Beavers in Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and Massachusetts counties cooperating.

U n i v e r s i t y o f M a s s a c h u s e t t s E x t e n s i o n • M a s s a c h u s e t t s D i v i s i o n o f F i s h e r i e s a n d W i l d l i f e

Beavers in MassachusettsNatural History, Benefits, and Ways to Resolve Conflicts Between People and Beavers

SCOTT JACKSON • THOMAS DECKER

1

EAVERS have played an active role in New England’s

ecology for thousands of years. As natural “engi-

Introduction

former range in Massachusetts. When the beavers re-

turned, an important component of our native ecosys-

tems was restored. However, beavers returned to a land-

scape that had been substantially altered by people. In

some areas, beaver activity conflicted with human needs.

Property damage, Giardia, and the flooding of roads,

buildings and septic systems continue to be sources of

concern for many communities.

Finding ways to co-exist with beavers that allow us to

benefit from their role in the environment yet minimize

conflict between beavers and people can be a challenge for

many communities. This booklet provides information

on the natural history and population dynamics of

beavers, their beneficial aspects and potential problems,

techniques for avoiding or resolving conflicts between

people and beavers, and management programs for

beavers in Massachusetts.

neers” of the landscape they were agents of change,

creating wetlands out of uplands and streams, and provid-

ing habitat for a variety of plants and animals. For native

peoples, beavers were a source of meat, skins and medi-

cine. As Europeans colonized New England, beaver pelts

served as a form of currency, creating an incentive for

settlers to move further west and changing the relation-

ship between Native Americans and Europeans, and

Native Americans and beavers.

Intensive hunting and trapping, and deforestation that

followed European colonization eliminated beavers

throughout much of North America, including southern

New England. They were re-established in Berkshire

County in the 1930s and, thanks (in part) to an active

restoration campaign, have since reclaimed most of their

B

NaturalHistory

2

D e s c r i p t i o n

Beavers (Castor canadensis) are NorthAmerica's largest native rodents,weighing between 35 and 80 poundsas adults. They can range from twoto two and a half feet in length, withan additional ten to eighteen inches

storage, as a prop while standing upright, and for commu-nication (beavers slap their tails on the water whenalarmed). In the water it is easy to confuse beavers withmuskrats (another aquatic mammal common in Massa-chusetts). Muskrats, weighing only two to three pounds,are much smaller than adult beavers and have narrow,vertically flattened tails (as opposed to the wide, horizon-tally-flattened tails of beavers). Both species have smalleyes and ears, but muskrat ears are generally less notice-able than those of beavers.

building materials.Most of their time,however, is spent in thewater.

Beavers have large,webbed hind feet and aflat, leathery tail thatserves as an aid forswimming. They alsouse their tails for tem-perature regulation, fat

up on their hind legs to chew trees, gather food or just lookaround. Although they are slow moving and awkward outof water, they do venture out on land in search of food and

for the tail. There is no size difference between malesand females.

Long, shiny guard hairs covering thick, soft underfurgive Massachusetts beavers a dark brown to reddish

brown color. Theyare muscular ani-mals with largebones, well-devel-oped incisor teethand a massive skullthat supportsstrong chewingmuscles.

Beavers havehind legs that arelonger than theirfore legs. They rise

3

D i s t r i b u t i o n

Beavers are distributedthroughout most ofNorth America fromnorthern Mexico tonorthern Canada. Theyare both common andabundant throughoutmost of Massachusetts.They are absent fromsoutheastern Massachu-setts, Cape Cod, andthe Islands.

An important require-ment for beavers is wa-

ter deep enough to provide aquatic habitat beneathwinter ice. As a result they are generally associated withrivers, ponds and lakes, or areas that can be converted tobeaver ponds. Although beavers are found in areas withsteep slopes, they generally prefer fertile valleys with flatterrain and perennial streams that can be dammed tocreate ponds. These areas also produce an abundance offood preferred by beavers.

