Kevin Stenberg
Well-Known Member
Rally if you get a job that you know has multiple dams. Do you start breaking up dams at the highest level and work down. Or do you start at the lowest dam and work up? Or does it depend on the easiest to get to.
My Office Today
- Thread starter Rally
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Rally
NC Minnesota
Kevin,
I almost always start at the lowest end and work up, because if I dump more water into a lower dam/pond, that makes the water deeper, and adds to the water going over the lower dam, which means I won't be able to dig it as deep, or to the original/intended depth. If I start at the lowest dam, I'm making it shallower at all the downstream dams as I go, making cleaning out the tailpieces easier/ exposing the long sticks at the bottom of the dams. Some times I have to take the dams out in sections/ depths so I have water, to canoe into them, or back into them to finish them and get the required depth. Most often I pull my traps as I pull the dams, so I have to make sure I have enough water to float my traps/ gear back out. Sucks dragging a canoe weighted with traps through loon poop, been there, done that, got the T-shirt!! LOL
In some of these long bog lines, the ditches have huge pieces of floating bog that grow all the way across. If we just pull the dams out, the pieces of bog will just settle down to the bottom as the water recedes, and they make dams that are about two feet thick, and form, or work as filters, and slow the water down quickly. We go in canoes, cut the bog in pieces, with old log cross cut saws, and float them to the edge of the ditches and pin them to the banks where there are depressions. Occasionally, we tear out a dam upstream of an area like this, to add more water to that area, to help float the chunks of bog around.
It used to be pretty common practice around here, for loggers to fill the ditches with logs, to form bridges for skidders and slashers, to access timber tracts, during early logging operations. The DNR really frowns on that practice now, because they often had to leave the logs in the ditches, because they froze in over winter, and they had no access to retrieve them after break-up in the spring. There are still plenty of logs in these ditches for that reason, and some jerks, used to push their tops piles into the ditches, knowing they would freeze over and be out of sight when the DNR comes back to scale their logs and inspect the sale. This debris floats around for years, and eventually ends up in a beaver dam, then I get to cut it up to open the dams. Now they put in culverts, or use portable bridges to span the ditches, but there are still plenty of tops dumped or pushed into the ditches.
I almost always start at the lowest end and work up, because if I dump more water into a lower dam/pond, that makes the water deeper, and adds to the water going over the lower dam, which means I won't be able to dig it as deep, or to the original/intended depth. If I start at the lowest dam, I'm making it shallower at all the downstream dams as I go, making cleaning out the tailpieces easier/ exposing the long sticks at the bottom of the dams. Some times I have to take the dams out in sections/ depths so I have water, to canoe into them, or back into them to finish them and get the required depth. Most often I pull my traps as I pull the dams, so I have to make sure I have enough water to float my traps/ gear back out. Sucks dragging a canoe weighted with traps through loon poop, been there, done that, got the T-shirt!! LOL
In some of these long bog lines, the ditches have huge pieces of floating bog that grow all the way across. If we just pull the dams out, the pieces of bog will just settle down to the bottom as the water recedes, and they make dams that are about two feet thick, and form, or work as filters, and slow the water down quickly. We go in canoes, cut the bog in pieces, with old log cross cut saws, and float them to the edge of the ditches and pin them to the banks where there are depressions. Occasionally, we tear out a dam upstream of an area like this, to add more water to that area, to help float the chunks of bog around.
It used to be pretty common practice around here, for loggers to fill the ditches with logs, to form bridges for skidders and slashers, to access timber tracts, during early logging operations. The DNR really frowns on that practice now, because they often had to leave the logs in the ditches, because they froze in over winter, and they had no access to retrieve them after break-up in the spring. There are still plenty of logs in these ditches for that reason, and some jerks, used to push their tops piles into the ditches, knowing they would freeze over and be out of sight when the DNR comes back to scale their logs and inspect the sale. This debris floats around for years, and eventually ends up in a beaver dam, then I get to cut it up to open the dams. Now they put in culverts, or use portable bridges to span the ditches, but there are still plenty of tops dumped or pushed into the ditches.
Rally
NC Minnesota
Yep, and the geese just love it. They sit on those small points that were silt/ loon poop, and just gorge on it. The Muskrats will have little feed beds about the size of dinner plates, full of the blades from that grass, but minus the roots.
