# Question about beaver hunting.



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Keep your witty comments to yourselves, ya chuckleheads. :grin: Anyhow, I just watched an episode of Meateater with Steve Rinella where he kills a beaver and cooks it up like you would a pot roast. This gave me a burning desire to do the very same thing. I was researching beavers in the furbearer guidebook and I was able to find that you need a furbearers license to take them, there is no bag limit, and the season goes from September 24th until sometime in April the next year.

The question that I have is are you required to catch them in a trap to take them or can you just go "hunt" one like you would a deer and shoot them with a rifle? I'm not looking to go take a whole mess of them, I just want to harvest one to take home and cook, so I don't want to invest a bunch of time and money into that trapping stuff. Also, where might be a good place to take a beaver. Over the years I have seen a few at places like Yankee Meadows Reservoir and some of the lakes up in the boulders. Are there any places any of you guys know of that regularly hold beavers that you wouldn't mind sharing with me?


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I don't know of any regulation stating that you are not allowed to hunt them with a firearm. But two thoughts came to my mind on the topic:

1- make sure you have your fur bearer's permit.
2- since you would be hunting on water, you'd want to be sure you are shooting non-toxic ammo or using archery tackle. I'd hate to hear what kind of trouble you'd get into using lead.

But when in doubt, it wouldn't hurt to call the Cedar City DWR office and verify.


----------



## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

I'd maybe contact the fisheries guys at the DWR and ask them if there are any places that beavers are causing problems, and hunt them. They are constantly fighting the oversized rats....they might be glad to have you go shoot a couple.


----------



## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

I saw that same episode! I've been wanting to try it out also, let us know what you find out.


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Bax* said:


> I don't know of any regulation stating that you are not allowed to hunt them with a firearm. But two thoughts came to my mind on the topic:
> 
> 1- make sure you have your fur bearer's permit.
> 2- since you would be hunting on water, you'd want to be sure you are shooting non-toxic ammo or using archery tackle. I'd hate to hear what kind of trouble you'd get into using lead.
> ...


Good call about using the non-toxic ammo. I will have to look into the legalities of it. I'm not sure that the same rules that apply to waterfowl would also apply to Beaver but they might. No telling how much lead we continue to put into the water while using lead sinkers and lead head jigs while we are fishing. I have some 150 grain TTSX for my '06 but that sounds like an awful big load for beaver! Maybe the tough copper bullet wouldn't expand too violently on such a small critter, or I guess I could go for head shots with it, but I would probably only dare use it if in a fairly remote area. I'd be pretty hesitant to blast off a big deer rifle at a lake with a lot of people within earshot.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I highly doubt that waterfowl regulations would carry over to the fur bearer side of the rules. 

A friend that traps them just uses a .22 to dispatch them if he finds them still alive but to hunt them with a rifle I think that I would use a .22 mag or even a .17HRM if you don't have a centerfire .22 available.


----------



## willfish4food (Jul 14, 2009)

One thing to be careful of if you're going to shoot them is I heard that they sink when hit, so choose your shots carefully.


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Growing up trapping, we used .22 LRs to dispatch beaver, and I guarantee that even from a distance that'd work fine.

I believe CCI makes a non-toxic .22 LR as well.

BUT then that opens up the discussion about shooting a rifle at water.... so then you are dealing with possible ricochets. So would that mean that using a shotgun would be more appropriate?

I am just spitballing here and trying to come up with any nuances or complications for the idea to ensure that you don't get into any trouble.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I scanned the Fur Bearer Guide book and didn't see anything about how you killed them. Other than if you were in a division owner property or water fowl management area. 

I also wouldn't worry about shooting on or near water. If there were rules concerning that it would open up a can of worms during the big game hunts. However I think that a person should be aware of what might happen after he pulls the trigger as he should be in any circumstance when hunting.

I would be more worried about the beaver making it into deeper water to the point that I couldn't recover him after he was hit.


----------



## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh I get it now.


----------



## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Yea that's why I stick to hunting cougars around the lakes.