F o o d

Beavers do not eat fish; they are strict vegetarians. As such,they feed on a variety of aquatic plants (especially waterlilies) and the shoots, twigs, leaves, roots, and bark ofwoody plants. In particular, the bark and inner bark oftrees and shrubs are important foods, especially in winter.Aspen, birch, alder, and willow are favored food plants.

Trees and shrubs are felled by beavers to gain access totwigs, leaves, and bark. Bark and leaves may be strippedwhere they fall or transported back to the safety of water.Well-used beaver trails typically lead from a beaver pondto upland stands of important food trees. Trails near thepond often fill with water forming canals that are used bybeavers to float sticks and logs from uplands to the pond.As winter approaches, branches are stockpiled on thepond bottom near the lodge. Beavers rely on this cache of

through two wintersbefore dispersing thefollowing spring.

and June. A single litter each year usually contains fourkits (but may have as many as nine). Young kits spendmost of their time in the lodge where they are relativelysafe from predators. Although they are weaned by threemonths of age, young beavers will stay with their parents

A single family unit of beavers is typically made up oftwo adults, that year's kits, and young from the previousyear. Such a group is called a colony and usually containssix to eight individuals in areas where harvest pressure islow. Most beavers become sexually mature in their thirdyear at which time they leave, or are driven out by theparents, to seek mates and territories of their own. Adultbeavers have few predators, and may live up to twentyyears or more in the wild.

food to see themthrough until spring.Once stripped of leavesand bark, branches andlogs are often used asconstruction materialfor dams or lodges.

L i f e C y c l e

Beavers stay with thesame mate for life. Theymate in winter (Januaryto March) and femalesgive birth in a lodgesometime between April

4

D a m a n d L o d g e B u i l d i n g

Beavers are renowned for their ability to modify theirsurroundings to meet their needs. They accomplish thisby damming up small rivers and streams to form ponds.These ponds are areas of still, deep water that provideaccess to food, protection from terrestrial predators andshelter in winter.

Dams are impressive structures made out of sticks andmud. The base of a dam is made up of mud and stones.Upon this, beavers pile branches and sticks, orientedwith the butt ends upstream. Mud, stones and aquaticvegetation are used as plaster. Despite what you mayhave learned from cartoons, beavers do not pack themud down with their tails. Instead, they scoop it upwith their forepaws and apply it to the dam with theirfeet and snouts.

Although most dams are less than 100 feet long, somehave been recorded at over 1,500 feet in length. Severaldams may be constructed close together along a brook,creating a series of terraces with standing water. Beaversare constantly on the look-out for leaks or breachesin their dams. Tipped off by the sound of escapingwater, beavers will act quickly to plug any leak withmud and sticks.

Ponds created by beavers provide habitat for many oftheir favorite food plants (water lilies, cottonwood, wil-low, and alder). Water also means security for these agileswimmers because most of their predators live on land.

Within ponds created by dams, beavers construct lodgesout of sticks and mud. Lodges may be fifteen to forty feetacross at the base and protrude three to six feet above thewater. Within each lodge, a single internal chamber is

5

situated above the water line and is lined with dry plantmaterial. A vent leading from this chamber to the surfaceof the lodge provides for air circulation. One or moreunderwater entrances offer the only access into the lodge.Thick walls of sticks and mud provide substantial protec-tion from predators and the elements.

In winter, the pond offers sufficient aquatic habitatbeneath the ice that the beavers are active year-round.Once the pond freezes over, beavers are confined to thepond until ice-out in the spring. Tree branches, cached onthe bottom of the pond, provide winter food and arebrought into the lodge to be eaten.

Beavers will also use bank dens for shelter, usually onrivers or lakes. Underwater entrances lead to tunnels thatextend back as far as thirty feet, ending in a den situatedabove water. Over time many of these bank dens take onthe appearance of lodges as sticks and mud are piledaround the entrance.

