Found this while out cutting trail, looks to me like a giant feed pile but kinda also resembles a weird dam. Bank lodge is off to the left

Yep,pic looks like feedbed,well capped..
Water may have recently dropped a bit.

Feed pile (cache) All fresh sticks. If it were a dam, it would have dead sticks and mud incorporated.

Im brand new to beaver trapping, we have a ton of lodges around us how can i tell if they are still active in the winter? Not to hijack the post.

I like to do my scouting in late august. It seems like a lot more activity then midsummer. Looking for feed piles is good. Fresh chewings or sticks added to dams. Can break a hole in the dam and check back the next day or two to see if it’s plugged back up.

I would usually go out in September and early October, dead houses won't have a feed pile. We would gps the feed pile so it is easier to find in March/ April.

Here aerial survey can be done after the leaves are off in late october just before freeze up.Maybe a bit earlier down your way.
Fresh mud on the house and dam and feedbed present indicates live house.Live houses can be marked on your map and then you can make your plan of attack if you do a march beaver run
If I am cold rolling in winter on skidoo going up the drainages I determine if houses are active by checking the vent/chimney by sticking my hand down into the snow and see if I can make a snowball.That means heat so house is occupied.This is more reliable on larger colonys as more beaver produce more heat.This is the most reliable way.Sometimes on cold calm days you can see steam rising from a chimney sticking up from the vent.
Frost crystals around the vent is not indicative of a live house. You can also check the feed sticking out of the ice to see if it is green.indicates fresh feed that year.But the odd time beaver may have been taken by wolves just before freezeup so fresh feed alone is not 100%

My favorite trapping.
I never scouted for beaver until I had my sled loaded with bait and gear. Being able to travel rivers, sloughs and ponds allowed me to find fresh feed piles and lodges.

It appears to me to have a bunch of old feed pile and it’s in an area that’s doesn’t get enough flow during breakup to clean the dead sticks out!

Thanks!

Feed pile.

Feed pile.