# Beaver sighting on the little miami



## HaroldtheMeek (May 28, 2005)

No, not that kind. A real beaver.
Went on a long bike/hike trip up the river yesterday and got to a real fishy looking spot. Something made a huge splash behind me and I thought it was either a 20 pound carp or the mother of all smallmouths.
When it happened again, I stopped fishing and stood and watched. This time I saw it, a big old beaver surfaced and smacked the water with its tail. 
It would smack the water, submerge then come up and swim around with its head sticking up out of the water. A couple times it came swimming right at me, getting fairly close before it turned away.
It was clearly agitated and it seemed like it wanted me out of there. Those things are as big as a pretty good sized dog!
This happened at a bend in the river where a feeder creek joins, with riffles above and below the hole, which was quite deep judging from counting down a lure to the bottom.
Wonder if the ODNR is aware that beavers are in the Little Miami.


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## Webman27 (May 31, 2007)

No doubt it was trying to scare you off. I couldn't believe the number of beavers we saw when we were up in Canada this year and we had a couple tail slappers exactly like you described. Supposedly they can be some pretty mean SOBs


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## Whiskers (Aug 11, 2004)

You were probably close to his/her den, and I would be willing to bet he/she was agitated because a litter of babies was close by. 

I see beavers often while fishing the Mad River and Buck Creek. Most of the time, they get spooked and go under water or swim up or down stream away from me. I don't think they are mean critters unless they feel you are threatening them or their litter. 

I'd bet anything a den was close to where you were fishing.


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## fisherman5567 (Jan 3, 2007)

I too see a lot of beavers and also river otters when floating the rivers around here.....but the just last month i was walking my dog (mth old mastiff that weighs 75lbs) and he ran up on a beaver and this thing was huge! it was at least 80lbs but more like 90. it made my dog look like a real puppy! i couldnt believe my eyes. I looked on the internet for records of big beavers and found out that they have them recorded at over 100lbs. If that thing would have gotten my dog it could have split him in half!


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## fisherman5567 (Jan 3, 2007)

that was on the mad river near eastwood metro park


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## crocodile (Sep 26, 2006)

Beavers are really interesting animals. Otters are a real treat to see though. Otters were once extinct in ohio but were reintroduced and the numbers are growing. I love to see stories like that to see a species fall so far and come back. The biggest suprise though is that it came from the help of humans. I have seen wild otters in FL. If there is one there is usuallly a group called a pod. Ronnie

Crocodile Haven
www.crocodilehaven.com


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## HOTTFINGER (Apr 14, 2004)

I've been seeing them on the GMR/West Carrollton pool for at least ten years. They have built numerous dams up and down that pool but flood waters usually wash them away. You can see where they've stripped bark from quite a few trees if you look for it.


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## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

I to have been spooked by beavers. I was float tubing a beaver pond in CO at dusk so its almost dark barly any light I am out in this big pond under a vary sharp rising moutain side about 3 or 4 hundred ft ominisously looming above me making for many thought of creatures that could eat me. My nerves on edge allready and the from behind SLAP. I almost came out of the tube and could have walked on the water to get out of the pond. Having no idea what it was. Well Lilghting up a smoke and sip from the flask brought me back to a fishable shaking and SLAP. Needless to say I was out of the water for the night. I sat bank side staring into the night with a flashlite and finally saw my gremlin. A very large beaver who's cove I had apparently entered. I have had this happen many time fishing the beaver ponds out there at night though it still scare the crap out you at least you know its not the creature from the black lagoon. (which by the way was on tv the other day an absolute classic.) I have seen otters at play, mink running the banks as well as lizards and the like. I don't know much about lizards so I don't know excactly what they were. I aslo love to see the animals in Ohio as seeing them out west was fairly common. To me its a good sign for the future of our water ways and the improving habbitat and water quality of the LMR. I know there is a long way to go but hey its a start. S


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## fisherman5567 (Jan 3, 2007)

I saw otters for the first time on the mad river. i wasnt sure what they were but i saw about 12 of them throughout the trip. They are really neat animals. Im glad they reintroduced them.


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## JerryA (Aug 16, 2004)

I've seen them in the GMR and the Whitewater. They are neat to see but I'm not sure they're good for the river. Have you ever seen an area where they have taken down a lot of trees, big trees along the river bank? Some of those trees are 100 yrs old and can not be replaced quickly. They clog up the river when it floods and it's got to be bad for bank erosion. It only takes a few of these critters to cause extensive damage.


