Spring is Here!!

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Mar 26, 2008 6:20 pm

Last week we had a fox move into our barn... looking for place to have her babies maybe.

The first morning the fox was asleep in the stall where DH keeps the hay. DH and the fox ended up in a standoff... neither one of them knowing quite what to do and he said he finally backed out of the barn and let the fox out.

That night DH was bringing in the horses from outside and said it was dusk but he didn't turn on the lights. Said Doc hesitated about going in his stall but he gave him a slap on the butt and he went on in and DH closed the stall door. Then DH noticed the fox was in the stall with Doc.

So then had to let the fox out of the stall.

And the next morning the fox was again asleep in the hay stall. So DH finally decided he was tired of being surprised and closed and locked all of the stalls in the barn and the fox hasn't been back since.

This morning DH and I noticed from the kitchen window that some of the trees along the creek are laying on the ground. And oh yes says DH, see the marks the beavers have made.

Before I went to work this morning decided to check it out. Oh dear, they've already downed about 15 trees and started on some of the bigger ones.

And have built a nice little dam just on the east side of the bridge! Holy cow... they work fast! I took pictures and will post them later. So guess, we're going to have to do something about them. Someone told me the Conservation Department will trap and relocate them. Will have to give them a call and see if that's really true!

And the grass is starting to turn green! Yippee!!

Post by **Chris_W** » Mar 26, 2008 7:54 pm

Wow, what interesting critter stories!

So is this always the sign of spring, that a fox moves into the barn? I thought it was the return of the robins that don't actually leave

For me, the true sign of spring is when the frogs start chirping again. That's how I know things are finally thawed out

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Mar 26, 2008 9:10 pm

Chris, we do seem to have foxes that move in during the spring, usually the sheds though and not the barn!

This pretty guy has been hanging out in our houseyard.

I've been hearing him call every morning and here's a pic I took through the bathroom window. He's only about eight feet from the house but the photo is not so great taken through the old glass window panes.

And the beavers. DH says they've been quick about moving in. They've done all of this in about three days. We've decided to just leave them. Its against the law to shoot or trap them unless you have a special permit to do so. Guess I'll keep you up to date on their progress.

Theyve made a quick round around the pond.

One of the bigger trees they've started on.

And here's their dam. Doesn't look like much but its already holding back a foot or two of water.

nanny_56 · Post by **nanny_56** » Mar 26, 2008 10:36 pm

Holy Cow!

I know my DH and his dad fought with beavers every year on the land they owned for hunting. They are very destructive!

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Mar 27, 2008 9:23 am

My neighboor has been battleing Beavers for several years. They keep damning up the creek upwater from his pond. Last year they stopped the water flow completely. My neighbor and his son spent an entire weekend tearing out the damn, but it did not take long at all for them to rebuild it. This year they have already taken down a really big tree

Ginger

Post by **Chris_W** » Mar 27, 2008 11:37 am

Wow, I never imagined how incredibly destructive beavers could be. That is a huge tree they are starting to take out

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Mar 27, 2008 12:38 pm

Ginger, everyone is telling us we can dismantle their dam but within days they will have rebuilt it. Right now, I'm not so concerned about the trees around the pond as we have a lot of volunteer trees and a lot that are too close to the pond so don't mind that they are taking those out. Don't know how the new owner is going to feel it though.

Spider · Post by **Spider** » Mar 27, 2008 8:31 pm

Ginger! When spelling "dam" as in bever dam, you leave off the "n"! (you just made a bad word on the forum.)

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Apr 04, 2008 10:43 pm

WOW~

I knew they can build wide and deep (like those nature programs about them). Have you ever seen one that shows the inside of it? It's really neat!

So, will you/ can you keep us up to date with indoor pics of it too?

JaneG · Post by **JaneG** » Apr 04, 2008 11:46 pm

Beavers are incredibly industrious animals with a strong work ethic! Downing and moving trees, and constructing dams that can withstand constant torrents and change the flow of the stream.

Our family land has a creek running through it, just an old farm creek lined with scrub trees, a haven for the beavers. Every couple years my uncle would come in with his backhoe to scrape out the dams. Then do it again in a couple years.

Many, many years ago my brothers trapped beaver, mink and muskrat in the creek, then sold them for the pelts. Is that still legal?

Enjoyed the stories Peg. So few people actually get to see nature at work and live along side it. You are indeed fortunate.

PeggyC · Post by **PeggyC** » Apr 08, 2008 4:06 pm

Well, the new owner, who also farms the land behind our place, has decided the beavers are not welcome. Our creek affects 8 sections of land in our township alone and roughly 1600 acres of farmland. The farmers don't want the beavers backing up the water and he brought a backhoe and dug out the dam in the creek. They had also burrowed out of the pond up to the bank and had built a pretty good size home.

He also dug that up and said that there were two beavers in it who disappeared into the pond.

Jane, I don't know if its legal to trap beavers or not. I think there is still a season on them and I believe it ended on March 31st. I was not aware of it, but I'm told that beavers are a huge problem in this area and you can pay to have them trapped and relocated and the charge is $75 per beaver.