We Can / Can't Have Too Many Beavers?

[Grumblenuts]

The furry mammal variety with big teeth. We need more. Beavers. They are key to sustainability in the U.S. Link to a great article on the subject:

The US is bringing back nature's best firefighters: beavers

For decades, beavers were considered pests – trapped and shot on sight. Now the attitude towards nature's best engineers is changing, and farmers are working to bring them back.

www.bbc.com

But I'm also interested in discussing the (tragic?) ambiguity (in the context of current, popular English language usage) of statements such as, "You can't have too many beavers" vs. "You can have too many beavers." Unfortunately, one can often say either nowadays and mean the exact same thing, no? Locally one can always have excess (too many) oranges while the nation suffers a shortage (too little) overall.

Picture neighbors talking over a shared fence yesterday, say in Oregon, California, or Idaho:
Joe: "Juanita, ya know, these days you can't have too many beavers."
Juanita: "Oh, don't be ridiculous, Joe. You can always have too many beavers!"
Joe: "I have some now, but I've always needed more. I've never had too many beavers."
..

 

[Vastator]

Till you have a family of beavers move in, and convert your pastureland into a swamp...

 

[Mr Natural]

Eat a beaver save a tree.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

They are cute and furry, but they can cause major issues with flooding faster than you can say, oh shit!

 

[JGalt]

I cannot lie, I like big brown beavers.

 

[toobfreak]

Eat a beaver save a tree.

I am all for a well-coiffed beaver.

 

[toobfreak]

I cannot lie, I like big brown beavers.

Now try watching that after dropping acid.

 

[1srelluc]

I hear beaver prices are up a bit this year....Not bad at all really....Sadly with the weak dollar it knowhere near equates to getting the same thing in the 80s.

Oh well, maybe we will see fewer streams clogged with beaver dams like what happened when they were down to $8.00 - $10.00.


Beaver pelts should continue to sell strong, and price will be determined by size and weight of pelts more than by quality. Expect averages of $20-30 for all grades.

Any beaver can be used for the hatter trade regardless of how prime the pelt is, and because pelts are ground up to make felt, the cuts and holes in pelts that would typically result in downgrades won’t matter nearly as much. Buyers may be a bit more choosy this year after paying through the nose for every beaver pelt they could find last year, and prices may reflect pelt quality a bit more than they did, but don’t be fooled. This is still by far a volume market.

Trap beavers early and often. Don’t feel the need to wait until the pelts are ‘prime’ unless you’re targeting a very specific niche market. Take advantage of the high beaver prices. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this and it certainly won’t last forever.

I never really messed with the castor as it was not even much of a market for it back in the day but here ya go.

The demand for beaver castor has not kept up with pelt demand, and prices have fallen from their high levels of a couple years ago. Castoreum will probably average $20-30 a pound, with potentially higher prices for the best grades.

 

[Oddball]

 

[Concerned American]

I hear beaver prices are up a bit this year....Not bad at all really....Sadly with the weak dollar it knowhere near equates to getting the same thing in the 80s.

Oh well, maybe we will see fewer streams clogged with beaver dams like what happened when they were down to $8.00 - $10.00.


Beaver pelts should continue to sell strong, and price will be determined by size and weight of pelts more than by quality. Expect averages of $20-30 for all grades.

Any beaver can be used for the hatter trade regardless of how prime the pelt is, and because pelts are ground up to make felt, the cuts and holes in pelts that would typically result in downgrades won’t matter nearly as much. Buyers may be a bit more choosy this year after paying through the nose for every beaver pelt they could find last year, and prices may reflect pelt quality a bit more than they did, but don’t be fooled. This is still by far a volume market.

Trap beavers early and often. Don’t feel the need to wait until the pelts are ‘prime’ unless you’re targeting a very specific niche market. Take advantage of the high beaver prices. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this and it certainly won’t last forever.

I never really messed with the castor as it was not even much of a market for it back in the day but here ya go.

The demand for beaver castor has not kept up with pelt demand, and prices have fallen from their high levels of a couple years ago. Castoreum will probably average $20-30 a pound, with potentially higher prices for the best grades.

You can't get a good beaver at Mustang Ranch, Kit Kat I, II or Moonlight Ranch for less than $50.

 

[1srelluc]

You can't get a good beaver at Mustang Ranch, Kit Kat I, II or Moonlight Ranch for less than $50.

I hear Sandpaper Sally is only $5.00.