Eventually, these ponds are abandoned, either whenpreferred food plants become scarce or when silt accumu-lation makes them too shallow. Lacking repairs, dams

break and the ponds drain. In the nutrient rich silt,herbaceous plants flourish, forming beaver meadows.Over time, shrubs and trees eventually come to dominatethese areas, setting the stage for the beavers' return.

6

C r e a t i o n o f W e t l a n d s

Since the time of European settle-ment, more than half of the wetlandsin the lower 48 states have been lost.Estimates of losses in Massachusettsrange from 28 to 40 percent. Bydamming streams and forming

BeneficialAspectsofBeavers

of silt. Areas flooded by beaver dams are often rechargeareas, places where surface water re-supplies groundwater.As filters for ground and surface water supplies, wetlandsare critically important for protecting public and privatedrinking water.

Beaver wetlands are also highly productive systems,due to an abundance of water and nutrients. As such theysupport a tremendous diversity of plants and inverte-brates, are havens for wildlife, and provide importantspawning and nursery habitat for fish.

C r e a t i o n o f W i l d l i f e H a b i t a t

Beaver ponds and wetlands provide habitats for a varietyof wildlife species. Minks, muskrats, and bats forage inand around beaver ponds. Salamanders, frogs, turtles,water snakes, herons, grebes, ducks, rails, swallows, hawks,owls, flycatchers, and kingfishers all rely quite heavily on

shallow ponds, beavers create wetlands. These shallowand deep marshes, wet meadows and swamps createdby beavers are valuable for the numerous benefits theyprovide for people.

Along rivers and streams, wetlands control downstreamflooding by storing and slowly releasing floodwater. Theyimprove water quality by removing or transforming excessnutrients, binding and removing toxic chemicals, andremoving sediment. Beaver-created ponds and wetlandsare especially important because they trap large amounts

7

niles called red efts. Red efts are a dispersal stage of thered-spotted newt. After two to five years on land, efts seekout appropriate aquatic habitat (ponds or lakes) andundergo a second transformation, changing from terres-trial juveniles to aquatic adults. Red-spotted newts thrivein beaver ponds and the addition of a juvenile dispersalstage to their life cycle provided a convenient mechanismfor finding and colonizing newly created habitats.

As trees are flooded by rising waters behind new beaverdams, they provide nesting habitat for colonies of greatblue herons. Herons prefer to nest in flooded areas or onislands because trees in these areas offer protection frommarauding raccoons and other predators. As flooded treesdie, cavities form in them, providing nesting habitat fortree swallows, wood ducks, and hooded mergansers. Overtime, the trees topple over, leaving herons, swallows andwood ducks to look elsewhere for breeding habitat, oftento new beaver ponds.

beaver-created habitats. Historically, extensive beavermarshes were critically important breeding areas formarsh birds in Massachusetts, including Americanand least bitterns, pied-billed grebes, common moorhensand rails.

Similar wildlife habitats can sometimes be created byhuman beings using dams and other water control struc-tures, but there is one big difference. While ponds built bypeople are relatively stable, beaver ponds are dynamicareas that produce a series of habitat types as they age, areabandoned, and turn into beaver meadows. Some wildlifespecies have life histories that appear to be especially well-suited for the shifting nature of beaver habitats over time.

Red-spotted newts are one such species. They have alife cycle that is unusual for salamanders. Instead of thestandard, three stage life cycle (egg, larva and adult), red-spotted newts have four life stages. They are aquatic aseggs and larvae then transform into land-dwelling juve-

8

E c o n o m i c V a l u e

Humans have utilized beavers as a fur and food product inNew England for several thousand years. Like early colo-nists and native Americans, people continue to harvestbeavers for their fur, meat, leather, and glands. Thedifference between the harvest of beavers today andthat of colonial times is that the beaver harvest is nowclosely regulated by state wildlife agencies.

