Beavers, otters, and gators will travel over land to get to another body of water. We catch a stray otter in the pines every year. Followed a gators tracks almost a mile from our beaver swamp to the creek. That joker veered out of the woods and followed the road most of the way, lol. My son saw a beaver from his stand.
I guess they get run off from one spot and move to another. We’re pretty lenient on them as long as they stay on the Southern half of the property. The creek is the dividing line. They head North and get relocated, too many stocked ponds and dogs around to put up with them. Our beaver swamp has no fewer than 7 huts the last I counted. Otters can hit the south ponds and we have a dedicated duck/gator pond. We don’t hunt it until we’ve had some COLD weather and even then never take a dog in it.

My immediate thought was beaver when I saw the picture. Pilot friend has seen beavers crossing mountain passes during spring dispersal