Hunting Beaver

[BMejia]

i lived in NC a few years back and found a good beaver population on one of the local lakes. my buddy and i did some research and realized that in NC you could shoot beaver any time something else was legal to shoot, which pretty much meant 24/7. i rigged up my bow fishing set with 600# gator line and made barbed broad heads from old bear 2 blades and a bent nail. we only went twice, we would walk the shore in the very early  morning and shoot at them while spotting with a big mag light. we never hit one but it was a lot of fun. knowing what i now know about beavers, it is probably good we never hit one!  when you do get one, the tails make great leather for your long bow grip!

[Bert Frelink]

You guys know the slogan up here in lumber country....... Save a tree eat a beaver.
Makes sense to me, always ready to help out the enviroment.
Regards, Bert.      

[IB]

Mitch...It was unintended      

[electric blues]

I dont see how you guys are retieving these.  Now I've thought of bowfishing for one, but I'm a little afraid it will charge me if it gets a chance. Those teeth are a little too big for comfort.

[mike g]

Here in CA you can't use a Barbed Broadhead on Mamals....
    And from my experience a Fishing set up with a line is useless, they bite arrows intwo so a line would'nt help much....
    As for retrieval, ya reach into the water and grab them by the front leg and lift them into the Boat and hand them to Bill, Sometimes there still squirming....
    Typicaly ya make a good hit on one and they will go to shore to die and then ya go get im....
    On are last trip I arowed one and it disapears, ya come back later and spot your fletching sticking up near shore and then ya go get im....

[Alaska Mike]

What do you get for the hides down there?  Nice looking skulls.  Beavers in non-hypothermic water....what a concept.  

[mike g]

I don't know the pirce for the hides. I just give them away....

[Bob Barnes]

Beaver is one of the best tasting meats, but they are a pain to skin...as most water critters are.  You have to cut every inch of hide off then just cut the chunks of meat of the bone....a bit of flour and pepper...skillet fry and then you can even make gravy when done...        it tastes like the best, most tender deer you ever ateBob

[Charlie Lamb]

As you can see I've gone through and edited out references to firearms and traps where they appeared as an "answer" to the original question.

This is a "TRADITIONAL BOWHUNTING" website and the answer to "BOWHUNTING" questions is NEVER firearms or traps.

Sorry if anyone is offended by my attitude.  I was offended by the attitude as well.

All you guys know I love ya!  

[allanburden]

Mike, those beaver skulls are about the meanest looking thing I've ever seen...too cool!

[42WLA]

Straight from the NC Hunting Regs.

BEAVER
There is an open season for taking beaver with firearms during any open season for the taking of wild animals, provided that permission has been obtained from the owner or lessee of the land on which the beaver is being taken.

Note the Only allowable weapon.

There is no such stipulation for Nutria.

Plus, any artificial light is prohibited. Can't hunt from a powered vessel either.

[Brian Gillispie]

Hey all,


    Thanks for all the great info guys and gals.  I called the wildlife managment folks and seems Gun and traping is the only allowed method.
BUT,  the topic is up for discusion with the wildlife commison this year.  So, head out and attend the public meetings and support Open season on Beaver with arrows.

Brian Gillispie

[Frank V]

Grab them while they are still wiggling? Mike do you still have all your fingers LOL? Frank

[d. ward]

Hi Brian you may want to make sure and go to the comm meeting (and bring friends).Here in Washington,they have ban trapping completely for anything and everything.You can not even trap a ghopher in your own yard with a steel trap.As for arrowing the beaver we cant hunt them at all without a nusice permeit (and hard to get a permit).No Trapping no Bear baiting and no hound hunting in our state.Go to the meeting so things like that do not happen in your state. bd PS I just wanted to add they also took it apone them selves to ban the use of machanical opening broadheads,the same year.

[42WLA]

Good news! I just got this of the NCBA forums.....

Now, you can take beaver legally with a bow and arrow after October 1, 2007.

The NCBA asks that this law be changed and it has been changed.

The change was a statutory law, not a NCWRC regulation. The change came at such a time it was not published in the current regulations digest.

The current NCWRC Regs states this.

QUOTE the NCWRC Regs:
BEAVER
There is an open season for taking beaver with firearms during any
open season for the taking of wild animals, provided that permission
has been obtained from the owner or lessee of the land on which the
beaver is being taken.
END QUOTE

What we have now, thanks to the NCBA, is this.

You can harvest beavers with a bow and arrow after October 1, 2007 and continue to as long as trapping season is open for beaver on private lands. The same rules apply for getting permission on private lands.

The new law also provides that you can harvest beaver with a bow and arrow on NCWRC game lands so long as there is an open season for other game animals.

Here again, the 2007-2008 NCWRC Regulations Digest does not show the changes. Next year's digest will contain the new wording.

I will, when time allows, find the new change to the NC General Statutes and post it.

Hope that helps,

Pinky

[beaver#1]

beaver backstrap taste really pretty good.  i trp for the state of texas and my job description is "beaver specialist".  be sure to be pretty close when you shoot them.