Boone & Crockett beaver

[KAJ]

What are some of the highest recorded weights on beaver in Alberta? In 1981 I harvested a beaver north of Stettler, that I thought was as big as a seal. Just recently, I decided that I should weigh some of the bigger ones I have harvested and so far my record is 54.8lbs.

[TBark]

My boy shot a 50 lb, est, beaver over the summer, looked like a small bear.
I will post a pic if I can find one.
Do an AO site search for Little Smoky Valleyview, is a post where I posted that beaver.

TBark

[pickrel pat]

there was a 98 lber in alaska!

[KegRiver]

I don't know what the biggest beaver I have seen, weighed.
I was told that they can reach 100lbs. I'm sure that the biggest I have seen would have been close if not over.

I've never taken one that large, maybe sixty pounds would be the biggest I've taken.

As a trapper, hide size is how I learned to measure beaver. The largest I've seen was an 86" beaver my foster brother took back in the 70s.

My biggest was 81". That's measured from between the eyes to the bottom of the dried hide and with at the widest point, totalled.

[Red Bullets]

Back in the late 70's, the very first beaver I caught was close to 80 lbs. The old fur buyer at that time told me it was the biggest beaver he had seen in a few years. The fur buyer told me that the old bachelor beavers are the ones that get big. He also gave me 180 dollars for it just because of it's size.
Historically, in the 1800's when the train tracks came west thru the mountains, there is mention of a beaver that was killed by the workers in the mountains that weighed well over 100 lbs.

[KegRiver]

Found this little tid bit online.

The heaviest known beaver weighed 110 pounds, and was taken by Vernon Baily in 1921. Baily caught the record-setting beaver on the Iron River in Wisconsin.

[dumoulin]

When I was a teenager, my best friend and I trapped and shot 30, 40 50 and 80 pounders in this ravine which had been untouched. I can't recall seeing any animals bigger than those... quite unbeleivable actually. That was back in 88 or 89 North-Eastern Alberta.

[TRAPPER92]

We caught a big one some years ago so out of curiosity we wieghed it and turns ot to be 74 lbs

[sourdough doug]

And I had to use two sheets of plywood to board one, back when..

[ROAD HAMMER]

108 lbs that was my big beaver trapped around 1991 around Stettler.

[catnthehat]

Buddy of mine took a 98 pounder quite a few years back west of Edmonton, big fella for sure!
Cat

[Jetlee]

I caught a 65 pounder on Tuesday - sorry no pics.

[huntslots]

Originally Posted by ROAD HAMMER

108 lbs that was my big beaver trapped around 1991 around Stettler.

Now that's got to be a Booner!! WOW

[saddleup]

A few years back while trapping I caught a 63 lb beaver, couldnt sell him thou cause I wanted to skin and stretch and tan it myself and keep as a wall hanger,
and still have it today...

[Stewie]

We have whacked a few at the farm that were in there 60's

[IHUNT]

There was a beaver that lived in canada way back when. They were called the giant canadin beaver and they say that it could weigh up to 300lbs accrding to the discovery chanel.

[Rockymtnx]

Over the past 3 years I have shot 6-8 that have broke the 50 lb mark.
I know someone who trapped a pregnat one that weighed in at 93 lbs.

Here is a 54 pounder that Frans got at my place last year.

[rielbowhunter]

Thats one big beaver, thanks for saring the picture. without pictures they are all just good old stories.

[parfleche]

78 lbs female last fall, 74 lbs before that about eight years ago. Weighed after it had dried off, the following day. makes a fellow wonder if he is losing his strenght when he first picks it up! But my hope is more along the line I may just luck out and get an Albino some day!

[KegRiver]

I have never weighed any beaver. It was common practice among the folks I know, to use hide measurements as the scale for determining Beaver size.

By that measure, the largest I have seen measured 86 inches and the largest I have taken measured 78 inches.

I'm not sure, but I would think that a fifty pound beaver would measure in the high 60s. Just a guess, based on packing out more then my share of Moose quarters, I would guess the 86 inch specimen would have been close to 100 pounds, possibly even more then 100.