Rally
NC Minnesota
I let the ditch run for six days, went back today, and the side ditch, that drains the two lakes, was just about dry where it enters the main ditch, and the water between the two lakes was still higher than it’s suppose to be and standing still. So rather than walk through the Cedar swamp carrying traps, I launched the canoe between the lakes.
This ^^ is a picture of a new beaver house and the brush in the water is their "Cache/ Feed pile". The house is on the bank behind the feed pile, at the base of the dead Balsam snag. This is at the East end of "Annie Daigle " lake near the outlet. That piece of grass/ bog (Top left in picture) is floating, I'm hoping it stays there when I lower the lake level.
This ^^ is continuing East, and is the dam holding the water from entering the drainage ditch, about five feet tall. You can barely tell there is a ditch there because the trees tops are arching over most of it for about a 1/4 mile or so. There is just a small spillway (top center but a little left) and the grassy looking piece to the right is another piece of floating bog that anchored itself against the dam, but has brush growing through it so it's anchored, and shouldn't be a problem.
It looks like just a new pair has moved in. I set four traps and will be back there in a couple days. Might bring a fishing rod if the weather is decent.
This ^^ is a picture of a new beaver house and the brush in the water is their "Cache/ Feed pile". The house is on the bank behind the feed pile, at the base of the dead Balsam snag. This is at the East end of "Annie Daigle " lake near the outlet. That piece of grass/ bog (Top left in picture) is floating, I'm hoping it stays there when I lower the lake level.
This ^^ is continuing East, and is the dam holding the water from entering the drainage ditch, about five feet tall. You can barely tell there is a ditch there because the trees tops are arching over most of it for about a 1/4 mile or so. There is just a small spillway (top center but a little left) and the grassy looking piece to the right is another piece of floating bog that anchored itself against the dam, but has brush growing through it so it's anchored, and shouldn't be a problem.
It looks like just a new pair has moved in. I set four traps and will be back there in a couple days. Might bring a fishing rod if the weather is decent.
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trapper9260
Active Member
I see you still doing good on the beavers Rally . Some nice area you in . Bring your fishing pole see what will show up. Set some catfish lines see what will be there .
Rally
NC Minnesota
Paul,
Yep, there trying to run me ragged! We can't use set poles or trotlines in Mn. I'm thinking I'm going to fish that lake tomorrow when I check traps .
This ^^ is a spot I set up two days ago. I'm standing on the big dam looking south over the pond it creates and at the wood line in the background is a paved county road.
This ^^ is standing on the big dam looking downstream (North). This is what it should look like looking upstream also, but the beaver had a different idea. And yep, that's two more smaller dams downstream, gotta give them beavs an A for effort.
I set five traps in there and caught three pups and the adult male. Probably will be at least one more pup and the adult female to catch here yet.
Today was a clean up day, and I tore out 7 dams today and caught one more beaver at a different spot, for a total of five today. I didn't get home until 2025 Hrs. Long day.
Yep, there trying to run me ragged! We can't use set poles or trotlines in Mn. I'm thinking I'm going to fish that lake tomorrow when I check traps .
This ^^ is a spot I set up two days ago. I'm standing on the big dam looking south over the pond it creates and at the wood line in the background is a paved county road.
This ^^ is standing on the big dam looking downstream (North). This is what it should look like looking upstream also, but the beaver had a different idea. And yep, that's two more smaller dams downstream, gotta give them beavs an A for effort.
I set five traps in there and caught three pups and the adult male. Probably will be at least one more pup and the adult female to catch here yet.
Today was a clean up day, and I tore out 7 dams today and caught one more beaver at a different spot, for a total of five today. I didn't get home until 2025 Hrs. Long day.
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trapper9260
Active Member
Rally too bad you were able to set some pole for cats then it would work out since you show up in the area like to do. At lease you able to still fish it.Did you had any luck on the fishing ? that is some great looking area , some of the photos you posted looks like some of the part of the Charles River in MA when I use to trap it . But there was no beavers there at the time , just rats mainly. Use to do alot of canoe trapping back then.
Rally
NC Minnesota
Wife is gone this weekend, so I got up this morning and had apple pie for breakfast. 
I headed to a ditch I set a couple days ago, which goes under a state highway and the beaver have the water up close to the shoulder. There is a high bank the first two miles of the ditch, so I'm cutting my way as I go. The beaver have dropped several trees on the high bank and it is brush/ regrowth most of the way. Have chainsaw, will travel!
