East coast beaver attacks.

[lowangle al]

About a week ago two guys were attacked by a beaver on Lake George, NY. Earlier this spring a boy was attacked on a New Jersey river, and this wasn't the only case in Jersey. In all cases authorities believe the beavers had rabies, I'm not sure if this was confirmed or not. At any rate I would steer clear of any beavers or other wildlife that are not acting "normal", as rabies may be more common then we think.

 

[Boatman53]

I read that the other day too and thought it very unusual.
Jim

 

[Penns Woods]

Rabies in wildlife is a terrible thing to see. Living in the country and growing up on the farm I have seen many different animals with it. I think I've seen more skunks sick with it then any other animal.
I've seen them go blind and lose control of their brain making them go in circle. I've talked with the Pa game commission about it, their advise was to destroy them but NEVER shot them in the head. Later you should bury them. I fear skunks more then bears or anything else on my canoe trips.

 

[lowangle al]

I think rabies is on the rise. A guy was attacked by a black bear not far from me this winter that was captured on a doorbell camera. A neighbor came out and shot the bear which tested positive for rabies. About a week ago my neighbor came over to warn me about a rabid raccoon a couple doors down. I personally was attacked by a raccoon a few years ago that was probably rabid.

Why not shoot them in the head Larry? Is it so they can be tested? Good idea to bury them. I know of a guy who died from handling a dead rabid raccoon.

I heard something interesting about skunks from my neighbor last week. He told me he was an avid trapper in the past and I asked him what was the most difficult animal he had to release from a trap. It happened to be a raccoon that bit the crap out of him. Somehow the conversation turned to releasing skunks and I asked how he did it without being sprayed. He said he would talk to them in a very calm soothing voice and after about 15 minutes they would just let him release them. He said they are very sweet animals.

As I was writing this post the Lake George incident popped up on my computer screen from an "Adirondack Explorer" article.

 

[Boatman53]

Plus one on the whispering to the skunk before it is released from a hav-a-hart trap. Also cover the trap with an old towel. That worked for me when I caught one by accident.
Jim

 

[Penns Woods]

Alan, I believe you are correct that Rabies is on the rise. The reason the Game Commission told me not to shoot a rabie victim in the head was the virus lives in the head and shooting allows the virus to escape .

 

[UCanoe_2]

Laboratory post-mortem testing for rabies requires microscopic examination of brain tissue, which a head shot would destroy. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/php/labs-specimens/testing.html
I had never heard about the virus escaping. If you don't need the testing for confirmation, a head shot may be the quickest way to kill an animal and prevent an attack.

Rabies is endemic among the raccoons in our rural neighborhood. Too bad, because when a mama coon made a den in our hollow maple tree, the babies were really cute.

Once a coon marched up and down behind our back yard fence in broad daylight (they are normally nocturnal). It was not disturbed by three dogs barking at it, so we brought the dogs inside. The coon then came into the yard, wandered around, and climbed up on the back porch. My wife, an RN, saw it have a grand mal seizure. Atypical raccoon behavior + central nervous system disorder = high probability of rabies. When it peeked over a stack of firewood, a head shot with a .22 took it out immediately.

 

[lowangle al]

Laboratory post-mortem testing for rabies requires microscopic examination of brain tissue, which a head shot would destroy. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/php/labs-specimens/testing.html

I found this out in seventh grade. We had a bat in the classroom that bit the brave guy who tried to catch it. The rest of the class took out our revenge on the bat by smashing it into oblivion. This prevented any testing for rabies and our classmate had to endure the rabies shots.

I can see why you shouldn't shoot a rabid animal in the head even if you don't plan on testing it. Infected brain tissue could end up in your mouth or eye, which could be all it takes to get the infection.

 

[PortageW/Cerberus]

When I was a kid (12? 13?) I came home from school and let the dogs out. They quickly kicked up a storm and I went out to find they had a raccoon cornered. Went inside, got bow and arrow, went outside and dispatched it. Went inside, opened phone book, called humane society or animal control (can't recall which outfit). They came, picked up the carcass and took it for testing. I used flame on the bloody arrow to sterilize.

Folks came home from work that evening and I had a fun story to tell.

Few days later we got the positive test results and I got the third degree about touching the animal, blood, etc. I did not get shots. Dogs had current vaccines and all was well. That was about 45 years ago.

 

[Dana]

Right now our beaver problem is with them blocking the bridge we paddle under to get into the next lake. As soon as the park rangers clear it they start blocking it again.

Raccoon rabies is a problem around here. Some years ago I saw an obviously sick raccoon in my neighbor's yard. If it was my own yard I would have simply shot it and called the animal control officer (who was another neighbor) to dispose of it, but shooting it in somebody else's yard didn't seem too neighborly, so I called the police. They said they'd send somebody right out; I said I'd keep an eye on it but that I'd shoot it if it tried to leave. "We're rather you didn't do that," I was told, to which I replied that I would do what I thought was necessary to protect my family and pets. They just said be careful... small town. Cop showed up real quick, 'coon was still there, an he dispatched it with three (!!) shots from his service weapon.

At around the same time, my son in law (this was before our daughter met him) was a counselor in an overnight camp. He got bit by a bat in the cabin. They couldn't find the bat so he had to get the shots.

 

[MrPoling]

The drought might be making the beaver shifty down here (southeast).

My Falls Lake day trip report includes lots of tail-slapping. Maybe they are being more aggressive as their ponds shrink.

Dry Falls Lake Day Trip

We've gone from flood to drought here in the Carolinas. Over the 4th of July weekend I went to see the north western end of Falls Lake. Location: Falls Lake, NC, near Hickory Hill boat ramp. Date: early July 2026 Craft: fiberglass Mad River Explorer Paddlers: 1 adult Falls Lake was about 6...

www.canoetripping.net

Thankfully they aren't attacking people like their rabid northern cousins.

 

[snapper]

Just read today that DEC has verified the beaver on Lake George was indeed rabid. It was found deceased, floating off of Turtle Island where there's been a warning against swimming for the past week or so. DEC hasn't been able to confirm if this was the beaver that actually bit the two people so the warning against swimming is still in effect.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper