Adirondack Beaver 161 



they are as a rule more keenly felt than they are in the case of 

 owners of large estates. Certain camp owners whose patronage con- 

 sists of summer visitors are concerned about the relation of the 

 beaver to the ponds and streams of their vicinity. Their contention 

 is that with the decline of fishing and with the marring of the beauty 

 of ponds and streams these places no longer offer attractions to their 

 guests and a loss of patronage is the result. Nevertheless it was 

 admitted that the beaver and his works are in themselves objects of 

 interest which many summer visitors are willing to go out of their 

 way to see. 



Attitude of Local Inhabitants toward the Beaver 

 Of five local Forest Rangers with whom I discussed the question 

 one expressed himself as in favor of extermination of the beaver, 

 except in a few places where they could do no harm (figure 28) and 

 where they might be allowed to exist for the benefit of tourists and 

 others interested in the animals and their works. The remaining 

 four were in favor of measures of control, providing for reduction 

 of the beaver population where damages caused by them required it, 

 and adequate protection in parts where no serious harm could result. 

 They regarded the fur value of the beaver as a matter of importance 

 to the local inhabitants. One inn-keeper, in a locality where beaver 

 were charged with damage both to timber and to fishing, was 

 emphatically against protection of any sort. Another one believed 

 the beaver to be beneficial to trout and fishing and was opposed to 

 anything like extermination, but was in favor of reduction and con- 

 trol where damages to timber or other interests demanded it. Dr. 

 Van der Veer, whose private grounds had suffered much damage, 

 took a very calm and broad view of the beaver problem. He believed 

 that extermination would be a mistake ; that the animals and their 

 works are of interest to visitors in the Adirondacks and that their 

 commercial value as fur bearers is a matter worthy of consideration. 

 In his opinion, likewise, the object to be sought is proper control. 



Dr. D. E. Hartnett, of the Rapshaw Fishing Club at Witchopple 

 Lake, stated that the sentiment of his club was against the beaver 

 because they made lakes and ponds unsightly, damaged timber and 

 interfered with trout streams. 



Most of my time was spent in the field and consequently few of 

 the local inhabitants were met with. x\ccording to the Forest 

 Rangers however, the sentiment of the people of their respective 



