=WARNING= The following story contains descriptive materials that some may find offensive or gory. If that is you, or if you have a weak stomach then DO NOT READ this post.
Y'all remember a couple weeks ago I gave you the story of my last beaver trapping effort for the season? Well, if you'll recollect, I left a trap down there. The heavy rains had swollen the creek to the point that it was not possible for me to collect that last trap. I had to leave it in hopes that my cousin Ernest would retrieve it in the next couple days.
Well, he didn't....
I went back down there yesterday with a couple of buddies of mine. They walked in with me to collect the one last prodigal trap. It's been two weeks since I last saw this trap. But now the water level was back to normal and I could get to it to pull it out.
The first thing I noticed was that the tie cable was stretched out in the other direction from where I had placed the trap. "Hmmmm." I thought. "That's not where I left this thing." That's when I noticed a discolored patch of white skin floating under some brush just at the waters surface. ? "Oh! Good Lord!" Sure enough, there was a beaver in it!. He had been in it for two weeks now in 70 to 80 degree weather and he was RIPE! ?
So now comes the morbid task of removing it from my trap. First thing, trying to pull it to me, it snags on a tree branch and rips open. Bloated entrails come spilling out. ? "Ah! Man! I didn't need THAT! I had to take another limb and push back on it to unsnag the thing.
Out on dry ground, I could see the size of this thing. Too bad I couldn't have collected him two weeks ago. He'd a been a NICE one! I bet he would have weighed 70 pounds or better!
But... Too late now. Now it's just a matter of salvaging my trap. The fur had nearly all slipped off leaving the carcass creamy white and naked. The skin was peeling off of the tail exposing the fat underneath. At one point I was almost positive that I saw something moving inside the beast entrails.
As I worked to compress the springs to free this bloated carcass, I could hear my buddies up on the hill behind me gagging. 100 feet away from me and THEY are gagging! How do they think I felt?! ?
With my trap free, I scrambled back up the hill to get some fresh air. Then walked back down to the creek far away from the dead body to wash my trap and catch my breath.
The only beaver I caught on that last effort, and I couldn't collect him... I hate it but I don't know what else I could have done. I set a trapline away from my home and couldn't pull that last trap due to high water before I had to leave to come back home. It's sad but it's not like I can control the weather.
Hey.... Sometimes, spit happens.
Y'all remember a couple weeks ago I gave you the story of my last beaver trapping effort for the season? Well, if you'll recollect, I left a trap down there. The heavy rains had swollen the creek to the point that it was not possible for me to collect that last trap. I had to leave it in hopes that my cousin Ernest would retrieve it in the next couple days.
Well, he didn't....
I went back down there yesterday with a couple of buddies of mine. They walked in with me to collect the one last prodigal trap. It's been two weeks since I last saw this trap. But now the water level was back to normal and I could get to it to pull it out.
The first thing I noticed was that the tie cable was stretched out in the other direction from where I had placed the trap. "Hmmmm." I thought. "That's not where I left this thing." That's when I noticed a discolored patch of white skin floating under some brush just at the waters surface. ? "Oh! Good Lord!" Sure enough, there was a beaver in it!. He had been in it for two weeks now in 70 to 80 degree weather and he was RIPE! ?
So now comes the morbid task of removing it from my trap. First thing, trying to pull it to me, it snags on a tree branch and rips open. Bloated entrails come spilling out. ? "Ah! Man! I didn't need THAT! I had to take another limb and push back on it to unsnag the thing.
Out on dry ground, I could see the size of this thing. Too bad I couldn't have collected him two weeks ago. He'd a been a NICE one! I bet he would have weighed 70 pounds or better!
But... Too late now. Now it's just a matter of salvaging my trap. The fur had nearly all slipped off leaving the carcass creamy white and naked. The skin was peeling off of the tail exposing the fat underneath. At one point I was almost positive that I saw something moving inside the beast entrails.
As I worked to compress the springs to free this bloated carcass, I could hear my buddies up on the hill behind me gagging. 100 feet away from me and THEY are gagging! How do they think I felt?! ?
With my trap free, I scrambled back up the hill to get some fresh air. Then walked back down to the creek far away from the dead body to wash my trap and catch my breath.
The only beaver I caught on that last effort, and I couldn't collect him... I hate it but I don't know what else I could have done. I set a trapline away from my home and couldn't pull that last trap due to high water before I had to leave to come back home. It's sad but it's not like I can control the weather.
Hey.... Sometimes, spit happens.
I would have sacrificed that 1 to the beaver gods and called it even.