Where to hunt Beaver
Beaver is one of the world’s biggest rodents. It thrives in wet forests of the moderate climate belt all over Europe, Asia, and North America, from Sweden and Finland to the Pacific Coast of Russia, and from Alaska to New England. Once its numbers were critically low, but with control on hunting and trapping, as well as decreased demand for fur, beaver hunting is now open in such countries as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania Belarus and Russia.
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Price distribution
Beaver hunting is often offered as a chance to harvest an additional trophy during a wilderness adventure, or in a “furbearer” combo package along with such animals as fox, racoon dog, or marten. Dedicated beaver hunt are usually priced between $500 and $1,500 for a 3-5 day hunts; hunting with dogs is usually more expensive than stalking or hunting from a blind.
When to hunt Beaver?
Opportunities for beaver hunting exist all year round. However, some countries across the beaver’s range may have a summer break in the season; also, beaver hunting is impossible when the streams and ponds where they live freeze over. The best time for beaver hunting is perhaps the last months of autumn, when the animals are already wearing their winter fur, and the young of the year are grown enough to survive without parents.
Hunting methods All hunting methods (4)
Historically, most beavers were harvested by trapping, but there are a few ways for a hunter to hunt the rodent with a rifle or shotgun. One such method is to sit in ambush near a beaver dam or hole, in the evening, waiting for the beavers to go out and feed. Or, you can still-hunt along the creek, from one known beaver family residence to another. An accurate centerfire rifle with a scope that gathers light well is needed, to ensure a well-placed shot that kills the rodent instantly – a wounded beaver is hard to recover. When the objective is to control the beaver numbers, hunters in Eastern Europe and the Baltic often go out after beavers in a team. Part of the team, assisted by terriers, tries to drive the beavers out of their shelter, while the other part, often with small hounds, intercepts the rodents as they make their escape.
Why hunt Beaver?
When you talk about beaver, most people think first about the fur, but in fact beaver can also be made into a delicious meal. Some hunters may enjoy a meditative wait over a quiet pond or stream in the woods, waiting for the rodents to appear, and soaking in the smells, images and sounds of a forest. Others would prefer to participate in action and camaraderie filled hunting with dogs. But both will enjoy an unusual and exciting hunting experience. Beaver felt, once so prized that it drove the French Canadian Voyageurs and American Mountain Men deep into wild and unhospitable northern country, has lost much of its market value. But as a souvenir of a hunt in a foreign country, it will be forever invaluable.
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