The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation posted a sign near Smith Lake recently, warning people to stay away and to keep pets away from the area because beaver trapping for the integrity of the dam was underway.  

The lake’s earthen dam and spillway area are closed to the public from Nov. 1 until further notice. 

Dave Ring, Unit Manager at the DNRC’s Stillwater Office, said his office has received no comments from the public about the trapping initiative. 

He said the dam at Smith Lake was built about 11 years ago when the DNRC got a grant to replace a splash dam with the earthen berm. Until this year, there had been no beaver activity in the area. 

“I was pretty surprised that they had moved in. We hadn’t seen them there in the last 10 to12 years,” Ring said. “They just moved in over last winter, I think. 

“They built a 12- to 15-inch debris dam that they packed (with) twigs and mud and put it right on the mouth of the dam where it empties into Smith Creek,” he added. 

The beaver dam was causing the water level of the lake to rise and since the earthen dam is above a county road, potential damage to it is considered a high hazard. 

“It's a call we make,” Ring said. “We have beavers all through a lot of our riparian areas here on the forest and they come and go. For the most part, we’re leaving them alone unless there’s a structure at risk that could affect public safety or a resource.” 

Removing the beaver dam alone is not considered an option. 

“They are excellent builders and they are on it,” he said. “It's been my experience, as soon as you remove a section of their dam, almost the next day, it is repaired.” 

By Nov. 22, one beaver had been killed and the trapper was still working, as beavers often live in pairs. Ring said the trapper will spend a certain amount of time in the area and if he is not catching anything, the trapping will be suspended. 

“But let’s say that, all of the sudden, the beavers have found Smith Lake, and they continue to do this, we may have to adjust how we engineered the protection of that dam,” Ring said. 

Last fall the DNRC worked with Whitefish Legacy Partners and the city of Whitefish to build a fence around the earthen dam to protect it from the public. Ring said too many people were taking and moving rocks around, thereby threatening the integrity and the safety of the structure. 

“It's important that the public understands what DNRC is about,” Ring said. “We're about Trust Lands and generating revenue, and we’re working with our partners to try to create these other spaces, too, but some of these land management decisions come with some hard decisions that have to be made.” 

Neil Anderson, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife Biologist for the region, said beaver trapping is legal starting Nov. 1. Trappers don’t need a permit nor do they need to ask permission when on public property.  

He said there are plans and protocols to follow to relocate animals to make sure the agency is benefiting the resource rather than harming it. 

“We’re not moving beavers because ... it can also create problems for others,” Anderson said. “It’s not as simple as just catching them and dumping them out somewhere. There are also health concerns.” 

Anderson said trapping is the DNRC’s best option. He said normal beaver sets in this area are water sets with conibear traps, or body gripping traps.  

The square traps are intended to dispatch the animal quickly by catching it under the chin and behind the head as it swims through the trap’s jaws, however, paw and tail catches do happen. 

For more information, contact the Stillwater Unit of the DNRC at (406) 881-2371.