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

willfish4food said:


> One thing to be careful of if you're going to shoot them is I heard that they sink when hit, so choose your shots carefully.


They do not sink 

-DallanC


----------



## J_marx22 (Sep 14, 2015)

Weber river right at the base of Weber canyon. Between the mine and the road you drive over the river on.


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*beaver scent glands*



colorcountrygunner said:


> Keep your witty comments to yourselves, ya chuckleheads. :grin: Anyhow, I just watched an episode of Meateater with Steve Rinella where he kills a beaver and cooks it up like you would a pot roast. This gave me a burning desire to do the very same thing. ................................................................................


Is that the same Meateater dude that got Trichinosis from eating bear meat he didn't cook enough?

Beaver is tasty but they have some very nasty small scent glands that can easily end up in the cook pot.

See post #1 here: http://utahwildlife.net/forum/26-recipes/151945-beaver-chronicles.html


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

wyogoob said:


> Is that the same Meateater dude that got Trichinosis from eating bear meat he didn't cook enough?
> 
> Beaver is tasty but they have some very nasty small scent glands that can easily end up in the cook pot.
> 
> See post #1 here: http://utahwildlife.net/forum/26-recipes/151945-beaver-chronicles.html


Yep, that is the guy, Goob! Thanks for the info on the scent glands. I'm reading up on this thread now. I can't believe I missed this one!


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*no one wants a stinky beaver*



colorcountrygunner said:


> Yep, that is the guy, Goob! Thanks for the info on the scent glands. I'm reading up on this thread now. I can't believe I missed this one!


Thanks. There are some good recipes in that post. Just be careful about the scent kernels. There's some in the armpits, others. Try not to cut into the castor gland when removing it.

I think May/June have the best eating beaver.

.


----------



## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

wyogoob said:


> Thanks. There are some good recipes in that post. Just be careful about the scent kernels. There's some in the armpits, others. Try not to cut into the castor gland when removing it.
> 
> *I think May/June have the best eating beaver.*
> 
> .


I'm doing my best to keep this thread G rated but with comments like that, you're making it difficult!


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Unfortunately I will not be able to sample any May/June Beaver. The furbearer guidebook shows the season running from September 24th through sometime in April. The Meateater guy caught his in the early spring and it was very lean and thin. Hopefully I can harvest a chubby fall beaver this year! Laugh it up, Kinekilla ;-)


----------



## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

wyogoob said:


> Thanks. There are some good recipes in that post. Just be careful about the scent kernels. There's some in the armpits, others. Try not to cut into the castor gland when removing it.
> 
> I think May/June have the best eating beaver.
> 
> .


I was going to write about how the #1 thing about a good beaver-eating experiences is making sure the beaver is properly cleaned, but looks like Goob already got that covered!

As for chubby beavers...well, I drive a lifted truck and chubby beavers just ain't my thang


----------



## Tall Tines (Apr 16, 2017)

johnnycake said:


> ...well, I drive a lifted truck and chubby beavers just ain't my thang


So you have a small pecker then... don't know that I would have told that in public!


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*There's a season for beaver?*



colorcountrygunner said:


> Unfortunately I will not be able to sample any May/June Beaver. The furbearer guidebook shows the season running from September 24th through sometime in April. The Meateater guy caught his in the early spring and it was very lean and thin. Hopefully I can harvest a chubby fall beaver this year! Laugh it up, Kinekilla ;-)


Oh, I forgot about that. My son-in-law is a nuisance trapper around Evanston so he's exempt from the season limits.

.


----------



## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

This is my favorite thread.


----------



## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

KineKilla said:


> This is my favorite thread.


Yes but it could be MUCH better if it wasn't "G" rated.


----------



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

johnnycake said:


> I was going to write about how the #1 thing about a good beaver-eating experiences is making sure the beaver is properly cleaned, but looks like Goob already got that covered!
> 
> *As for chubby beavers...well, I drive a lifted truck and chubby beavers just ain't my thang*


Any of those chubby beavers you don't want, just send my way, johnnycake. What are friends for?


----------

