Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Trapping => Topic started by: ouchfoss on December 06, 2012, 08:41:24 AM

Title: Mountain beaver
Post by: ouchfoss on December 06, 2012, 08:41:24 AM: Now that I have passed the Trappers course I have been doing some research and brainstorming of what to start trapping for and its got me wondering about mountain beavers for pelts as well as trapping technique. All I could find is what is on the WDFW site and it says they can trapped year round without permit but I'm wondering if the pelts are even worth anything or possibly if they are good eating. :dunno:
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: Bullets_n_Octane on December 06, 2012, 08:52:11 AM: I've always called Mountain Beavers, Mountain Rats.... I don't know if they'd be good eatin though...
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: wafisherman on December 06, 2012, 09:04:41 AM: I think i have some messing up my property. I thought they were rats, but they dig a lot more and don't mess with my rat traps. What does it take to trap one? What bait? Trap type?
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: Humptulips on December 06, 2012, 11:57:19 AM: No fur value. You can sell one occasionally on taxidermy.net but not for much. They are hardly worth fooling with. They do seem to make good bait for bobcat if you catch one.
As to method the standard way used to be 110s set in their tunnels. Very efficent and very humane but illegal now. Most mountain beavers in WA are trapped for damage control so permits are obtained to set padded jaw traps,#1 or #1 1/2. Not so humane but trappers are kind of forced to it. If you get a permit be sure and stake with no slack as they will take the trap down deep and get wound up making it hard to retrieve them. They are somewhat colonial so there will usually be several using a series of tunnels.

Eating them :chuckle: :bdid: They do not smell good. Survival food only.

On another note though if you find a colony of them, that is a heck of a good location to trap bobcat.
Besides that everything uses their tunnels, Mink, weasel and look out civet cats
Besides mountain beaver a lot of small rodents and believe it or not birds use the tunnels especially during nasty weather. It makes it a predator draw.
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: WaltAlpine on December 06, 2012, 12:26:39 PM: Ditto on the survival food only. Taste like dirt plus something else you dont want to eat.
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: pianoman9701 on December 06, 2012, 12:37:08 PM: Beaver tail is considered a delicacy by many. Steve Rinella cooked one:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=417411534998400&set=pb.201126986626857.-2207520000.1354826148&type=3&theater (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=417411534998400&set=pb.201126986626857.-2207520000.1354826148&type=3&theater)
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: Bullets_n_Octane on December 06, 2012, 01:16:17 PM: Beaver Tail - Mountain Beaver Tail - - - - - - Huge Difference...

Plus Steve Rinella will eat anything! lol
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: Humptulips on December 06, 2012, 01:36:24 PM: Quote from: pianoman9701 on December 06, 2012, 12:37:08 PM
Beaver tail is considered a delicacy by many. Steve Rinella cooked one:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=417411534998400&set=pb.201126986626857.-2207520000.1354826148&type=3&theater (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=417411534998400&set=pb.201126986626857.-2207520000.1354826148&type=3&theater)

Ever skin out a beaver tail? All fat with a bone in the middle. A friend was telling me about a trapper in AK that raved about them. After a few years out of the bush and off the trapline he was missing them so he aquired some from another trapper. He said after cooking one up "I can't believe we ate them things. We must have been really hungry." :chuckle:
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: ouchfoss on December 06, 2012, 05:41:57 PM: Quote from: WaltAlpine on December 06, 2012, 12:26:39 PM
Ditto on the survival food only. Taste like dirt plus something else you dont want to eat.

That sucks. They're skulls are almost identical to regular beavers (though quite a bit smaller) so I was a little curious if maybe they had some other things in common too. May have to give it try someday just to add it to my "wild game dinner" bucketlist. :tung:
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: Skyvalhunter on December 06, 2012, 05:43:45 PM: They have a mean disposition, classic little mans disease!!
Title: Re: Mountain beaver
Post by: Cylvertip on December 08, 2012, 04:13:55 PM: anybody know why they are called boomers????