Beaver and acorns

So I found some beaver pullouts (slides) today fairly well used but no cuttings. This is in the woods. It looks like the leaves under some oak trees are disturbed. Would they be eating acorns?

Sure it's not otter?

Almost 100 percent sure its beavers. There are cuttings everywhere, just not at these locations. No reason for an otter to be pulling out at these locations. Its just a hillside.

Just looked up beaver foods. Off stuff includes ferns & mushrooms. Didn't mention acorns, but who knows!

Beavers eat corn. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if they started eating acorns, especially water oak acorns.




Very interesting.


Have a trail camera to setup?

Thats a good idea Aix. I have trap on that run tonight but I may put a camera on it if I don't connect tonight.

Also, that's exactly what I told my dad today- they eat corn so maybe they would eat acorns, but in all of my reading on trapperman, I don't think I had ever seen anything written about it.

I’ve definitely never seen it mentioned until your thread.

Good observation. It’s something that hadn’t ever crossed my mind.

https://winterberrywildlife.ouroneacrefarm.com/2020/06/30/beaver-food-and-feeding-habits/

Go down to late fall eating habits, get your answer, but the whole article is interesting

Thanks Spade. That might be what I'm seeing then.

This is interesting. It may have been 10 or 15 years ago I was trapping a place in NC. I saw the same thing...beaver would get out and dig down under the leaves almost like a wild pig. There were some root systems they were interested in eating so I assumed they were looking for that particular type of root. But it was always under the oak trees. The roots they were eating were NOT oak trees if I remember correctly. It was something more tender. May have been some type of Myrtle. It I may have overlooked the acorns right in front of me.

Peanut butter may be a new attractant lure ?!?

No, but maybe acorn butter.

Not even to hunt the rodents on that hillside? They prey on mice and rats at times.

I’ve used peanut butter. It works. So does honey.

I would guess they would eat acorns. Acorns are a very high quality food for wildlife. Catch one and check the stomach contents that may be helpful.

Bryce

I ran into this last year at my own pond. Beaver had a nice trail to a white oak and had everything tore up under it. I am 99% sure they were eating acorns.