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## Webman27 (May 31, 2007)

I was actually surprised to learn that what I thought was an otter up in Canada was actually a mink. I guess otters are significantly larger and come out at different times of the year. I am by no means saying you don't know what you are talking about I was just shocked they were so similar looking of animals.


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## fisherman5567 (Jan 3, 2007)

I have not seen any mink yet, they are around but like you said maybe a different time of year.


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## crocodile (Sep 26, 2006)

Minks are pretty good size. We had some rescues at are facility. They weren't very friendly but had tons of personality. I was very sad when they passed. Ronnie

Crocodile Haven
www.crocodilehaven.com


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Beaver in SW Ohio go way back, I grew up in Beavercreek and saw some in the wetland area ( long before it was ever protected like in the mid 70's and below Rt 35 on the LMR in about 79'-80') so they have been around the LMR for a very long time, I have seen them on about every watershed in Dayton and there is even a whole bunch of them on a ditch behind my place, that ditch is barely a trickle but they have found there way up there about 25 stream miles from the GMR. 
Referring to reintroduced Otters, I have only seen them in Minnesota, Canada and on the East Frk of the Whitewater river in SE Indiana. What someone said was otter was surely a mink on the Mad River, that upper Mad is crawling with them as they need cold clean water and the Mad has plenty of it. Not uncommon to see half a dozen in a days float and maybe a beaver or two. Mink get to be about 24" long and very curious, more so then otters, which tend to spook rather easily from my experience
Cool in the clear water to see them swim by.


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## crocodile (Sep 26, 2006)

I see beavers all the time. There are quite a few in East Fork lake. I haven't seen otters in Ohio. If you goto the zoo they have a great exhibit on Ohio native wildlife and tells the story of the otters. The exhibit is by the Mexian wolf exhibit. We working on getting some South American otters.


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## KevinAce (Jul 14, 2007)

There were a few beaver sightings at Eastwood Lake a few weekends ago at about 10 PM. At least I think they were beavers...that's what my buddy said. We were fishing along the west shore by the outlet (a bit south of it) and anytime we got close they'd smack the water real hard with their tails (apparently to scare us off and/or warn the others).

They were pretty aggressive...smacking the water just feet from us. I got splashed a few times...scared the crap out of me.


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## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

I was seeing large numbers of beavers in the LMR until two winters ago. Some trappers took their numbers down sharply. Beavers are already coming back into the area or the ones that were left are reproducing well. 
As for the river otters, I have only seen one here in Ohio. I have seen several minks and tons of musk rats.


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## carxman17 (Aug 23, 2007)

I see beavers at east fork from time to time. I saw one sunday morn. he was about ten feet from my boat. didnt seem to bother him much. they are cool to watch...


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## lpead (Apr 6, 2007)

JerryA said:


> I've seen them in the GMR and the Whitewater. They are neat to see but I'm not sure they're good for the river. Have you ever seen an area where they have taken down a lot of trees, big trees along the river bank? Some of those trees are 100 yrs old and can not be replaced quickly. They clog up the river when it floods and it's got to be bad for bank erosion. It only takes a few of these critters to cause extensive damage.



Maybe you can get WiperSwiper to take care of them for ya. lol


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

Had one spook me pretty good once. I was wading very quietly and came up next to a tree that was down in the water. I took a couple of casts and then the entire tree exploded. I had no idea he was there. He must not have seen me either. I think we were both pretty surprised.

I saw an otter once down at the mouth of a trib to the Ohio River. I thought it was a dog running though the woods until it came clear. He never stopped running and dove head first in the water. He never did come back up. There was no confusing him with a mink, he was a big one.


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## fisharder (Mar 18, 2005)

fisherman5567 said:


> ..but the just last month i was walking my dog (mth old mastiff that weighs 75lbs) and he ran up on a beaver and this thing was huge! it was at least 80lbs but more like 90.


You have to go pretty far north to see a beaver that size. I have seen one in Danali Alaska It SCARED me when I saw it.That beaver you saw will be in the same area you saw him. You should try to get a photo and post it.


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## fishonjon (Jun 28, 2004)

I had one surprise me last summer on the LMR at dusk. I was in my kayak headed downstream towards Fosters and it busted into the river from the bank with a splash and then slapped it's tail. It didn't want me around and I obliged.


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