This ^^ is the main dam, about 3/4 of a mile downstream from the highway. That's the adult male beaver I snared on the cross over trail on the dam. I don't know what all that swirly stuff is in the upper right hand of the picture???
This is the adult female beaver in a trap I set a little further east on the main dam. Note she is missing her right front foot, and had pups this spring. I've not seen any evidence of the pups yet, but, there was some trapping done along the highway by a DOT trapper earlier in the year, so they may have been trapped then. I'll know more in a couple days, as I move water, and by what shows up in my traps. It's always good to catch the big female as soon as possible.
This ^^ is about another 1/2 mile downstream from the main dam, standing on a second large dam, looking upstream. It doesn't appear the beaver are using the area between the dams, other than to access the timber on the west (left) shore, so I decided to move some water.
This ^^ is the notch I cut in the dam today. The beaver fork is 4' long so I'm hoping to move about 3' of water between the dams. It was a pretty solid dam with plenty of clay in it and has been there a long time.
This ^^ is the notch after getting it dug out, should move some water.
This pic ^^ is looking downstream (south) from the second dam. Note the series of three beaver dams downstream. They don't want me to go any farther than this, and it dumps into a large swamp. By removing these two dams it will take away the water threat at the highway.
This ^^ is the second dam where I tore out a piece. Note the size of the Willow tree growing in the dam. How long you think that dam has been there?
See next post for the rest of todays pics.
I headed to a ditch I set a couple days ago, which goes under a state highway and the beaver have the water up close to the shoulder. There is a high bank the first two miles of the ditch, so I'm cutting my way as I go. The beaver have dropped several trees on the high bank and it is brush/ regrowth most of the way. Have chainsaw, will travel!This ^^ is the main dam, about 3/4 of a mile downstream from the highway. That's the adult male beaver I snared on the cross over trail on the dam. I don't know what all that swirly stuff is in the upper right hand of the picture???
This is the adult female beaver in a trap I set a little further east on the main dam. Note she is missing her right front foot, and had pups this spring. I've not seen any evidence of the pups yet, but, there was some trapping done along the highway by a DOT trapper earlier in the year, so they may have been trapped then. I'll know more in a couple days, as I move water, and by what shows up in my traps. It's always good to catch the big female as soon as possible.
This ^^ is about another 1/2 mile downstream from the main dam, standing on a second large dam, looking upstream. It doesn't appear the beaver are using the area between the dams, other than to access the timber on the west (left) shore, so I decided to move some water.
This ^^ is the notch I cut in the dam today. The beaver fork is 4' long so I'm hoping to move about 3' of water between the dams. It was a pretty solid dam with plenty of clay in it and has been there a long time.
This ^^ is the notch after getting it dug out, should move some water.
This pic ^^ is looking downstream (south) from the second dam. Note the series of three beaver dams downstream. They don't want me to go any farther than this, and it dumps into a large swamp. By removing these two dams it will take away the water threat at the highway.
This ^^ is the second dam where I tore out a piece. Note the size of the Willow tree growing in the dam. How long you think that dam has been there?
See next post for the rest of todays pics.
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Rally
NC Minnesota
After the ditch work above today, I went back into the lake that drains into the big ditch project. Didn't get there until about 1500 hrs.
This ^^ is looking over the lake as I enter from the inlet. The wind started up shortly after getting there and really made fishing tough from a canoe, but doable. Wish I'd brought an anchor.
I'd set four traps in there and caught the pair I suspect is there. Male on the left, female on the right. Doesn't appear she had any pups this year, and she appears to be a year younger than the male.
There were lots of this size caught ^^, maybe ten or so total little ones (hammer Handles).
But they got bigger ^^
Pretty nice afternoon, but the wind kept pushing me to shore. I'd paddle out about fifty yards, get about three casts in and I was on shore. Thought about dragging a beaver on the bow line to slow me down, but didn't. Turned all the fish loose and lost my plug, so called it a day.
This ^^ is looking over the lake as I enter from the inlet. The wind started up shortly after getting there and really made fishing tough from a canoe, but doable. Wish I'd brought an anchor.
I'd set four traps in there and caught the pair I suspect is there. Male on the left, female on the right. Doesn't appear she had any pups this year, and she appears to be a year younger than the male.