Beavers are a protected species in Massachusetts andthere are laws and regulations that control when and howbeavers may be taken. Historically in Massachusetts,approximately 1,300 beavers were harvested annually,providing a total of $40,000 in income for households inthe state. Aside from using pelts to make garments likecoats, hats, gloves, and blankets, over one-third of the furharvesters utilize beaver as a food source for themselves ortheir pets. Parts of beavers are used to make perfumes;other parts are used to make customized leather productslike wallets. Regulated harvests also serve to maintainbeaver populations at levels that are consistent withavailable habitat.

A e s t h e t i c , R e c r e a t i o n a la n d E d u c a t i o n a l V a l u e s

Beavers are also valued by people who simply enjoywatching or photographing them. Beaver ponds are en-joyable places to visit to observe brilliant fall foliage orwatch wildlife. Fishermen and canoeists appreciate thequiet solitude of beaver ponds early in the morning.Teachers recognize beaver ponds as ideal places for “pondstudy,” where concepts of food webs, predator-prey rela-tionships, and interdependence are easily demonstrated.

All told, beavers are exceptionally valuable compo-nents of healthy ecosystems in Massachusetts. As wetlandcreators, furbearers, creators of varied habitats for wildlifeand fish, and subjects of interest for children and adults,they provide us with a myriad of benefits.

transformation, it can also result in damage to importantshade trees, ornamental trees, and shrubs.

H o u s e s , R o a d s , a n d P o w e r L i n e s

Beavers do not appear to be able to control where trees willfall. Occasionally, beavers are crushed by trees that theythemselves cut down. Where people and beavers occurtogether, it is only natural to expect that some trees willfall on cars, roads, railroad tracks, power lines, houses, orother structures. Although less common than other formsof damage, it can be a cause for serious concern.

D a m a g e t oO r n a m e n t a lT r e e s a n d S h r u b s

Beavers gnaw trees and shrubs forfood, for building material, and forother reasons not entirely known tous. Although this is an importantmechanism for habitat creation and

ConflictsBetweenBeaversandPeople

9

oxygenated water. Although they may benefit from bea-ver activity in the first three or four years, they arenegatively affected by long-term beaver presence.

C o n c e r n s A b o u t W a t e r Q u a l i t y

Beavers are often associated with concerns about thequality of drinking water. Water exiting a beaver pond ishigh in organic chemicals and may be a cause for concernif beaver ponds are located near public water supplies.Giardiasis, an intestinal ailment cause by a Giardia para-site, is referred to by some as “beaver fever” becausebeaver are known to carry the organism. Although bea-vers do carry the Giardia parasite, so do many otheranimals that are found around lakes and reservoirs. De-spite this, beavers will continue to be the primary focus forconcern because they spend so much time swimming inour drinking water.

F l o o d i n g

Residential, commercial, and agricultural development inlow lying areas adjacent to streams and ponds is vulner-able to inundation when beavers move into the area. Acommon concern is the flooding of roads. Culverts areparticularly susceptible to the beavers' unceasing drive tostop flowing water. Drinking water can become contami-nated when wells and septic systems are flooded. Housesand other structures that are inappropriately located infloodplains are also vulnerable.

E f f e c t s o n C o l d - W a t e r F i s h e r i e s

When beavers dam up a stream to produce a pond theyalso change the physical and chemical nature of thestream. Currents are slowed, water temperatures rise, anddissolved oxygen levels drop. Warm water fish, like perchand bass, benefit from the change. Trout prefer cold, well-

10

cheaper and easier method to control beaver damage,fencing provides a more long range solution and preservesthe beneficial aspects of beavers, as well.

W a t e r F l o w D e v i c e s

In situations in which increased water levels resultingfrom beaver activity threaten property, crops, or publichealth and safety, water flow devices may be an appropri-ate way to control the flooding. Sometimes referred to as“beaver pipe,” these water flow devices can be successfulat regulating water levels behind beaver dams. Generally,one or more beaver pipes are placed in a beaver dam at anelevation that will regulate water at the desired level.Beaver pipes can be constructed out of a variety of mate-rials such as PVC pipe, polyethylene tubing, or weldedwire cylinders. With regular maintenance, water flowdevices made of proper, durable materials can alleviateflooding for several years.

