There Be Beavers Here
By fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29819)
Momence, Illinois
February 5, 2016 8:42am CST
On some of the lakes I fish in my area we have seen signs of beaver. We have seen their lodges or houses on the water. We never or rarely actually see the beavers. How do we know they are beavers. Well when we fish past sunset the beavers apparently think it's time for us to leave. They slap their tails on the water as a warning to leave. It's pretty cool to hear this, I just wish sometimes we could see them. They seem to be pretty secretive.
I live right next to the Kankakee river, I have mentioned how it runs through my town. It is approximately 133 miles long. In some areas the river is on one side of a dike and on the other is the Great Kankakee swamp. My husband and I were walking this dike a few years ago, we started in Indiana and walked into Illinois. In the swamp area there was evidence of beavers. This almost perfectly cut tree. Not a sight we see often and I was fascinated. Enjoy.
18 people like this
18 responses
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
5 Feb 16
I am amazed at how they can chew through a tree. We have several lakes in our area and you'll often find beaver dams dotted along the banks. I have never seen one either.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
5 Feb 16
They are pretty elusive. I would love to actually see one sometime around here. They have amazing teeth to be able to do something like this.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
5 Feb 16
@fishtiger58 They have to be pretty crafty to be able to build such structures out of piles of trees too.
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
5 Feb 16
@ElusiveButterfly Yes it's pretty amazing, on the water and yet they have areas in their lodges that are dry. Pretty sure I couldn't do that.
2 people like this
@rebelann (117237)
• El Paso, Texas
7 Feb 16
I will @fishtiger58 but the first problem I've had is actually seeing them before they begin to run and boy are they fast .... years ago I did get a shot of the tip of one's tail as it hightailed under a mesquite bush.
Now that I've trimmed that bush it's become a small tree.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
7 Feb 16
@rebelann Keep trying I would love to see them. Lizards we do not have here lol.
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@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
7 Feb 16
I have not seen a beaver or it's work in person here either. We are looking to maybe get our fishing licenses for the first time in a long time so maybe we can get outside a bit more (and the low gas prices help so we can get to our favorite fishing holes).
The closest thing we get to bevers here that I've seen are woodchucks and some of them are quite large.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
7 Feb 16
@fishtiger58 Me and my husband really enjoyed it before we had kids. It got hard to go when the kids were small for fear of them misbehaving around the water as we go on the river banks. Also the cost of a license and gas to get there was a luxury we didn't have. This year we are looking forward to going again... though I bet the teenager will spend her time complaining or on her phone LOL
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
7 Feb 16
Woodchucks are large, but I'm not sure in comparison to beavers which are larger. We love to fish and I can't wait until spring when I can get in a boat and fish all day long.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
7 Feb 16
@3SnuggleBunnies I have two sons, we always went camping and fishing for vacation. Now neither son likes to fish. Ooops guess we pushed to much lol.
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@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
6 Feb 16
Wow I wonder if you go back later if it will actually be down and carried away by the beavers/
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@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
7 Feb 16
@BelleStarr Not sure I could even find this exact spot again. We had walked for a long way.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
6 Feb 16
I bet it is this was taken like 4 years ago.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502491)
• Italy
6 Feb 16
@fishtiger58 I have seen that beavers attack men if they feel in danger, they can easily kill a man if with their teeth they cut an artery.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
6 Feb 16
@LadyDuck I bet they could, they can cut a tree down they can kill a man. They are incredibly territorial.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
6 Feb 16
They do have strong teeth, small animal large tree, animal wins
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
7 Feb 16
My daughter has to have trappers catch the Beavers on their land, the make dams and flood their land. They are huge pests.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
8 Feb 16
@fishtiger58 in Canada in the boonies there are just too many, they are trapped for their pelts.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
8 Feb 16
@PainsOnSlate I'm not even sure if they can be trapped in the US.
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
8 Feb 16
they do want to be in charge lol. At least they catch them I take it they release many miles away.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
5 Feb 16
That is cool that you got that photo fish.
Those beavers have such strong gnawing teeth.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
7 Feb 16
like most rodents their teeth never stop growing so their choice of things to gnaw on are trees.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
6 Feb 16
I was amazed and had to get this shot.
1 person likes this
@bluesa (15022)
• Johannesburg, South Africa
5 Feb 16
Amazing photo! @fishtiger58 , what a pity they do hide away so well, but very cool that they signal when they feel it is time for their space. :-)
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
6 Feb 16
I was happy to see them making a comeback in our area.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
7 Feb 16
Unlike any other creature on Mother Earth. They are pretty amazing. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
6 Feb 16
I bet she was watching. I would have loved to see that. Thanks
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
8 Feb 16
We don't actually see them often either. I wish we would.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
6 Feb 16
They were hunted almost to extinction in the US, so glad they have made the comeback.
@Ladypeace (2028)
• Singapore
6 Feb 16
How nice, I didn't know beavers slap their tails to get people to leave or do such a great job chewing trees. They are so cute.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
6 Feb 16
They never wanted us on the lake after dark, so they slapped their tails at us.
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@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
5 Feb 16
I bet that tree is down and gone now, this was about 4 years ago.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91114)
• United States
5 Feb 16
It's amazing how the beavers cut that tree. Funny how they slap their tails to get you to leave their area
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
5 Feb 16
Around here you see them and they will slap those pancake tails to warn you to go away :) They do cut the tree`s pretty.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
5 Feb 16
Unlike any other animal, you can tell when a beaver is cutting down a tree. It's pretty amazing stuff for such a small animal, comparatively speaking.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
5 Feb 16
I like beavers.
watched a few documentaries on them especially in yellowstone.
apparently they're very important for the ecosystem.
I've never seen one in the wild but apparently in 2014 a family of beavers was seen in Devon which was a very big deal as they've been gone from here for 500 years or so.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
5 Feb 16
They were also hunted almost to extinction in the US as well. It's really great to see them making a comeback.
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