# Destroyed Beaver Dam



## Brian S (Apr 5, 2002)

I noticed last fall that one of my favorite places to jump-shoot ducks was gone. It was a large beaver pond that drained when the dam was destroyed. Took the pic below last week. Looks to me like someone intentionally did this. I've never seen a dam this large get washed out like this. It really ruffles my feathers to think this may have been intentional. The pond this dam created was a waterfowl magnet (if you look close, just over Paul's left shoulder, you can see one of the woodduck boxes I put up several years ago, many broods of woodies used to call that home). 

Any opinions? Man-made destruction or natural occurance?


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## chromium (Oct 10, 2001)

I'm not sure. It looks like the break in it is very straight and clean.
Either way, it's unfortunate.


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## Buddy Lee (Dec 17, 2003)

A few years back I used to have the same problem with a downstream neighbor who would come onto my family's property to destroy dams. I wanted them there for duck hunting purposes, and he claimed the low water levels downstream hurt his property values. He eventually came around to my way of thinking...


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## trout (Jan 17, 2000)

If it was on a county drain the Drain Comm. would have it removed.
They have right of ways to access the drains too.
Same with certain creeks and streams ( DNR) might remove it.
Property owners of timber may have had it removed as well.
A torrent of spring flooding and ice may remove it but it is unlikely.


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## snakebit67 (Oct 18, 2003)

Any heavy machinery tracks?


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## Brian S (Apr 5, 2002)

No signs of heavy machinery and I'd doubt the DNR would do it. This pond was back in the woods a good distance. 

The pond forced the deer to cross the ravine just below the dam. To me, thats just a natural funnel and easy to exploit. I'm starting to think that maybe some other deer hunters didn't like not having the deer cross upstream from the dam and decided to take it out.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Is it private or public land?

If it's public ask the dnr or forest service about it.

The US has had some fantastic man made dam failures so maybe with no beaver to patch and rebuild it just eroded in the spring with high water levels.


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## Brian S (Apr 5, 2002)

Its all public. The beavers are still there but instead of repairing that one they made another a little further up stream. Its not nearly as big though. In all, there are four dams in a row but the washed out one was by far the biggest. I see a lot of the COs from that area during the year so next time I see one I'll ask.


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## RIP (Jun 4, 2002)

If the beaver moved up or down stream, the pond was burned out anyway.

Tearing open a dam won't stop beavers for a minute in my experience. As a duck hunter and beaver trapper, My experience is that any good honey hole is good for about six years before it burns out. The Dams up or down stream will get bigger and back up more water. Sometime its never the same for ducks as it was, some times it is. Unless somebodys trapping it. The county and state will will remove the beaver along with dams at times to. All I can tell you is that I have trapped (and duck hunted) dozens and dozens of beaver ponds and they all burn out eventually. Sometimes you'll find a beaver pond that is also a natural pond and it will always have a resident beaver or two in it. But the really good flooded timer that you have in your picture is always cyclic. I saw the picture and it looks pretty cleaned out for young growth or popular.

You usually can follow the beaver up and down stream for waterfowl spots though.

F.Y.I the reason those beaver ponds are so good is that they aren't perminent and you have them to yourself for a couple of years. 

I guess I'm just saying try not to think of it as a loss so much as time to go find the next beaver flooding. They're always super hot for the second and third year or so.


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## stinger63 (Nov 25, 2003)

If the stream contains trout someone may have did it to improve stream conditions.Ponds keep water tempatures warmer in the streams below the dams or alter the migration of fish into the upper reaches.Not to start a fuid but If I was a stream fisherman I might have destroyed the dam myself.Theres a local stream where I live that has many beaver dams altering the water levels and fish migrations upstream.If I had my way I would remove them and put bountys on the beavers also.


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## RIP (Jun 4, 2002)

Yea, I wasn't going to go into to many deatails but, the list of agency's and and gruops that remove dams and the reasons they do are endless. It could be trout unlimmited or somebody like that for all I know. Timber growers was also mentioned. I guess I'm just pointing out that beaver are looked at as destructive by almost everybody in Michigan today. The DNR was more than happy to see them recover, but after 25 years they would be happy with 1 or 2 in a cage for everyone to look at. They still regulate a few beaver areas down state, but up north, the mentality is trap alot and trap em often. take as many as you can. Even more than that would be good. 

All there would have to be is one crop feild 4 miles upstream from that creek or a culvert plugged and that would be enough to give a green light to bust up a dam. I still think you might have been at the end of a cycle for the pond though. But if ya got smaller dams around, you still have good woody hunting for now.


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## Brian S (Apr 5, 2002)

Thanks for all the comments. I guess when you put in perspective, the impact is minor. I've spent many hours sitting by that dam just starring at it, listening to the water run through, in awe of how huge and well built it was. I guess what bothered me was the thought of someone messing with something I admired so much.

Like RIP mentioned though, a new dam has been built further up stream and I'm sure it will be another waterfowl hot spot. I even had another woodduck box laying around so it got placed at the new dam up stream.


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

We have three dams where I hunt on private. One of them is fairly large so the ducks hit it pretty hard, but the others seem to be missed being there is a lot of tree cover. There do seem to be a lot of coots, and the occasionally egreat, but no ducks really.

why is that?

One thing to note is that the beavers moved out of one of them and eventually the dam broke and looked like that one. The water level was 15 feet lower really quick so it rushed through the wall and broke it up.


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## stinger63 (Nov 25, 2003)

Brian S you never mentioned weather there was trout in the stream or not.Im just curious also how do you feel about beavers?


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## Brian S (Apr 5, 2002)

Stinger, no trout in that stream. How do I feel about beavers? Heck, I don't know. Last fall I picked up a conibear 330 so I can try trapping one. Never got up there to give it a try though.

I know that when in the wrong places, beavers can do a lot of damage. This one was out of the way and not hurting anything. With all the clear cutting that has been done in that area the beaver population has exploded. Personally, I like it. The river that the stream dumps into usually is too low to canoe. Now, there are so many dams that its easy to canoe and more waterfowl hang out there. It makes for some great jump-shootin.

The beavers have certainly made a big impact in that area. The clearcuts have created the perfect habitat for them. I know my duck shooting has benifitted by their presence, but I'm not gonna start a "save the beaver" campaign.


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## bigmac (Nov 28, 2000)

In Oscoda I have heard that the DNR blasts open a dam when it gets too big.


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