Beaver Trapping

Beaver trapping was popular in America and Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. These animals were hunted for their meat, fur, and a secretion of their scent glands used in medicine. In the 20th century, the population of the European Beaver decreased dramatically, but the American Beaver population did not suffer much from hunting. In America, there are many remote places where Beavers can live and build their dams.

Beaver trapping is banned in Europe, where many Beaver colonies are reintroduced to their former habitats. In Canada and the USA, Beaver hunting is legal in some places for those who have a license. Beavers are very busy and creative animals able to modify their habitat and influence the whole ecosystem. They build lodges, dig burrows and construct dams to flood the entrance to their home and protect them from land predators. Like all mammals, Beavers are only able to stay underwater for several minutes. They need to sleep and keep their young in a dry and warm place. Although Beaver lodges are rather large, only a small amount of it is used for living. There are two parts within the lodge: one for drying off after exiting the water and the other where the Beaver family lives.

Beaver activity has both negative and positive aspects. For instance, flooding damages railroads and fields and destroys the habitat or nesting places of some species. As for the benefits of the Beaver dams, they cleanse water, reduce erosion, maintain wetlands and provide grazing areas. Besides, Beaver dams are the nurseries for salmon, trout, and other fish species. Beaver trapping can have both negative and positive consequences.

Beaver trapping is sometimes necessary when the harm caused by the dams overweighs the benefit. It happens when the population of introduced Beavers grows too large for the area. If Beavers have no natural predators, they reproduce quickly, build numerous dams and flood thousands of acres of agricultural land. In such cases, Beavers are considered to be pests or invasive species. For instance, in Argentina, Beaver trapping is a common practice, as introduced Beavers damage forests and fields.