I figured this was the best place to ask this question.

Those of you that trap beaver and feed the meat to your own sled dogs or provide it to others can you fill me in on any special prep you do for it?

Little background I feed raw diet to my dogs mostly chicken but others items as well to keep the diet balanced. Last you I did feed some beaver to the dogs. Gutted froze it solid for a few days then just chopped it into chunks minus head and feet and feed it to the dogs.

Only concern I have is parasites and if any of the bone is to large to be pulverized and eaten in at a normal feedings.

I realize beaver will put weight on dogs if your not careful but mostly it will be feed to the working dog the house dogs will get very little to keep the weight off.

Thanks for any advice or info.

BTW I don' know if I did a into last year but I live in the UP of Michigan and read the wilderness section daily during trapping season. I mostly winter trap. Beavers through the ice.

I have fed sled dogs lots of beaver and have never seen any adverse effects. No parasites that I'm aware of. That said, I prefer to cook it. If you're a dog driver you know it can be difficult in cold weather to get dogs to drink. Cooking the beaver and giving them broth is a great way to hydrate them plus get warm food into their systems. There's not much better than beaver for working dogs. Don't sweat the bones. The only problem I have seen is one dog got a short bone wedged cross-ways on the roof of his mouth. Other than that, nothing.

I raised and raced sled dogs for 12 years, and raw beaver is hard to beat. I ran the Yukon quest in 97 and towards the end of that 1100 mile jaunt most of the team would eat nothing but beaver. Bones are no problem, getting enough beaver can be!

Agree with White and YK, bones are no problems. I've hacked up frozen beavers with an ax, head and all, and thrown them in the dog yard. Never had a problem, I've never cooked them, but it wouldnt hurt for sure.

Where in the UP are you from? I was born in Houghton and grew up in Kingsford.

Thanks everyone. Its about what I figured but it never hurts to make sure.


Pittu,
I am on Lake Gogebic moved here from SE michigan 5 year ago and wouldn't go back no matter what.

Looks like you moved even farther north. I like the winters here but I think yours would get to me fairly quickly.

Just for giggles, what size sled and type (toboggan or basket) would you recomend for starting out mushing, say, to 5-7 dogs. Or to put it a different way, a sled that would be easy to start a dog or two from a friends team and then build to a few dogs without buying another sled?

Well, I don't have sled dogs (too far from the coast and the sand dunes). However, back when I was hog hunting big time,
I sometimes had as many as 35-36 dogs, catahoulas, pits, white english, and some others -- mostly anything that would catch.
I fed a lot of beaver meat. All the fat in beaver meat will really slick a dog up and make him shine.

I fed mine the whole gutted & skinned beaver less the head (I had a market for the heads).

Parasites? Never bothered with them. I had a regular worming cycle for my dogs and stuck to it. Never saw any sign of worms.

Later,
45/70

Anyone feed their dogs hares?

As far as sleds go, the toboggan style is easier the handle but I much prefer the basket type. It's a little more forgiving in rough terrain, and, if you encounter water, your load stands a better chance of staying dry. The drawback is that your center of gravity is higher with the basket sled. On the other hand, I don't like metal and bolts on sleds. Too rigid. If things can't flex they break. I've made lots of repairs on the trail with just a stick and some parachute cord on basket sleds.

I don't think your dogs will care one way or the other.

If you can find an old Tim White sled you are set. I have one that has done tens of thousands of miles of training, the quest twice, the copper basin 300 three times, and the kusko 300 once! Now this same sled gets pulled behind my ski doo in trapping season, its just bullet proof.

Brandon, winters where I'm at now are really similar to the keweenau pen. and western UP shoreline with all the lake effect snow. Does get a little colder and lasts a bit longer though.

Hey Nick, I'm kinda transitioning from "serious" musher to a trapline musher (+ snomachine)....Anyway, if your ever looking for a sled, shoot me a PM, i got quite a few. All basket type, although one is a Tim White tobaggan rebuilt into a basket sled.

Heck, for that matter, I got plenty of dogs too!!

If I was starting from scratch, I'd have 6 good dogs that would stop and lay down on command. That's where I'm slowing heading as the old guys pass on...

Thanks Pittu! This winter I don't have anything ready but next spring after I've learned a little more I may take you up on your offer if its a standing invitation.

Pittu, what part of the Su valley are you in? I might be looking for a better sled and a trained dog to go with sometime in the future.

WW, PM sent, interested in any trades?

Sounds good, Nick..

Yup, interested in the dog that stops and lays down on command

Anyone want some sled dogs. The Tuluksak School is having a shedding of the school dog team. If interested let me know and I can put you in contact with them.

WW. Its easy just run them for 300 miles over two days...every time you touch the brake, they will all lay down..LOL

FT, I was wondering how long that program would last...A friend of my wife's taught there when they started that school team...it's too bad, would do some good if they couldve stuck with it...

Pittu!! LOL I think I would lay down too!