can hunt beaver right now, I would think your setup would work well.

".....to snag as I pull it in."

I think you're going to go water-skiing   :D  

They are  very  strong powerful animals.

I read the title and had a moment!.But I agree about checking with the game department.Some animals are trapping only.

You do NOT...repeat NOT want to do it.  I've seen it done once and seriously thought the beaver was going to come into the boat.  It REALLY ticks them off.  Penetration is not good...they are tough animals.  But if you do it, don't use a fish point.  I would use a normal broadhead and hope I caught something vital and it died quickly.

Be careful, never done it, never seen it done, but I've heard some real horror stories. If you do decide to do it, carry a gun with you so you can keep it from killing you when it crawls into your boat.

I've also heard they can bite a fish arrow in half...

I gotta agree with DaleinOhio. I've done it. Neither the beaver nor me enjoyed it much.

Opinions will differ, but heres mine.  Dont use bowfishing equipment. Use your regular setup, with a big broadhead. Catch that beaver coming into shallow water...you can get pretty close to em a lot of times.

Deliver a deadly shot, and he wont go far. A poorly hit beaver is NOT something you wanna be pulling in toward you on a string.

If you do do it please get it on video for a reference to those who attempt it in the future.Just a hint beavers are chainsaw's with fur!,look at the trees it chews down and look at your leg.Then ponder that thought.

Here in WV its illegal to shoot beaver anytime you can only trap them during season.

I've shot beaver with gun and bow,  and they definatly take some killin'.  I've trapped them with conibear traps for land owners in exchange for hunting priveledges for years.  They're tough, they will bite, and they'll likely dive to the bottom and snag your rig.  good luck...sounds like fun!

By the way...do check with F&G.  in MS they're a nuisance animal and it's wide open all the time

Their vitals are really high, their heart/lungs are on line with their shoulders.  Hit two inches below that and you get liver.  Use a very sharp broadhead, they have a very thick hide.  Bill

Ga-wide open all the time...

As far as the tail goes, Fillet both sides off and scrape down to a thin,EVEN, thickness and tack to a board and let air dry. You can then apply to bow just like a rawhide wrap. As for how to aquire your tail, TRAP IT!(when legal to do so).

Sounds like a winning submission on Americas Funniest Home Videos...

After seeing there teeth, I would think twice.

 :laughing:    :laughing:

I saw a muskrat taken on bowfishing equipment and he didn't fight much, BUT... they aren't near as big and tough as a beaver. Please video, could win you some money.

I doubt you'd ever win anything with a video. Shows like America's Funniest Videos don't use footage where serious harm is done to the participant and I am willing to bet if you use a bowfishing set up you'll be making a trip to the ER.

Wisdom comes with knowledge and I congratulate you on seeking it out.

God bless,Mudd

I dont know about these guys but I am dumb enough to do something like that.  I would leave my quiver full of extra arrows on there incase I put in a bad shot and get a pissed of beaver.  Then you can shoot it again.  If you can I think it would be easier to trap it.  If a fool like me can trap them, then you surely can!
 I just got my first one this winter, and I am currently taking care of the hide and tail.  The tail is like pure cartilage, and fleshing that thing is a pain.  I have done alot of different types of hides and a beaver in general is just kinda a pain.  But it is worth it so far.  I would say the best bet is to tan it . . . that will make it so much easier to work with verses air drying it, that and if you accidentally dont clear off enough tanning it will not stink like air drying.  both will work though-  Good luck!

Being from Ontario I can advise you that this is not legal. The beaver is a furbearer and may only be taken by means of legal trapping. The landowner may have some rights if damaging his crops/livelyhood but let him do it. I don't advise doing something illegal and then telling everyone in the world that you did it (ie: on internet). You might as well video it and put it on Yuu Boob as well.

That is kinda suprising that they are considered a nusiance down south and not up north there in Canada.  Here in MD we can not shoot them we have to trap them during the set season.  Even the government nusiance trappers have to trap them I think?

For years there was actually a bounty paid on beavers in some counties in Mississippi, and I've collected my share. They're destructive to crops and forest land when they flood an area, and the hides are not of the quality found in colder climates.

If you trap, make sure it's a drowning set for a leg-hold, or use one of the killer traps. They will chew a foot off, and that's not a pleasant thing to find. If you shoot them with a gun, a .22 is not enough. I've shot one behind the shoulder, and then seen the same beaver the next day in the same place, apparently unhurt. A shotgun with buckshot works well. A well-placed broadhead will work well, too, but retrieval can be a problem. They sink.

