I've fixed beaver for quite a few different folks and nobody reported anything like that. My guess is in this particular event something else was at play other than it just being beaver meat. That being said, I would never trust somebody else's butchering job on beaver.

Someone got the caster into the meat. I am guessing that would taste yuckie.....jk

Don’t fear the beaver- EAT IT!

Beaver meat is mighty tasty if it's been handled well. I've fixed it in a stew at a number of trapping conventions, and the large pot gets emptied with folks looking for more. Even the kids love it. I've never seen where it caused any indigestion.

I usually throw everything I got in my beaver stew. This is what's on the stove right now: Backstraps and some leg meat from an XL beaver caught yesterday, browned with a little flour, salt and pepper. Then some Pacific beef broth, onions and garlic, potatoes, corn, green beans, tomatoes, turnip, bell pepper, carrots, celery, cabbage, and of course some canned diced tomatoes.

(I didn't have any pearled barley but I always like throwing in a cup of it in there too).

It will be accompanied with buttermilk cornbread.

I keep and eat all the beaver, [meat] that I get, last spring that was 67 beavers, that's a lot of meat, I make everything or have stuff made, the castor is the first thing I take off, and never use the same knife without cleaning it,

One of my favorite wild meats. You do have to be very careful to not get any castor contamination.

in Michigan a few years ago if it was a nuisance job you couldn't keep any part of the animal, it took me 5 years, but I finally got this changed for whatever reason the head of the dnr didn't want it change, you had to buried or burn or haul to landfill, couldn't keep fur or anything, Now they are a nuisance animal and you don't need a permit, just call in and they give you the ok

Good for you man! I keep threatening to do that but I get so backed up on my skinning that I have a hard time finding the time. Shame on me. You're an inspiration Dahlgren...gotta do that too.

That's how Manitoba is if you kill an animal under a kill permit out of season. After some long phone calls with the legal lady at conservation, she said the only way to keep it would be to extend the beaver season. She's painting beaver & polar bear with the same brush, doesn't want to create a black market for beaver in Manitoba. Told her that she should come out with me in June trapping ADC and see if she'll still think guys will do it for a couple bucks...LOL. Will have to go above Conservation to the provincial government level. They're the ones that have to sign it anyways.

Before I removed the little castors & oil, I cut the straps & back leg meat off using a knife from the kitchen. Turned out better than any deer stew we've made!

That's how I do it. If they're bigger beaver I'll take the front legs too.

I brought beaver hotpot into work and shared it with the office. Most everybody tried it and nobody had any complaints.

Put some beaver meat in the freezer as well. Actually my plan it to try every new animal I trap just for the novelty.

If you look at all the beaver a guy traps in a year, that’s a lot of meat! Problem is I need bait too.
One thing I hate is when bear hunters want them for free, “your just going to waste them” they say. If I dump some on my line because there’s no room in the freezer, that ain’t no waste for me! All the critters on the line get a free meal in early summer when they’re having their young.
Before the Manitobans reading this freak out again, you can sell beaver carcass as long as the buyer get a $10 possession permit. 1 beaver or 50….its $10…..