Busy Beavers

By Don Kleiner – Master Maine Guide - www.MaineOutdoors.biz

The last couple of mornings have been cold and in fact last nights frost lingered in the shade until nearly noon today. The ice has started to form in the shallows. Winter is definitely coming even though the last few days have been very sunny and mild. The falling temperatures and cooling water have the beavers working overtime. I noticed this morning where one cut a few small trees and dragged them across the road on my way to Augusta.

Many of you have heard me talk about how beavers need to solve the winter problem of being below the ice and their food source is above. The solution for them is to cut and pile a good supply of small trees and limbs below the surface of the cold water that helps to keep the food fresh. Now is the time for all of that frantic putting food up for the beavers. In the past I have seen them working at almost any time of day but of course since the nights are now much longer they have the cover of darkness most of the time.

It won’t be long now until their ponds are covered with ice and snow. The lodge is frozen into a protective fortresses and the quiet of winter is theirs. But for the next couple of weeks they are literally as busy as beavers.

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