Here's some from the last month.
Here's the story for the first bunch of pics - it's a doozy
Sent in to the head of the NWCO program at WDFW on 3/25/2010.
Sean, here is the issue that popped up last night - Permit #2010-0200 - Beaver
Background: On March 16th I was contacted to remove a problem beaver that was plugging drainage of storm water retention ponds and also cutting shrubbery around those ponds at the IGA in Granite Falls. Prior to submitting the application for trapping the problem animal, I had surveyed the two retention ponds in question and the adjacent property, and had also learned that the animal was also clogging city sewer lines down stream of the retention ponds. I have also subsequently learned that when the ponds back up, they fill the loading dock at the IGA with water.
At approximately 19:45 on March 24th - last night - I went to meet with maintenance personnel for the Granite Falls IGA ( grocery store). Upon arrival at the retention ponds that sit in front of the store adjacent to the parking lot, I noticed that there were two gentlemen standing at the fence to one of the ponds. When I approached the gentlemen, Bill introduced himself as the gentleman I had been in contact with. The other gentleman had stopped while walking his dog. At that point I noticed that the problem beaver was sitting on the edge of the pond feeding, approximately 20 yards away. The "dog walker" and Bill had been engaged in a conversation on the animal being removed prior to my arrival. The "dog walker" asked me if I would be relocating the animal. I stated that per WDFW ( via the NWCO training class) that it was not legal to relocate beaver in this state and that an instant kill trap would be used to humanely dispatch the animal. The dog walker did not like my answer, and at that point decided he should leave, which he did. The beaver, during this entire time, was in and out of the water feeding approx. 20 yards away.
Over the course of the next 25 minutes, I geared up in my waders, headlight, and trapping bag and proceeded to do a quick demonstration of how the conibears operate for Bill. I then went to enter the enclosure/ drainage pond, at which point the beaver finally went into hiding. I had previously scouted the area and had found were the beaver was exiting a drainage pipe roughly 200 yards away from the pond. The underground pipe had no water in it, but the beaver was still using it as a secure travel route to get to a vacant wood lot, where it had been cutting small saplings. Some of these saplings had actually been drug back though the pipe into the pond. My guess was that the beaver was staying in this pipe during daylight hours and that was were I planned to put a trap. On entering the pond, I discovered a den the beaver had dug that extended out under the fencing just under the surface. The beaver had covered the portion of the den that was inside the fence with debris the night before, trying to make it more secure. I moved the debris and was able to push through the sod with just my hand, exposing the interior of the den. After prodding around in the den for a short while to ensure the animal was not in it, I proceeded to the drainage pipe previously mentioned. As I began making the set, I explained to Bill that I had previously had beaver swim into me while working in small streams/ tight quarters, and had witnessed several swim into conibears. As I was placing stakes in preparation for securing the trap, the beaver exited the drainage pipe, swam between my legs, and then reversed its route, returning to the pipe. Another inquisitive person came by asking what we were up to and Bill replied with "no comment"
- The gal actually asked if we were looking for a body 
. As I continued setting the trap, another by stander came by to watch for a short time, and then left. I finished setting the trap and secured it to a stake. The top of the trap was approximately 6 inches under water.
I then went to check the rest of the pond to make sure there were no other dens present and to see if the outlet cover screen was plugged with debris. As I got to the opposite corner of the pond from where I had set the trap, and was checking the outlet screen, Bill commented that one of the stakes holding the trap in place was moving. I quickly returned to the set, removed the largest stake which was holding the trap in place, and grabbed the securing wire to pull up the trap
- Talk about going fishing. The beaver came up at that point, and I quickly dispatched it -
thump. The trap had been in place all of two minutes before the beaver entered it. I left the animal submerged in the trap to ensure it was euthanized, and returned to the outside of the enclosure to pick up some of my gear while we waited.
At this point, the agitated "dog walker" returned in a teal/ blue minivan and informed Bill and I that he had contacted " every news agency he could". He didn't understand why the animal had to be euthanized and that it was causing no issues. He was insistent that he had been watching a family of beaver in these ponds for the last five years and that the $$$$
( mistakenly thinking my fee was the total cost of the issue) they where costing the owner of the property was not cause to euthanize them -
little did he know that the deed was already done - . Bill and I calmly discussed the situation with the "dog walker". We informed him that the $$$$ he referred to was actually my fee for catching the beaver. That the property owner had already spent $500 the week before to unclog the line from the main drainage pond/ city sewer system the previous week. That it would cost at least another $250 to clear the line that ran from the small pond, were the beaver was, to the larger pond. That (2) rhododendrons and (5) hemlock shrubs had been destroyed so far - approx replacement would be another $250. That he had most likely previously seen muskrat in the pond as he kept referencing small ones. I noted that there are no cutting older that a month old in these ponds or any of the ponds/ ditches on adjacent properties. Finally I walked him through the reasoning behind no relocation allowed: traumatized animal, territorial animal, transferring issue to someone else, and explained that the beaver population was actually expanding and that there was no shortage of them - due to the restrictive change to trapping from 2000. The "dog walker" stated that he felt better about the situation now and proceeded to leave. Note - there are also multiple dens on the perimeter of the fence that pose a trip hazard and will require repair.
I then returned to the trapped beaver, ensured it was dead, quickly removed it from the trap, and moved it to a container in my vehicle. I then returned and reset the trap in the same location to make sure that if there was another animal, that it would cause no further damage. I grabbed the remainder of the gear from inside the pond enclosure, and exited towards my vehicle. Bill locked the gate, thanked me for a job well done, and headed for home. As I finished stowing my gear, a store employee approached me and asked me if I was about done. I confirmed I just wanted to do one more quick check to make sure I had not left anything out and them I would be gone. I did a quick sweep of the area, and returned towards my vehicle, noticing another store employee approaching me.
He asked how I was doing, and I informed him that I was done for the night and had caught the beaver. He was anxious for me to go as he had received three "complaints" already and did not want this to turn into media coverage. He then pointed out the KOMO 4 news van that was sitting on the opposite side of the parking lot.
Someone was just exiting the drivers side of the van, walking around the back to the passenger side, then entering the side door. I finished securing my gear, closed my vehicle, and went home. It was just past 21:00 at that point. I do not know how long the news van was in the parking lot prior to me becoming aware of it or if they may have obtained any footage of me.
I returned this morning at approx 6:45, confirmed the trap was still set and did not contain any animals, and confirmed that no further damage had occurred to either pond over night.
Thankfully nothing ever came of KOMO 4 showing up because the reporter new the owner of the store.... It's not always what you know, but also who you know 
The critter weighte 33.6 lbs - no other animals were caught, but I did hear a rumor that the city maintenece crew may have had an "incident" with another one when they were clearing out the cloged lines...
PICS - 1st is the huge pond the beaver family had been living if for 5 years - NOT!
2nd is the debris that had been on the underground den - you can see the ground torn up a bit
3rd is the drain pipe with the trap ( 330 killer) staked in front of it.
