Beaver activity has been reported on every one of our four lakes this summer if this last season deserves the name.
It is thus time to have a look at the whole picture and develop a plan to limit ad hoc interventions to a minimum. To do this, it has been decided to hire a professional trapper already tasked to do this for local municipalities. His name is Marcel Gauthier, a fully licensed trapper with 38 years of experience who lives close-by in Lachute. This is a picture of his truck.
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Marcel already works for Wentworth and Browsburg-Chatham. More specifically, he has drawn a map of the beaver population in Wentworth (still work in progress )that you can view by clicking here. As you may be aware, governments limit their beaver interventions to public infrastructures and dangerous situations. Controlling beaver activity on lakes is ours to manage.
Last Sunday, Robert Percy and I took him for a tour of our lakes. We met many of the residents close to the areas where beaver activity has been reported. Over the coming weeks, Marcel will canoe on each lake to complete his assessment. He will also go to lake McKnight which, we suspect, is a fertile breeding ground. We already know, for example, that Boyd is a priority.
Basically, we want to know how many beavers there are in our watershed, what is the mix (females, young, etc…), where they breed and determine where we have excess populations. Since the trapping season opens on October 25 this is the time to do it. The goal here is to be in prevention mode and limit punctual interventions to a minimum. Where traps are to be used, locals will be informed and signs will be put up (we assume beavers, even the intelligent ones can’t read).
However, if you have beaver issues, please call Robert or I. We will work very closely with Marcel Gauthier.
bonne idée Jacques!
Thanks!
Wonderful, Jacques. Thank you so very much!
Thanks JAcques and Robert
Coming from the Big City, I thought Beavers were these cute creatures with a serious work ethic, that honored our Nickel. Little did I know there were such a pain!
Thank you to Jacques and Robert for putting together a comprehensive plan that takes care of this issue for today and tomorrow.
First: I note that all the positive comments have come from residents of lakes other than Boyd. I suggest that these people take a drive around Boyd Lake to apprise themselves of the true situation.
Second: All this fine scientific intellectual gobbledygook is all fine and good. But, what we need desperately is a practical solution! IE A strong body to remove the dam! And sooner rather than later!
We need to get the water level to its regular level so docks can be retrieved from across the lake, wharves become freed of flood-level water, etc.
For years the residents of Boyd Lake have taken turns going every two weeks and removing the dam. These residents have aged somewhat and thus are “weakened” a little and are no longer willing to endanger themselves completing this thankless and ongoing task.
I look forward to hearing from you with a outline of prompt practical action on this matter.
Shirley Beals
Boyd Lake
Dear Jacques and Robert
We look forward to getting informed to how the new beaver “patrol” can keep our lakes at the flow and water level sustainable for their health. They’re amazing creatures, able to level trees overnight, just the right amt. of them is good, they’re cute with tails that flap ever so loudly. Since they build dams, maybe Hydro Quebec could use them??????
Claudette
Thanks for keeping such a close watch on our community.