September Beaver Safaris

All summer long I've been guiding folks to various Beaver Kingdoms, my term for the large beaver colonies inhabiting a number of the wildest ponds in the Gore Mountain Region. Almost always, someone asks me during the middle of the day, "Where are the beavers?" And, of course, the answer is that they're very busy sleeping.

In the summer, they're active as dusk gives way to darkness, at night, and especially in the pre-dawn hours and immediately after dawn. In September and October, however, as beavers hurry to store enough bark and wood for their winter consumption, they can commonly be seen in the late afternoon hours. That is, if you're quiet, which is nearly impossible when you're exploring with an excited group of children. Older children, and a few younger ones, can be encouraged to tiptoe in toward the shores of a beaver pond if they believe they have the chance of seeing an actual beaver or two.
Best time to embark on a September afternoon beaver safari? Around 3:00-3:30 p.m. or so, depending on the length of the hike to the chosen pond.