Signs of gnawing

These are a sample of the evidence of a new beaver in the neighborhood; numerous small softwood and medium wood trees have been cut down just across the road near the snow-mobile bridge over the stream. A couple larger diameter trees have had their bark stripped near the ground. This has all happened in about a week.

Our guess for the beaver den is the pile of sticks shown in the third image down; it is curious that this more-than-random pile of sticks is above the current water level but the top is at the level of the most recent high water mark (a serious multi-inch rain storm about three weeks ago). This stream flows to the left in the picture; the rising ground behind the sticks goes to the state highway route by our house. The stream flows through a culvert under the highway northward to the lake. The beaver must be planning to complete damming of the already well blocked highway culvert to raise the water level to the most recent high water mark.

Water at that level will threaten the stability of the snow-mobile bridge and will force water along the highway drainage ditch; i.e., humans will take serious notice if this happens.

Snow-mobile bridge