Did a little scouting this weekend, big waterfowl marsh about 80-90 acres, dry land on two sides levee on other two sides. Marsh is mostly floating vegetation mats and open water with small patches of grass. Along the levee there is castor mounds at regular intervals, a few crossovers, and a few channels. Question is, I don't see any chewings or peeled sticks, what are they eatin? There is some couple year old chewings, but nothing fresh. Could they just be eating roots and other plant matter, or did I just not find where they're eating?

They'll eat lilly pad roods, cattails, grasses, etc. When they do this, you can hardly tell beaver are there unless you can find castor mounds, dams or lodges they're maintaining.

They don't cut many trees outside of just before winter unless they really need the trees for construction products or to maintain their teeth. If it's a bachelor/ette it might barely ever cut trees.

Don't see much heavy cutting of trees up here until first frost. Especially once we get a skim ice, which really sends them into overdrive with tree cutting.

That explains a lot, thanks! This is my first year trapping beaver so I'm still figuring a lot out.