Lake Beavers

 Bryan thought they were just using the shore openings for air holes.  Every night they would break then open again.  But last night he learned something.  He always knew aquatic plants were in their diet but had never observed it other than lily pads dragged up on shore or on the ice.  We first noticed them at dusk and at 1 am they were still there and also a daybreak.  A large adult and a last years kit would go out under the ice for 1 to 3 minutes and then they would come back with another arm load of vegetation (size of a coconut ball).  They would drag it out on the ice and sort through it, hold and rinse it underwater and then eating with their fingers just like we would.  

The shores of our lake in the fall are covered with dieing Salmon and Bears looking to catch one.  Every predator in the area is cruising the lake shore looking for dieing Salmon.  Two falls ago we counted 23 different Grizzlies on one evening. 
This is the time of the year when Beavers are making their feed piles. Since we've been here almost every year a colony has tired to set up on the lake.  Whether it is a Bear, Wolverine, Lynx, Eagle, Wolf.... their lodges are destroyed and the Beaver taken.

Where they're not stressed.... way up in the high valleys and ponds, we take one ..... but not down here on the lake.

Beaver Head Butts