Beavers and dogs

[Libby]

I remember being told dogs don't do well when wrangling with beavers. There was an article in the Oregonian today and twice it mentioned the beaver, which was found caught under a chain lonk fence, had dog bites. It looked like a good sized beaver from the picture.

Interested in experience people have had with beavers and dogs.

Thanks, Libby

[white]

My dog coal would swim around w/one and the beaver would slap the shit out of the water and come up some where else and i could tell the beaver was mesing w/ coal under water never seen that look on his face again or seen him swim so fast.i think a dog would have a hard time w/a beaver on land there some tough heavy rodents.Stupid fence

[Libby]

Interesting story, thanks!

[Mike Leonard]

I spent a great deal of time on the big western rivers with my dogs and beaver. Beaver can tear the regular dog to ribbons in a heartbeat in the water. Those big nasty yellow teeth cuts as clean or cleaner than those of a razor back hog. Most dogs bluff off quick with a buck beaver and they get the hell out of there a few don't and they may bleed to death quickly. And then there was Rambo. A son of John McDonald's Scorpian dog he came to me as a lean , lanky 10 month old pup.

My Amigos and I use to coon hunt a good bit before this area got over populated with humand. Rambo was a demon on skunks and he could kill them almost instantly although the smell remained. The first time I saw him hit the rapids after a good sized beaver I told Jim my buddy that's it for him. Boom! The fight ended as fast as it began with a limp beaver floating with a broken back and old Rambo ready for more. Several more times this black and tan repeated this over his next few trashy months. He really was amazing with his determination and gator like bite. He was still hell on skunks and I sold him to Earl Stuber in Wilcoz, Arizona and he said he went on to be a great bear dog and outstanding on the rig.

I was just glad old Earl never drove by any beaver ponds. LOL!

[Libby]

Thanks for the reply, Mike. Rambo sounds like a fun dog! Your description of beavers is what skuttlebutt I recall hearing.

[cat and bear]

I had a couple german wire hair bird dogs get into an otter, now that was something, the 90lb male was getting dunked every time he turned around, the female went to give him a hand, and before they knew it, there heads was bobing like two basketballs, bouncing, after five minutes of that, they had to come to shore to get some air, they never tried to take an otter again.

[Bdog]

One of my first dogs was a Chessie and for those not familiar with the breed they have tough dispositions and a no quit attitude in most. Well I lived in Forest Lake MN and located some Chessie pups around Moose lake and went up to take a look at the parents. This guy was a hunter raising some pups and when he showed me the parents he would throw a brick into his pound and these two 70-90 pounders would hit the water submerge and bring the brick back. That in its self was a feat but the owner went on to describe that these two were kings at killing beavers in the water. He went on that after they caught a few on dry ground the started catching them in the water. Just about every duck hunting slew in that country holds beaver. Had not thought of those dogs in a long time and the pup I got was one of the best and she would rather sit in frozen water with ice forming on her coat then in the dry duck blind.

Thanks

[Mike Leonard]

Bdog,

I love Chessie's and i grew up with a tough one called Sarge. He wasn't all that big mayby 75 pounds but man was he tough and never got cold. What was amazing about him was his ability as an upland dog. He figured out those running roosters and he would swing around them and stop them or even push them back to the gunners. As much as I love labs and I haven't been without one for years if I had to hit the north country again and really hunt those big icey waters it would be a Chessie for me. Sure they are tough and that is what makes them stand out but I don't beleive they are as hard to train as most lab folks think, they just need to be handled a little different because they are not labs.


speaking of otters and dogs I hunted with an old guy that ran two otterhounds on coon and bobcat and they did very well for him.

[2ndhound]

Libby,heres a couple pics of beaver chompers,note the molars are touching so the mouth is closed, I would imagine they could slice up a dog easily if it got a chance

[Libby]

Mike, before I ever imagined I'd have a hunting dog, I met a fellow who hunted with a Chessie. He'd bring the dog with him every where. Nice dog, but obviously a working dog, and not overly groomed ever. Another friend said he'd never get a girlfriend because the dog was always with him. He said the dog had lost him a woman or two. They'd expect him to kennel the dog at night or at least not let it sleep the bed. He'd tell them as soon as they'd jump into icy water and retrieve his birds for him, he'd get rid of the dog. LOL, I can't remember the guy's name or what he looked like, but I remember that story and his dog! The otterhound I had to google, they are neat dogs, bigger than I'd figure an otterhound would be.

2ndhound, that is a beautiful beaver skull! Did you do it? I had no idea how their mouth came together, but the teeth are big enough for me to trust they'd win or at least cause serious damage! Thanks for posting that.

[2ndhound]

Libby, actually nature did most of the work. I just whitened it and cleaned it up, I was elk hunting in the aspen trees and noted that a beaver had been working on alot of the trees, but alot of them werent knocked down yet, and all the beaver sign on the trees was old and grayed up, well I see this big aspen that the beaver had chewed down and there was the skeleton squished under the tree, now I dont know if it committed beavercide, or coulda been a murder scene (nother beaver chewed the tree that killed him)..or it could be that he just had a real unlucky day! I was suprised I found all teeth and lower jaw, anyway I think its neat looking...Ken