There were lots of this size caught ^^, maybe ten or so total little ones (hammer Handles).
But they got bigger ^^
Pretty nice afternoon, but the wind kept pushing me to shore. I'd paddle out about fifty yards, get about three casts in and I was on shore. Thought about dragging a beaver on the bow line to slow me down, but didn't. Turned all the fish loose and lost my plug, so called it a day.
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RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Pretty fish, is it a pike?
RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
On a road trip thru North Dakoda maybe 25 years ago, we stopped at a restaurant and had pike for lunch. It was very good!
trapper9260
Active Member
Good to see you got some fishing in, nice size fish. They do give a good fight also. Thanks for the photos also.
JonB
Halcyon member
fiver
Well-Known Member
never had to mess with a Pike.
I remember reading the story's about them as a kid in outdoor life etc. and they always sounded exciting.
I also recall a few stories about guy's climbing trees in the shallows during the spring time and shooting the pike when they went in the warmer back bay water to spawn.
for some reason that sounded like something I could get on board with.
I remember reading the story's about them as a kid in outdoor life etc. and they always sounded exciting.
I also recall a few stories about guy's climbing trees in the shallows during the spring time and shooting the pike when they went in the warmer back bay water to spawn.
for some reason that sounded like something I could get on board with.
Rally
NC Minnesota
Lamar,
Northerns are the Barracuda of fresh water, and will test your tackle. They have a mouth full of needle like teeth that are tough on line. When the wind isn't pushing me around, I usually cut and retie my line because of the line abrasion after catching one. I could use leaders but I think they see them. I've found Northerns to be the most color finicky fish. Not that they won't hit about anything, but that they have a preference for some colors at different times of the day and it seems to vary with water color. I believe it is in their eye sight/perception. They have big eyes and see quite well to pick out small minnows in grass and heavy weeds. I often change colors when they don't seem to bite or a lite bite, and often get into some serious fish fast, by just hitting the right color. It was that way in that lake that day. I always start with silver/ white, then gold/ yellow, then that Fire Fox pattern. I caught a couple hammer handles then switched to the shad rap pictured. Fish every 3-4 casts. They were stacked up in the west end outside the flooded grass. Every time the wind pushed me to shore I would see schools of minnows in the grass. It's not unusual to catch a Northern that has the undigested tail of another fish in their throat, often a smaller Northern. I've had lots of them run into my boat or canoe following a fast retrieve. Couple years ago fishing with my daughter and her roommate ,on the river. We had several Walleye on the stringer and a Northern @ 10 lbs grabbed onto one of the Walleyes and wouldn't let go. I just pulled up the stringer and netted him! LOL My daughters roommate was pretty impressed with that. Thought she was going to cry when I threw him back (I don't eat them that big).
JonB,
I'm not crazy about pickled fish. Love mock salmon (suckers). Broiled Walleye or Northern with butter and splash of lemon is tough to beat in my book, or a mess of Perch with onion rings deep fried outside is fair fit for a king too. Some folks get hung up on the Y bones in Northerns, but I just fillet them, cut them in 4" pieces, then just bend them in half when cooked and the Y bones stand right up. Fish is finger food at our house! LOL
This giant specimen is one of the pups from the female missing a foot. A late born litter evidently, so this could get tough, because the little guys can be tough to catch. Time to think Muskrat size setting techniques.
This ^^ is what's left of the "high bank" adjacent to the ditch I'm driving the wheeler down. Those sticks in the lower left corner is the tail piece of the beaver dam there. The hoe came in here several years ago and couldn't reach but part of the west side of the dam so tore out what he could reach and left. The water washed away at the high bank and it washed out. I just ride out around it on the west side, but it could get interesting for somebody out night riding or a fire crew trying to use the ditch as a fire break.
After that ditch, I canoed into the lake I fished at, and tore out the dam. This ^^ is about 80% done.
This ^^ is done and should move about 4 foot of water. Doesn't look that fast but the water would take my beaver fork down stream as fast as I put it in the water. Note the water is level in the notch I tore out. There is so much grass growing in the outlet ditch, it just slows it down and the water levels off. The water will clear a path to the big ditch.