I hate skinning them, because you have to cut every inch. The hide won't pull off at all. Fleshing is also a pain. I don't mess with them any more.

If your landowner friend can get a depredation permit, they're most easily shot at night with a light.

So I guess bear hunting is out of the question for you guys too? LOL. Just shoot him and be done with it. I agree they can be tough to kill.

QuoteOriginally posted by Chris Shelton:
That is kinda suprising that they are considered a nusiance down south and not up north there in Canada.  Here in MD we can not shoot them we have to trap them during the set season.  Even the government nusiance trappers have to trap them I think?

I'm a nuisance animal trapper in Maryland and I have to get a special permit from DNR outside of the regular trapping season.  Doesn't really make sense, you can't live trap and relocate them because they say they are a nuisance.  So why the special permit.

Makes me think of a certain Jeff Foxworthy routine  :laughing:    :laughing:

Check your state game laws! Toughest critter there is to skin....only did one and that was enuff...for me anyway.

I agree with others you should get that act on tape Too Funny Guess you never shot a beaver they can be quite a handfull when under attack you should talk to Ozy Clint mabe a float and big game fishing rod But straight hooked on your Bow you Must be a little crazy it will make a good story good luck keep us posted  :D    :knothead:

I was thinking about the same set up as you for a trip to Finnland, there you have to shoot em with some kind of line set up. As penetration and accuracy suffer from a fish arrow i found a way to fix a line set up to a normal hunting arrow. Then you need a lot of line, as it doesnt work like a fishing set up, you shoot, you need to make a good vital shot, then let the beaver flee and die, only if there are bad snags you try to change his direction, otherwise you nlet him die and get the dead beaver with the line, kind of string tracking.
(puuh, sorry for the long sentence   :) )

If i can find the pics of the how to make these arrows and you wanna see ill show it.

Ohh, and please all of you, ok a beaver has big teeth, but it is fairly slow when out of water and not a leg breaking hand chewing monster!

Use a gun...and a pair of waders or a boat.I've thought about it too as I have nusiance beavers next door(Well,had..they moved out). Nusiance cases are better solved with a gun.Using a bow to do a gun's job is just playing around when there's a real issue.

And don't post about it on the net.  

"If you trap, make sure it's a drowning set for a leg-hold, or use one of the killer traps. They will chew a foot off, and that's not a pleasant thing to find"

There called foot hold traps and they don't chew there foot off they twist it off because of porely made traps not properley rigged up with swivels or a drowning rig from the factory.Talk to a pro trapper in your area he can show you the right traps.

Like they said use drowning rigs and conibears and keep it as humane as possible. There very tuff critters so anchor your traps for bear it never hurts. It's easy to pull there hides off after just a few cuts but they do take more than most. They meat is very ediable also so even if you dont want it feed it to your dogs they will love ya for it.   :D  

Tracy

Yellow Dog,

I was thinking the same thing!!

One of the funniest storys I ever heard came from just such an idea! I don't remember the fellars name but he told it around the campfire at Cloverdale last year! I wouldn't try it after hearing his tale! It's got me giggleing just remembering the story!

Never heard your story, but I bet it started with something like..."Hold my beer, I gotta idea"..  :smileystooges:

When I was about 14 or so I was bass fishing with my father and snagged a small beaver with a deep diving lure. I had no idea the beaver was even in the vicinity.  The line didn't break and so I reeled him up to the boat.  To say the least he wasn't happy and all I wanted to do was take the hooks out of him and let him go on his way.  After struggling for 10 minutes trying to keep his teeth away from my hand and my dad laughing the whole time, I finally had to cut the line and let him go.  I wouldn't advise skewering one with a fish arrow as your results would likely be the same.

Beaver makes a fine meal if killed quickly and taken care of. Throw the hind quarters in a slow cooker with potatos and carrots and onions. Thats good right there.
Olin

Axel, I would love to see those arrows, could you post a picture

Lucas

I have hunted beaver since 1982.  Never had a use for the fishing tackle.  If you place a broadheaded arrow in the boiler room, like your suppose too,  they will swim to shore to expire. If you try for the head or the neck which is in view, they will die almost instantly, then sink before you can get to them.  I think I've taken over 500 of them, and still going strong.  Look at my avatar.  The coat and hat is made from the pelts of some of them.  When they come into the boat, they are expired! I use the same set up I use for deer or elk. By the way, we have a five month season on them  here in Ca.   Good luck!  mr.chuck   :thumbsup:      :thumbsup:

I have a story for you.  It's long, and I don't have anything better to do, so I'll tell it.

