Sept. 23, 1911.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
489 
Beaver Increasing Under Protection. 
The passing of a law in Montana about three 
years ago putting beaver on the list of animals 
that are permanently protected has had the de¬ 
sired effect, and is certainly a practical demon¬ 
stration of the efficacy of proper game protective 
laws. Before the law was passed, the beaver 
in this State had been all but exterminated, but 
to-day they are quite plentiful in some localities. 
Sometimes the beavers cause considerable dam¬ 
age to farm property by constructing dams and 
backing water up over the land, cases where 
farmers have complained along this line being 
not uncommon during the past year. The ani¬ 
mals seem to increase in numbers quite rapidly 
when they are not disturbed by trappers or hunt¬ 
ers, and judging from the increase that has taken 
place since the law protecting them went into 
effect, it seems safe to say that within a few 
years they will become the most plentiful of 
any of the various species of fur-bearing anima s 
in the State. 
Shortly before the passage of the law men¬ 
tioned a pair of these animals took up their 
abode upon a small stream which flows through 
a ranch in the northwestern part of the State, 
and not far from a fair-sized town, where their 
operations could be easily watched by anyone 
interested. 
At first they constructed a small dam across 
a narrow place in the stream and lived in a hole 
in the bank, but since then the family has in¬ 
creased to probably a dozen, and they have made 
a great change in their surroundings, for they 
are industrious workers. 
They were not long satisfied with a hole in 
the bank for a dwelling place, but soon began 
the erection of a lodge on the bank of the stream 
a short distance above their dam. This lodge 
is about twelve feet long by eight in width, with 
an opening under the water at which the animals 
go out and in. While building the house they 
also put in some time on their dam, building it 
somewhat higher and strengthening it through¬ 
out. The dam was built of sticks and mud, as 
usual, and was constructed in a workmanlike 
manner, for no water went through it. 
But work did not stop after the dam and the 
lodge were completed. Instead, operations were 
next started on another dam a short distance 
down the stream, although there did not seem 
to be any particular need for it, nor any reason 
for its construction. But they built it, anyway. 
About this time some newcomers must have 
landed in the colony, or else some of the young 
beavers became old enough to shift for them¬ 
selves and the old lodge became overcrowded. 
At any rate, work was started on another house 
oniv a short distance from the old one and about 
the same size. 
Since this lodge was completed about a year 
ago, the animals have confined themselves to the 
work of building more dams, and' have con¬ 
structed not less than ten of them across the 
small stream, apparently for no particular rea¬ 
son, unless it be to protect the main dam below 
their lodges from freshets. This theory might 
exp’ain the building of dams on the stream above 
their home, but they have built them below as 
well. 
One of these dams, placed in just the right 
spot, has backed the water up over a tract of 
several acres of lowland in which are many 
willows and cottonwoods, and this is their main 
feeding ground. Their favorite food seems to 
be tbe tender sprouts from these trees and the 
bark from the larger timber. They have cut 
HEAVER HOUSE AND CUTTINGS. 
down cottonwood trees up to two feet in diam¬ 
eter in order to get at the tender top branches 
and the juicy green bark. 
i hey evidently like to cut down the trees by 
gnawing at them with their sharp teeth just for 
the fun of it, for they will do an immense 
amount of this sort of work when there is an 
abundance of their favorite food which cou'd 
be obtained with much less labor. They seem 
to feel that they must keep busy. They work 
mostly at night and are seldom seen, although 
they sometimes come out during the day. They 
are very shy, however, and difficult to see. 
Like the good housewife who cans fruit and 
pickles other delicacies for winter use, the beaver 
prepares for winter by “pickling” a supply of 
food. After the pond in which they live freezes 
over, they can no longer get out to get sprouts 
and bark, but they prepare for this emergency 
with the same precision that marks their other 
actions. 
In front of their lodges, because of the dam, 
the water is about six feet deep, and here they 
store their winter’s supply of provender. Early 
in the fall they begin the work of gathering the 
choicest sprouts and branches which they carry 
down into the water in front of the lodges and 
fasten them to the bottom by covering one end 
with mud. A large supply is gathered, more as 
a rule than they can eat. Then, when the cold 
weather comes and they cannot get out to their 
summer feeding grounds, they go to their store¬ 
house for food, taking it into the lodge to be 
eaten. 
ihe fall is the busiest season for the beavers, 
for then they must get their dams and lodges 
in good repair to last throughout the winter and 
must put in an ample amount of food. In sum¬ 
mer they are not so active. E. A. South wick. 
Transferring Beavers. 
St. Johns, N. F., Sept. 14 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: A unique experiment is being tried by 
the game commission this year. Supervisor Pen¬ 
nell reported last season that beaver were very 
p entiful on the west coast. Years ago they were 
also to be found in great numbers on the east¬ 
ern coast, but between the hunters, trappers and 
poachers they were virtually cleaned out. 
ihe board decided to transfer some from the 
west to the east coast, and accordingly Supervisor 
Fennell started to capture some. 
Up Sandy River and neighborhood there are 
several houses, but these are right on the track 
of anglers and hunters, and Americans especially 
take great pleasure in watching them, so it was 
decided to leave them unmolested. 
Further up country he came to a house with 
a large family in it, and he captured four and 
staked them in, while he proceeded further to 
get more. He brought the four he had to 
Placentia Junction, where he let them loose. He 
had them for thirteen days in captivity and fed 
and cared for them during that time, and when 
they were released at the junction, they were 
in first class condition. 
Supervisors Pennell and Crote report that the 
country on Avalon Peninsula is even better 
adapted for beaver than that of the west coast, 
so that the board has decided that next season 
a much larger number of those beautiful and 
valuable animals will be trans-shipped east. 
W. J. Carroll. 