Water flow devices can also be used to maintain flowsin road culverts that are repeatedly blocked by beavers. Asimilar kind of pipe is used, along with fencing to keep

on their land generally find that co-existing with beaversprovides many benefits. In situations in which beavers aresimply an inconvenience to landowners, tolerance is theeasiest solution. However, when beaver activity results inproperty damage or concerns about public health andsafety, there are a number of steps that may be taken toalleviate the problems.

E x c l o s u r e s

The most effective way to protect specific trees and shrubsis to construct exclosures around them. Exclosures shouldbe constructed of heavy-gauge fencing and placed aroundthe base of trees or shrubs. Exclosures should be aminimum of four feet tall and should be flush with the

T o l e r a n c e

Beavers, like human beings, are adapt-able and can readily tolerate living inclose association with people. Like-wise, people who learn to tolerate acertain amount of beaver influence

ground at the bottom. Chickenwire is no match for the inci-sors and powerful chewingmuscles of beavers; stick toheavy-gauge fencing material.

Nurseries and orchards canbe protected with fencing toprohibit beaver access. Stan-dard fencing is usually suffi-cient since beavers are poorclimbers, rarely burrow underfences, and generally don'tchew fencing unless it iswrapped around trees orshrubs. In some cases, a single-strand electric fence placed fourto six inches off the groundwill effectively exclude beavers.Although removal of nuisanceanimals may appear to be a

AvoidingandResolvingConflicts

beavers from the culvert entrances. Two factorsare key to the success of these devices: theymust be designed to reduce the cues used bybeavers to detect escaping water, and they mustbe difficult for beavers to plug.

Beaver pipes should only be used whereappropriate conditions exist. Depth of waterbehind the dam, stream flow, and size of thewetland upstream are among the consider-ations. Proper installation of pipes is also im-portant if flooding is to be controlled. Height ofthe pipe from the pond bottom, angle of thepipe, as well as number and diameter of pipesneeded to accommodate the stream flow mustall be evaluated upon installation. Do not tryto install water control devices on your own. In Massachusetts, it is illegal to disturb beaverdams or beaver lodges without a permit (see“Permits” on page 12).

11

R e p e l l e n t s a n d H a r a s s m e n t

As of this writing, there are no known or registeredrepellents that are effective against beavers. Experience todate indicates that harassment is generally ineffective atpersuading beavers to leave an area.

R e m o v a l

Removal of a nuisance beaver can be considered onlywhen there is property damage or a threat to public healthand safety. Problem animals may be trapped during theopen season in accordance with Massachusetts trappingregulations. A permit from the Division of Fisheries and

Wildlife or local Board of Health is required to trap or killbeavers during other times of the year. Trapping andrelocating beavers is not allowed in Massachusetts.

Removal of problem animals can be a relatively quickway to alleviate beaver problems when done by an expe-rienced trapper. However, if appropriate habitat exists, itis possible that other beavers may eventually move intothe area. Addressing habitat features at the stream sitewith other techniques (water flow devices) may stabilizethe wetland and prevent future property damage. Byallowing beavers to remain, a stabilized site will also helpmaintain the beneficial aspect of beavers.

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Adults 2 2 2 6 10 14 26 46 74 126

2 Yr Old 0 0 4 4 4 12 20 28 52 92

1 Yr Old 0 4 4 4 12 20 28 52 92 148

Kits 4 4 4 12 20 28 52 92 148 252

Total 6 10 14 26 46 74 126 218 356 608

12

Permits

Under fish and wildlife laws, it is illegal to disturbbeaver dams without a permit. There are no exemptionsfor any private individual or public agency from thispermit requirement. Permits are also required to modifya beaver dam to install water flow devices. Contact theDivision of Fisheries and Wildlife regional office nearestyou for information about permits. (See page 16.)

