The other night at the N.H. Fish and Game biennial public meeting, a trapper said that he traps beavers because they have dammed culverts. It was suggested to him that he learn the techniques of using beaver flow pipes and fences. The trapezoidal fence, called by some the “Beaver Deceiver,” works great with culverts. It is long in length and as the beaver moves along the fence to dam it, he no longer hears the water flow and stops damming.
There is money to be made installing these devices and trappers would be wise to offer this humane method of beaver conflict resolution to their clients, not only for the beaver’s benefit but for their own.
This country had hundreds of millions of beavers when the settlers arrived so many years ago. But then the fur trade began, and beavers were all but removed from the landscape. In New Hampshire, we had so few beavers left that NHFG put in man-made dams to do the job that the beaver had once done. Fish and Game now has the expensive job of maintaining or removing these rotting dams.
Beaver ponds are rich with life. Our dwindling moose population needs beaver habitat to survive, along with many other bird and animal species. Beaver ponds recharge our aquifers. Areas suffering from drought are bringing in beavers to help.
The N.H. Animal Rights League offers a $500 matching grant to anyone using pipes and fences to solve a beaver conflict. Contact nhanimalrightsleague@gmail.com for more information.
JAMES GLOVER
Concord
(The writer is president of the New Hampshire Animal Rights League.)