And so began “beaverquest 1990 to 2010″. Here is what I learned over the years to trap them. First, they don't like to touch metal, so you need to sift your metal small animal trap into the ground. Next, line the trap with some vegetation, I usually use rhoddy leaves that they just got through trimming.

Lead small slices of apple out of the beavers hole leading into your trap and make sure the apple pieces go to the end of the trap so they can trip it.

Right now, as I write this message, I have a new beaver who is quite smart. This one keeps eating the apple slices and not setting the trap off. I have even set the trap hair trigger, but no luck yet.

These little suckers are quite destructive. They will eat rhoddies, azaleas, ferns, and hostas. My wife watched one a few years back each a large evergreen fern to the ground and hawl it off in less than an hour.

Mountain beavers are very destructive and have eaten my rhoddies, azaleas, ferns and hostas to the ground. It took me 20 years to completely eliminate them.

Good luck – now I am tackling the racoons.

Thanks, Dale

We have them in the Seattle area, and they are actually quite a nuisance. They dig holes in the ground which they often pad with plant matter (including seeds) for invasive plant species. In addition, the holes can become an ankle-twisting danger for people. They also have poor eyesight, so you can usually get quite close to them.

I saw one before near the dog park on Golden Gardens Drive.

and here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Beaver

Perhaps he's a R.O.O.S.? (Rodent Of Ordinary Size?)