.22lr enough for beaver??

L

lil_bro

New member
My friend has a lot of beavers in his pond and in a few weeks we are going to his place to get a many as we can.My question is how well will a .22lr work on them??I was thinking about using CCI Velocitor's.

And so we don't waste anything are beavers edible??


Thanks.
Michael.
 
I'm sure that with excellent (head)shot placement, a .22LR could take down a beaver. I believe beavers get to around 35 lb on average. If that is what you want to use, then go with it.

I guess it would depend on whether or not you want the pelts. If so, then the .22LR and headshots would be a fine choice. If this is just pest control, I would step up to something on the order of a .223.

I have never heard of eating beavers. Just out of curiosity, what kind or regulations do you have for hunting them?
 
It's illegal to shoot them here in Michigan beacuse it's very hard to get a good kill shot. You will rarely catch them out of the water during daylight, and they are one tough critter. Trapping is the best way for both beaver and hunter. The pelts are awsome, and the meat is alot like pork. I slow cook it in a crock pot, add BBQ sauce and pile it high on a bun with a thick slice of sweet onion. Now, thats eatin' some beaver ;)

If you have to shoot them, catch them on thier slides early morning or just at dark and use a .22 mag minimum. 60lb beavers are not at all uncommon, and the hide is very thick. .223 or 22-250 would dispatch one very well. Don't waste the meat.

Good luck
 
Ive taken many with a 22 lr, but its more fun to shoot them with hot 45 colt rounds and see them do a back flip :D
 
Beavers can be hard to take down with .22 lr

I was wondering one morning if I could kill one with a 9 mm Glock 17 when I was close to being attacked by one in the early morning steelhead fishing on a river close to where I live. Here in Oregon they can get up to 80 pounds some times and they can be quite nasty at certain times of the years. I didn't have to shoot it, so I never found out if my 9 mm would kill it effectively. I figured it would if needed. I'm not sure if the beavers, or the river otters are more aggresive. I have shot a river otter that acted real aggressive toward me and my fishing party and wouldnt leave us alone. I finally shot it when it tryed to bite my daughter and started to chase us. It seemed sick or something. My 9mm glock 17 dropped the river otter with one shot.
 
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Check your regs!

Don't get your guns confiscated and your hunting privledges taken away because you pop something that you are not supposed to. I think in Oregon, all the fur-bearer regs are in the trapping regulations, and that is a whole seperate can of worms. I have thought on and off about getting a trapping license so I can take furbearers, but not seriously enought to weed through the red tape involved.
 
I'd say you be better off with a .22 mag. Or even better with some good trapping skills. theyre not hard to trap if you set up in the right places. Slides and trails and such. They cut deep trails thru the thich sawgrass around here.
 
I think they should let us trap them in Oregon.

Everytime I go fishing now I see like five different beavers on the rivers where I fish and there everywhere and not to friendly to fishman most of the time. Of most of the time they just swim bye you and then slap their tail hard on the water to warn other beavers and then dive under water nothing like scaring all the fish away. I have had a few of them growl at me and show there teeth at me. The last encounter that I mentioned in this thread I though for sure it was going to attack me with those teeth that cut trees down and it was a real big one. I pulled my glock 17 9mm(my primary carry handgun at this time) out and pointed it at him and he disengagement me and jumped back into the water. Like he knew what was coming next. They look a lot bigger when there out of the water, I usually have problems with them just around daybreak.

Weird experience with river rodents. In addition, were starting to see more seals in the rivers now when the salmon run upsteam. The seals, and sea lions are chasing the salmon over 100 miles up into the rivers. I think the animal rights people have taken this protect the animal thing a little to far here in Oregon. I think there are more beavers, river otters, and now seals, and sea lions in are rivers than fish sometimes. I think a 9 mm would kill a beaver, even a big one with a couple of shots. Becauses of the laws here in this state I would only shoot one if tried to attack me.

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Maybe, I can start save the fish movement. :rolleyes:

I know why they call this the beaver State, their coming out of the woodwork, same with that nasty Nuria there everywhere now also.

Sorry, I ranted a little off topic. :o
 
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Twycross said:
Just out of curiosity, what kind or regulations do you have for hunting them?
Click to expand...

The regs are not very clear but from what I read that can by traped/hunted all year round but they cannot be traped/hunted on PHA's or WMA's from the first day of deer archery to the ninth day of deer gun season.Snice I don't really understand the regs i will have to talk to a game warden.

I guess instead of using a .22 I could use my Hi-Point 9mm carbine.:D


Thanks for the info.
Michael.
 
Definatly use the 9mm carbine. Those shoot awesome dont they? Ive tried one out and shot inside 2in at 50 yds freehand and open sights.
 
li'l bro, you are in the same state as me, and you may be right on that, but if so, then I was wrong. I was under the understanding that in OK, beaver, being considered a nuisance species, can be hunted 365 days a year, along with coyote, feral hogs, and nutria. But I know that hogs have special rules on certain WMAs (on some, can only hunt hogs during deer gun season, and on others, can only use centerfire rifles during deer gun season, and rest of year, must use rifle legal for other game, such as rimfires & shotguns for squirrels). So I don't doubt your info there. There's too many beaver where I hunt, so I try to shoot them when I can. Plus, yep they slap the water all the time even in the dark when you're around - scares the crap outta me and hacks scares off the deer & other game. But I concur, .22 mag and up; ideally .223 +.
 
Having hunted (spring time only) and trapped beavers, a .22 is plenty as long as you make head shots.

Beaver meat is very good eating. Make sure you get all the fat off of it when butchering. The gf's family hangs them in the smokehouse for a few days to half-dry prior to cooking them. They should be quartered and elevated in the roaster for cooking to allow the fat and juices to drip away from the meat. Serve with mustard and sauerkraut.
 
OGD - I agree things are getting almost too "in balance". The seals and sea lions are just plain out of control. I like the otters and beavers around, but have not had one act aggressive yet. Nutria on the other had are large, non-native rats and are infinitely killable. I like to think of them as furry walking targets.
 
.22 head shots, behind the ear, around dusk (for the thread)(off the thread) any more beaver recipes?

Eskimo stir fry;
beaver meat fried w/worchestershire and soy sauce
served w/rice and canned veggies
 
22 is good for up close head shots, but I would go with the 9mm hipoint you have instead. I have taken them even with an 17HMR, but it was up close adn head shot. If you don't kill them you will piss them off and they will come after you.

Beaver is edible and the pelts are worth some money in season.
 
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