Activities that will affect wetlands, such as dam re-moval or installation of beaver pipe, are also regulated byMassachusetts wetlands protection laws. Additional per-mits may be required under the Wetlands Protection Act(a state law protecting wetlands). If you obtain a permitfrom the Division to remove or alter a beaver dam, be sureto contact your local conservation commission beforeinitiating any work. Violations of these laws have resultedin the seizure of equipment, liens placed on privateproperty, and assessment of stiff penalties, fines, andcosts associated with wetlands restoration.

R e m o v a l o f D a m s o rU s e o f F l o w D e v i c e s

In Massachusetts, there are severallaws that govern beaver dams, beaverlodges and activities in wetlandsin general.

D e s t r u c t i o n o f B e a v e r s

At sites that are not conducive to the installation of flowdevices or other mitigating techniques, beavers may onlybe removed in accordance with the following provisionsof state wildlife regulations.

LEGAL HARVEST

The preferred option for removing a beaver from a prob-lem site is to have the beaver taken by a licensed trapperduring the open trapping season (late fall and winter).

SPECIAL PERMIT TO REMOVE BEAVER

In cases of public health or safety a permit can be issuedfrom the Board of Health. A permit may also be issued bythe regional District office of the Division of Fisheries andWildlife for the destruction of beavers causing other typesof property damage. When issuing a permit, Division staffexplain the uses of the permit, reporting requirements,and compliance with other laws.

Massachusetts law prohibits trapping and relocationof any wild animal, including beavers. The primaryreason for this law is concern about the spread ofwildlife diseases.

Beaver Population Growth

13

BeaverManage-ment

habitat loss, and the destruction of beavers as pests, theywere virtually eliminated from Massachusetts and fromlarge portions of North America by the time of theAmerican Revolution. With the loss of beavers, many ofthe values associated with them (wetlands and wildlifehabitat creation, aesthetics, economic benefits) werealso lost. Fortunately, through active restoration andmanagement programs, their populations have recoveredand beavers again occupy most of their former rangein Massachusetts.

Proper management of beaver populations is neededfor two reasons: to address the negative aspects of beavers(property damage, health, and safety) and to ensure thatthis native species is never again eliminated from ourstate. To understand how beavers are managed in Massa-chusetts, it is important to understand something aboutthe biology and dynamics of beaver populations.

B e a v e r P o p u l a t i o n s

In general, two major factors affect the state’s beaverpopulation: the number of beavers born and the numberof beavers that are removed from the population eachyear. Beaver populations are also limited by the amount ofsuitable habitat available to them. The table at left andchart at right show how quickly beaver populations cangrow and use up available habitat in a given area. Thissimple model shows the growth of a hypothetical popula-tion, beginning with two adults and increasing with theaddition each year of four young for each pair of adultbeavers. This gives an indication of what could happen tothe state’s beaver population if no animals were removed.

For over ten thousand years, humans and timberwolves were the most significant predators of beavers in

During the 1600s and 1700s, beaverswere over-exploited by fur harvest-ers. Many beavers were also killedand their wetlands habitats drainedby settlers building homes and farms.As a result of unrestricted utilization,

Population Growth Within a Watershed

KEY: active colony abandoned colony

YEAR 1

YEAR 5

colonies in excess ofwatershed capacity YEAR 10

14

Massachusetts, hunting and utilizing beavers and therebysubtracting them from the population. Timber wolvespreyed extensively on beavers and undoubtedly exertedsome control on beaver numbers. However, wolves wereeliminated from Massachusetts in the early 1800s and areunlikely to return. Although otters, coyotes, and bobcatsoccasionally prey on beavers, they generally take too fewto significantly influence beaver populations. Humans(through the regulated trapping season) are the primarymechanism available for removing beavers from thepopulation and controlling their numbers. If the state'sbeaver population were allowed to grow uncontrollablyit would inevitably result in increased property damageand flooding.