For the non trapper types. Beaver hides are measured from between the eyes, or ears, depending on the buyer, to the base of the tail, and at the widest point, for width. Those two measurements are added to arrive at a total. This is done on the stretched hide.

The following is how they are rated.

Super Blanket = 70+ inches
Extra Blanket = 65 to 70
Blanket = 60 to 65
extra Larger = 55 to 60
Large = 50 to 55
Medium = 45 to 50
Small = 40 to 45
Kit under 40

A mature adult beaver would be 55 or larger.

[parfleche]

Keg , a 78 lbs beaver , fall trapped measured around 86 inches if I remember right, and that was from between the eyes to the base where the tail starts and just under the front legs so to speak or perhaps a tad lower but above the centre line. I have pics of the 78 lbs female, but can only send to an e-mail. Those pics are in the round and laying flat with a measuring tape along side of it. If I recollect right it measured just around four feet with the tail.
I would assume a 100 lbs animal would likely measure in the 90 mark depending on what condition it ws in.

[Jack&7]

Wow....21 posts and not one poor-taste joke in a thread about big beavers?

Not one of you guys made a crack about catching tons of big beavers back in the 70's while cruising in your Trans Am????

What has this board (and this world) come to?

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by parfleche

Keg , a 78 lbs beaver , fall trapped measured around 86 inches if I remember right, and that was from between the eyes to the base where the tail starts and just under the front legs so to speak or perhaps a tad lower but above the centre line. I have pics of the 78 lbs female, but can only send to an e-mail. Those pics are in the round and laying flat with a measuring tape along side of it. If I recollect right it measured just around four feet with the tail.
I would assume a 100 lbs animal would likely measure in the 90 mark depending on what condition it ws in.

I would think that the weight verses size range would be rather broad.
In other words, I would think that a 86 inch beaver could range from 70 to 90 pounds. But that's just a guess.

I do know that beaver over 84 inches are quiet rare, I've seen a lot of beaver hides and only a few of them were over 84 inches. I'm not sure of the number now but if memory serves, it would be no more then four.

It's very interesting that you have both the weight and measurement of that beaver. Very informative. I have never seen both for one hide.

I remember when I was about 10 I packed out a very large beaver hide for my dad. I believe that trip was about 4 miles and the snow was deep.
What I do remember clearly was the weight of that hide and how tired I was when we reached my dads old Ford pickup. I though I'd never make it. LOL

Good memories. Dad caught two Fisher, one Mink, and a backpack full of Beaver that day. He had no room left in the pack and he had the Mink and Fisher to carry, so I carried the big hide for him. I felt ten foot tall that day !!

[saddleup]

Originally Posted by Jack&7

Wow....21 posts and not one poor-taste joke in a thread about big beavers?

Not one of you guys made a crack about catching tons of big beavers back in the 70's while cruising in your Trans Am????

What has this board (and this world) come to?

We are serious about our beavers.... but cougars on the other hand......lol

[parfleche]

Got your e-mail keg, Like I posted back pm I tried twice to e-mail pics , but failed , bear with me I will get some help and you can post them up..

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by parfleche

Got your e-mail keg, Like I posted back pm I tried twice to e-mail pics , but failed , bear with me I will get some help and you can post them up..

PM sent. I put .com when it should be .ca

[parfleche]

Keg, Get the pics yet?

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by Jack&7

Wow....21 posts and not one poor-taste joke in a thread about big beavers?

Not one of you guys made a crack about catching tons of big beavers back in the 70's while cruising in your Trans Am????

What has this board (and this world) come to?

The whole reason I opened the thread in the first plce was to see what kind of hilarity and debauchery would be happening. I too, am disappointed. My faith in mankind is eroded.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYDfwUJzYQg&ob=av2e

[KegRiver]

Got your pictures parfleche, Very very cool beaver, especially the five legged one. WOW And the big one is as big or bigger then the largest I have ever seen. It's a monster for sure!











I'm going to have to drop in at F&W in High Level the next time I'm up there and take a picture of my Sabre toothed beaver. They have it on display.

[parfleche]

Keg, Cant wait to see it! I,ll say this when you catch a big one you wonder if you arent getting old in a hurry!