Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1912 — The Ways of the Beaver [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Ways of the Beaver

By S.N. LEEK

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■ ' T '• ~ - n __n KILE on a camping trip at the headIT Y\ If waters of Atlantic and Thoroughfare WiAu/ Creeks, northeast of the-Jackson’s Hole VWytZ country In Wyoming, during the summer ol 19H. I had some great opportuISp/ nitles of studying the habits of beaver. WtfMr'' I have always been an Interested student of this clever little animal’s ways, but while In the hills L had never before had the leisure to stay among them that 1 enjoyed bn this outing. At that time the following gentlemen were with me: F. L. Cuthbert and son of Lima, Ohio; J. M. Hill of Fond du Lac, Wis., and Fred Lovejoy. We were on a Aching and general pleasure trip oyer

Idaho and Wyoming, camping whereever the feed and fishing were good, and resting when, how and where we f Sk like it. In the country above mentioned we found many beaver; In fact, whereever there was sufficient water, beaver had taken possession of it All small streams were dammed up by theto, and in one place we saw a beaver industriously fixing up the dam, while five ducks were near him looking on. In another place we saw a beaver, probablyr the old daddy, swimming in a pond, Who, on seeing Us, slapped the water with Its broad, flat tail, miking a sound much like a rifle shot. The other beaver, curibus to be doing something, were out on tiie bank cutting willows, but on hearing the danger signal, which probably said, you kids, out of there!” came tumbling into the water till six were swimming before us. Beaver live in families, the two old beavers, two yearlings and two kits. The young, two to number, are born about April and stay at borne until about two years of age, wben they set up housekeeping on their own account. They move to some other locality. If a small stream, they proceed to build a dam to get greater depth of water. If the banks are rocks or not suitable for holes, they build a bouse. The water must be of sufficient depth so it will not freeze solid in winter, as the entrance to the house or hole in bank is under water. The floor of their living room Is about three inches above water, and is carpeted with white sticks slit up a little coarser than excelsior. There is always an opening above the living room for fresh air. This Is partly closed or concealed by sticks laid across It As the pond freezes over In the winter, the beaver must provide themselves with sustenance to last them through the* long winter. This is called their cache and la always situated near where they live and consists of willows, quaking aspen or cottonwood anchored "under water. ■ They cut these late. In the fall and place them in this cache, so when the pond freezes over they can get to them. Cutting off a small piece, they take It to their living room and peel it, eating the bark only. This is their winter’s food. The sticks after be-

tog peeled are taken away where they lie on the bottom of the pond. In putting up the cache they all work. If small willows are used the old ones cat and place them in little.piles (armfuls), the young beaver carrying them to the water and then running with them to the cache. And If cottonwood or trees, they first cut them down by cutting all around them, If of large size, letting them fall where, they may. They then cut off all limbsand cut the trunks up Into suitable lengths to handle, and drag all to the water and then float them to their cache. From my observation the limit in size that a beaver can cat to about 24 inches. They can cut out a chip about four inches long, catting it off At bottom and top and splitting it out very much as a man does with ap- ax. In this way they can cut a scarf about 12 inches in height and back into the trunk of-the tree about 12 inches, ail the way around. Then if the tree leans considerably, it will of course break some, or when the wind comes up it will blow down, but 'I have seen trees with so much center left that they remained standing, though cut Into to'the beavers’ limit.

In building a dad . they first place coarse brush in the stream, allow- - ing the water tfl run through' till fc, good lot of bruslt Is in place cleat > across the stream. ' S ‘ brush, mud, till the sfrqfcvture Is water-tight- ; And another peculiar fact about the work of these animals: If a beaver places the branch of a tree or willow In the water ti sinks, U he so wishes, while K you should place it there, it floats!

This is a Becret apparently known only to the beaver. I believe the heaver five more JJJ* humans in their domestic u *« “*** any other animal, and though there may be no marriage ceremony, theu domestic life Is just aa sacred. A*q yet, with all their wisdom, they are easily trapped, for by taking advantage of their weakness or customs* by placing a handful of soft W; from the bottom of the pond upon tne bank and placing a few drops of s certain kind of scent upon it, every beaver that passes near will go to to and If the trap Is well placed, they are sure to get caught. * For some years there has been a closed season on beaver in the state of Wyoming. They are multiplying very fast and reappearing In all their old haunts, and I am glad to see It; but l deplore the fact that the law Is not more strictly enforced. I hate to see a law to conserve the game abused—a tow that the honest mats will recognise and obey, but so poorly enforced that the poacher and unlawful party get all the benefit >*