The most serious threat to the long-term survival ofbeavers in Massachusetts is the encroachment of human

development on their habitats. With over six millionpeople currently living in the state, homes and shoppingcenters have already had a significant impact on beaverhabitat. As human developments continue to fragmentthe landscape, areas available for beavers and otherwildlife are diminishing. As people encroach on wetlandhabitats, conflicts between people and beavers occurmore frequently.

M a n a g e m e n t i n M a s s a c h u s e t t s

The essential challenge for beaver management is to findways to co-exist with beavers that maximize their benefi-cial aspects yet minimize conflicts with people. TheDivision of Fisheries and Wildlife uses regulated trap-ping, exclosures, water control devices and public educa-tion promoting tolerance as means to meet that challenge.

15

Goals established for beaver management include: main-taining beaver populations compatible with suitable habi-tat, minimizing property damage caused by beavers andmanaging beavers for their associated wetland and othervalues.

Wildlife biologists monitor the number and types ofbeaver complaints, assess habitat, and monitor the annualharvest of beavers. Biologists then make recommenda-tions to increase or decrease beaver populations asneeded. Regulated trapping is used as the most feasibleand effective method for reducing or controlling beaverpopulations. The Division also has programs for investi-gating beaver complaints and utilizing flow devices toalleviate damage.

Successful management of beavers in Massachusettswill require a combination of all the techniques listed in

this booklet. Solutions to beaver damage problems arerarely simple and no one technique is a cure-all for beaverdamage. For example, flow devices do not control beaverpopulations. At the same time, trapping of beavers at acomplaint site does not change the features of the site thatattracted beavers in the first place. In some cases, usingboth techniques (a flow device to control water levels andregulated trapping to control population levels) can pro-vide a long-term solution to beaver problems. By follow-ing practices described in this booklet we can expectpractical long term solutions to beaver problems, moresecure and stable wetland complexes, and the creationand enhancement of wetland habitats on public andprivate land.

16

If you have a beaver complaint orwould like more information on con-trolling beaver damage, contact theDivision of Fisheries and Wildlifeoffice nearest you.

Western Wildlife District

400 Hubbard Avenue

Pittsfield, MA 01201

(413) 447-9789

Connecticut Valley WildlifeDistrict

East Street

Belchertown, MA 01007

(413) 323-7632

Central Wildlife District

Temple Street

West Boylston, MA 01583

(508) 835-3607

Northeast Wildlife District

68 Harris Street

Acton, MA 01720

(978) 263-4347

Southeast Wildlife District

195 Bournedale Road

Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

(508) 759-3406

Lily Pond: Four Years With a Familyof Beavers, by Hope Ryden, 1989.William Morrow & Co., New York.

The World of the Beaver, by L.L. RueIII, 1964. Lippincott Co., Philadel-phia and New York.

Wild Mammals of New England,by A. J. Godin, 1977. The JohnsHopkins University Press, Baltimore.

Wild Mammals of North America:Biology - Management - Economics,by Joseph A. Chapman and GeorgeA. Feldhamer, 1982. The JohnsHopkins University Press, Baltimore.

Wild Furbearer Management in NorthAmerica, by Milan Novek, James A.Baker, Martyn E. Obbard and BruceMallock, 1987. Ontario Trappers As-sociation, Ontario Ministry of Natu-ral Resources, Toronto.

Beavers, Water, Wildlife and History,by Earl L. Hifiker, 1991. Heart of theLakes Publishing, Interlaken.

Addi-tionalReading

Whereto GoForHelp

Design: Jack Cavacco • Illustrations: Nancy Haver • Printed on recycled paper

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture.UMass Extension and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife provide equal opportunity in programs and employment. NR-0124:10/01

U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A S S A C H U S E T T S E X T E N S I O N

M A S S A C H U S E T T S D I V I S I O N O F F I S H E R I E S A N D W I L D L I F E