This ^^ is the new culvert under the rode I come in on, and goes to the other lake (Stud Horse), which was just put in last summer. Rip Rap and fiber weed guard on upstream side. When I started this project, the water here was standing still at about the same level it is flowing now. When Stud Horse recedes there will be just a small amount of water coming through this culvert.
I caught another 2 YO male beaver in the lake downstream today, to match the female I caught last time. I think the larger male I caught last time came out of Stud Horse and was a bachelor. I caught the bigger male in the creek between the lakes so he could have been coming from there, rather than have been paired with a smaller female, which is really unusual. I'll know more in a couple days if there are any repairs made to the dam.
This ^^ is the amount of water flowing through the 7' pipe culvert on the big ditch, and those are the toes of my boots. What's most telling about that picture is the boots are leather, and that means I'm done for the day!! LOL
Northerns are the Barracuda of fresh water, and will test your tackle. They have a mouth full of needle like teeth that are tough on line. When the wind isn't pushing me around, I usually cut and retie my line because of the line abrasion after catching one. I could use leaders but I think they see them. I've found Northerns to be the most color finicky fish. Not that they won't hit about anything, but that they have a preference for some colors at different times of the day and it seems to vary with water color. I believe it is in their eye sight/perception. They have big eyes and see quite well to pick out small minnows in grass and heavy weeds. I often change colors when they don't seem to bite or a lite bite, and often get into some serious fish fast, by just hitting the right color. It was that way in that lake that day. I always start with silver/ white, then gold/ yellow, then that Fire Fox pattern. I caught a couple hammer handles then switched to the shad rap pictured. Fish every 3-4 casts. They were stacked up in the west end outside the flooded grass. Every time the wind pushed me to shore I would see schools of minnows in the grass. It's not unusual to catch a Northern that has the undigested tail of another fish in their throat, often a smaller Northern. I've had lots of them run into my boat or canoe following a fast retrieve. Couple years ago fishing with my daughter and her roommate ,on the river. We had several Walleye on the stringer and a Northern @ 10 lbs grabbed onto one of the Walleyes and wouldn't let go. I just pulled up the stringer and netted him! LOL My daughters roommate was pretty impressed with that. Thought she was going to cry when I threw him back (I don't eat them that big).
JonB,
I'm not crazy about pickled fish. Love mock salmon (suckers). Broiled Walleye or Northern with butter and splash of lemon is tough to beat in my book, or a mess of Perch with onion rings deep fried outside is fair fit for a king too. Some folks get hung up on the Y bones in Northerns, but I just fillet them, cut them in 4" pieces, then just bend them in half when cooked and the Y bones stand right up. Fish is finger food at our house! LOL
This giant specimen is one of the pups from the female missing a foot. A late born litter evidently, so this could get tough, because the little guys can be tough to catch. Time to think Muskrat size setting techniques.
This ^^ is what's left of the "high bank" adjacent to the ditch I'm driving the wheeler down. Those sticks in the lower left corner is the tail piece of the beaver dam there. The hoe came in here several years ago and couldn't reach but part of the west side of the dam so tore out what he could reach and left. The water washed away at the high bank and it washed out. I just ride out around it on the west side, but it could get interesting for somebody out night riding or a fire crew trying to use the ditch as a fire break.
After that ditch, I canoed into the lake I fished at, and tore out the dam. This ^^ is about 80% done.
This ^^ is done and should move about 4 foot of water. Doesn't look that fast but the water would take my beaver fork down stream as fast as I put it in the water. Note the water is level in the notch I tore out. There is so much grass growing in the outlet ditch, it just slows it down and the water levels off. The water will clear a path to the big ditch.
This ^^ is the new culvert under the rode I come in on, and goes to the other lake (Stud Horse), which was just put in last summer. Rip Rap and fiber weed guard on upstream side. When I started this project, the water here was standing still at about the same level it is flowing now. When Stud Horse recedes there will be just a small amount of water coming through this culvert.
I caught another 2 YO male beaver in the lake downstream today, to match the female I caught last time. I think the larger male I caught last time came out of Stud Horse and was a bachelor. I caught the bigger male in the creek between the lakes so he could have been coming from there, rather than have been paired with a smaller female, which is really unusual. I'll know more in a couple days if there are any repairs made to the dam.
This ^^ is the amount of water flowing through the 7' pipe culvert on the big ditch, and those are the toes of my boots. What's most telling about that picture is the boots are leather, and that means I'm done for the day!! LOL
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