1656 



Canadian Forestry Journal, April, 1918 



He Would Conscript Beaver as Fire Rangers 



(An Article by a Detroit Ranger in the N^orth Woods.) 



While beaver have generally been 

 considered somewhat hostile to the 

 inroads of civilization and averse 

 to having near neighbors, it has 

 occurred to the writer from ob- 

 servations made this summer that 

 they might be prevailed upon, albeit 

 unconsciously, to relinquish this 

 theory, and turn their well known 

 industry to good advantage in the 

 development of this district. 



It has been my privilege, while 

 covering my district during the past 

 year, to see considerable of a beaver 

 colony and their work. This par- 

 ticular colony has chosen as a home. 

 Judicial Ditch No. 13, the main 

 drainage ditch in the lower Rapid 

 river district one-half mile south 

 of Baudette and Spooner, on one 

 of the three main highways leading 

 to the two towns. 



The dam is about thirty feet 

 long and holds about a nine-foot 

 head of water. Not having access 

 to green popple, which is their pref- 

 erence for food and construction 

 work, they have adapted themselves 

 to their surroundings, and have cut 

 the scrub alder and willow from 

 the ditch bank and skidded dry 

 tamarack and spruce from adjoining 

 lands. Combining this with a good 

 supply of weeds and mud, they 

 have constructed a dam that is 

 almost as impervious as concrete. 

 Settlers have in a number of instances 

 been compelled to destroy part of 

 the dam, as it hinders drainage 

 for a distance of about two miles, 

 but invariably the following morning 

 the dam is complete and full of 

 water. One evening last week 

 while going in an auto, it was nec- 

 essary to slop the machine in order 

 to make way for a big husky 

 who was trying to drag a large 

 tamarack across the road. We ran 

 the machine up to wilhin twenty 

 feet of him, but he tenaciously 



hung on until the log was landed 

 in the pond, and then quickly dis- 

 appeared. 



The point I wish to bring out 

 is that it might be an excellent 

 idea to press a few of these fellows 

 into service, and have them conserve 

 the water at strategic points for 

 use on these peat-grade fires which 

 are causing us no end of trouble 

 just at present. 



The Forestry Journal will be 

 sent to any address in Canada 

 for One Dollar a Year. 



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 Dept. 5160 Gladstone, Mich., U.S. A 