When I was 16, I thought I'd catch one live.  Beaver, that is. They'd come into our field from the river at night and eat the corn.  I had caught groundhog, possums, and muskrats before, so I thought I might as well try. It seemed like the next logical step.

I had my heavy duty critter catcher, which was a 6 foot length of galvanized pipe, and a long piece of heavy cord run through it.  Also in my arsenal was the biggest fish net I could find, my grandpa's striper fishing net. Oh, and a million candle power spotlight, which would later play a crucial role in the nights great event.

After much persuading and convincing, I finally was able to get my buddy, Jody, to join me.  All he had to do was hold the light, I'd do the rest.

Well, long about midnight, after sitting in the pitch black dark, suffering from the bazillion mosquitos (the Off can ran out after half a spray), we heard some scuffling, scrunching, murmuring sounds from the well-worn trail we were sitting near.

The plan was to wait until the beaver got near the the corn, Jody would whip on the light, I'd dash in with the big net, do some scooping and drag my catch out in the open and attach the critter-gitter.  Nice plan.  Well thought out plan.  Foolproof plan.  Stupid plan.

Come to find out, beaver are not that amicable.  

We sat in complete silence until we were confident the beaver was preoccupied by the succulent corn stalks.  When we heard contented beaver sounds, which, incidentally sounded a lot like my grandpa (the one I pilfered the net from), I made my move.

Jody flipped on the light and I dashed in for the catch.  Problem number one arose quickly, with numbers two, three, four and five close behind.  

Jody had stayed in our original position.  A position which placed my body directly in the way of the light beam.  The only thing I saw was my own immense shadow.

I turned to tell him to move and he shined the light right in my face. You wouldn't think a million candle power light would cause temporary blindness, but it does.  

All of this was happening while I was on the move, through heavy grass, with a long pole, and a huge net, and in the dark.  As I turned back towards my foe, the unforeseen and most definitely unintended happened.  In my state of temporary blindness, I stepped on the net.  Then I tripped over my pole.  Then I fell in the heavy grass.  Then I landed on a rock right on my kneecap.  It hurt.  Then I sprained my wrist. It hurt, too.  Then there was the beaver.

I had fallen right in the trail the beaver had been using.  Surprisingly, beaver don't like a lot of commotion, so this one was hightailing it back to the river.  I was in the way.  As a side note, beaver growl.  

So there I was.  Sprawled out in the grass, a piercing pain in my wrist, my kneecap feeling like it had exploded, my foot tangled in the net, blind.  So what do I do?  Do I abandon my quest? Do I scamper to safety?  Do I cradle my injured extremities?  Nooo.  I right myself and try to catch me a beaver.  

I whomped and I whailed.  I played whack-a-beaver with a busted net.  I was making contact, but my scooping skills were somewhat lacking.  The thing about beavers is they're surprisingly agile.  They can hop and they can juke and they can jive.  The thing about me is I'm persistent.  Too a fault, apparently.

I managed to get the net tangled around some part of that beaver.  What part, I'm not sure.  Beaver grunts quickly turned to some pretty fearsome beaver teeth chomping. If you haven't heard that from 5 feet away, you haven't lived, my friend.

At this crucial moment, things suddenly got a lot darker.  Literally.  The battery died on the light.  Bummer.  Contrary to the popular belief at the time, I did have some semblance of common sense.  I let go of the handle.  The beaver clamored his way back to the river, big honking net in tow.  He was making quite the ruckus until he managed to free himself.

It took a moment for the adrenaline to wear off.  I sat in the dark, wondering if that all really just happened.  Jody broke the silence.  "Did you get him?"  "Yeah, Jody, we're cuddling.  Give us a moment."

looper, you just made my whole night!  Heck, my whole weekend!  Gotta love a teenager and ingenuity  :) .

I gotta admit, I been laughing my tail off this whole thred!!

:laughing:    :laughing:    :laughing:    :laughing:    :laughing:    :laughing:    :laughing:    :laughing:

Great Story.. Thanks for sharing...

 :laughing:    :laughing:

That was some great stuff I can see the events unfolding as you wrote it.Thanks    :biglaugh:

looper that sounds like something straight from Pat McManus, lol!!Great story.