Hi, it's me with another stupid question. But... I don't know the answer.

Question: Can I still keep the meat for food? I froze it all.


I got this beaver two weeks ago but it's been bothering me. Why are there three little holes (one was pussed-up with yellow puss) below right arm? Say... about 1/2 way down the pelt almost, under left arm.

Do you think the meat is safe? What are the holes? There is at least another one besides what I think were nipples.

Maybe supporting information: It was pregnant with three embryos if that mattered.

(Also I took that picture before I was done working on it of course.)

Thank you for your help.

Probably infected bites from another beaver.

First of all, not a stupid question.

I agree it looks like infected bites. You see a lot of those in spring in my area.
I don't eat beaver because I can always taste castor when I have. I like the smell of castor, but not the taste.

Bite holes

Thanks all! I'll keep the meat. I suspected this is what it was, but the beaver was a pregnant female, and I thought... hmmmm... why are they biting a pregnant female? But I guess it could have been from a while ago.

It should be fine

I'll bet the beaver you've tasted wasn't dressed properly. Oddly enough, my wife despises the smell of castor. When I make stew with beaver meat, she loves it. There is absolutely no castor taste in the beavers I dress. I've had beaver meat at conventions that someone else prepared, and it did taste like castor, and I couldn't eat it.

I bet so^^^

I had one that way a few weeks ago, pustules that were filled what looked like butter. I couldn't get a clear answer then either...figured they were a bug bite. As far as eating, not sure.

Always make sure to use a clean knife and gloves to cut meat out for eating, if I think either has touched castor/oil sacks I switch to new knife/gloves

Dave, you're going to have to deal with that if you want to eat spring Beaver. The good news is there's more where that one came from. Hope your having a good time trapping and I'm glad you're getting some Beaver meat.

What is on the fur side of those spots. Could be a bug that does that. The buyer here used to say those spots were from weavles but I don’t know on that.

Warble flies or bott flies
you would see a small hole in the hide where the fly breaths

can you put it in your will if you die eating the meat, that I can get your traps

Admit it Boss.....you dab a little castor behind each ear after a shower!
My gal was complaining about the smell of unsalted peanuts in the back seat that I feed squirrels. And she thinks she wants to garden and raise aminals............

I’ve seen those spots big as a golf ball. Nasty.

any beaver meat with puss spot I DON'T EAT THE MEAT , there are a lot more to catch ,

When I dress a beaver for food I bring it in the house. Use my clean kitchen table. I open it enough just enough to remove the caster and oil sacs. Then I skin it with one of my wifes kitchen knives. I dont let the fur side touch the meat side. I take the plew out to the shed and process it. Wife cuts the meat off and works her magic. Usually a stew.

Some years back she was building radios for commercial aircraft at a plant in Lawrence. LOTS of women work there. Bunch of them really liked her stew. I guess they like to taste each others lunch. So she brought in a whole pot one day. She never told them what the meat was they assumed beef. When she told them a few got mad and most thought she was kidding them at first. Stuff is good if you just take a few extra minutes to dress it.

# 4 Steel Shot

That'd be my answer too

Those holes and associated puss sacks and cysts are caused by a small, burdock like burr that gets into the fur of the beavers and they cannot get it out. That burr works its way deeper and deeper into the fur until it rubs against the skin and eventually works its way through. The beavers body reacts and you are seeing the results. I wondered about those damages myself after finding them on many beavers from certain locations here in NY. I worked with a biologist to get samples sent to both the Cornell lab and the Delmar lab. We sent half a beaver skin, loaded with those problem spots to each lab. Both lab conclusions were the same: plant material from burr. Sorry, I cannot remember the name of the plant.