Beavers!

[Shuram Gudatetris]

I had a neat day today. I went fishing. I was there fishing for about 20 minutes (I was there for about two hours total) when a beaver came out of the water five feet down the bank from me.

For about ten minutes, I tried to stay as still as I could, enjoying being so close but not wanting to scare him off. But then I got a bite on one pole and brought the fish in. The beaver couldn't care less what I was up to.

He (or she) was doing something for a while, then he lounged back and started "combing" his fur. Once he was done with that, he dove back into the water, and swam over in front of me. He sat there three feet in front of me in the water for 2 minutes while we stared at each other (!). Then he was satisfied and swam away.

Ten or fifteen minutes later, he reappeared in his original spot (five feet from me ! ) with a branch and spent a while doing his "beaver" thing. Then he lounged back and combed through his fur again. Beavers have really neat hand-paws!

Then he went up the bank and was gone for a while. I could hear him, and occasionally looked back and watched him. He went off and gathered up a few branches. When he was satisfied with his branches, he brought them back and carried them into the water, walking by right next to me! He was literally about 18 inches away from my foot as he drug the branches into the water, I could have touched him!

He just jumped into the water with the branches and shimmied over a few feet through the water into his original spot, and did his beaver thing for a while longer (gnawing on branches for whatever reason). Then he dove into the water and I left a few minutes after that.

That is one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me. I don't know whether or not it is typical beaver behavior, but I thoroughly enjoyed him letting me see him do what he does. It was fun. I feel blessed.

[sgt.null]

it is awesome when animals ignore us and go about their daily activities.

[Fist and Faith]

Very cool!!!

[aliantha]

That's awesome. I wonder if he's building a den.

[Shuram Gudatetris]

I forgot to mention, I usually take my phone everywhere, and always make sure I have it before fishing, so I can take snapshots of fish if needed. I forgot my phone yesterday! Somehow, I feel like if I had my phone and tried recodring him, he wouldn't have been as comfortable with me.

[deer of the dawn]

Thanks for sharing that, I love close encounters with wild creatures. Beavers are usually very shy and retiring so you are blessed!