I love wildlife. However, in recent years the wildlife has become a little too aggressive. I grew up knowing how to hunt, fish, and shoot. Wild game was part of our diet along with the food we grew on our farm. It’s called survival.
In later years, a decrease in the control of wildlife has led to sometimes an over bundance of a species, in this case, its beaver. At one time, almost everyone that I knew had a trapper in the family. The gathering of furs was an important source of income and many times that extra money enabled a family to survive through the harsh winters here in northern Wisconsin.
In recent years, the beaver population has gotten out of control. Countless acres of woodland has been lost to the beaver as well as the loss of many a beautiful trout stream. On our family property, the beavers have almost denuded the hills around the lake, exposing the ground to erosion.
Yesterday, glancing out one of my office windows, I noticed a birch branch that had apparently broken off. I didn’t really pay that much attention to it, other than wondering why I hadn’t noticed that branch before. This afternoon, I happened to look out the same window and thought that I was seeing things. That branch couldn’t possibly have been chewed by a beaver! The branch appears to be about 3 feet off the ground!
I put on a jacket, walked out to the edge of the lawn and this is what I found.
I’ve changed out the pics as people were wanting bigger ones.
Oh! I forgot to say that when my brother measured the height today, the very tip of the branch is 38″ from the ground! Now that’s one big beaver that’s been chewing and cutting down our trees!
