Rusty Parker, and Gordon Lepage, with the successfully captured intruder. Chaia Alford/The Bethel Citizen

GREENWOOD — Gordon LePage called in the Animal Damage Control to report a family of beavers had set up its lodge directly next to his dock, and were making short work of the nearby trees.

When other solutions, such as wrapping the bases of trees in chicken wire, failed to drive the beavers off, he called in Rusty Parker, the local ADC agent. The situation held a degree of uniqueness, in that LePage specifically wanted a live capture and release, rather than extermination. A beaver trap was set up beside the lodge, with Castor used to attract the beavers into it.

Beaver will excrete castoreum in combination with mud, sticks or grass to mark their territory along the water’s edge. The mound they make and deposit their scent on is called a castor mound. People interested in trapping beaver can use these castor mound sets to attract and catch them. The trap had a mechanism to cause a gate to close when the animal was inside, leaving them unharmed.

On Oct. 12, the first of the two beavers was caught. The trap had to be relocated, because the remaining beaver had grown aware of it and was pushing it aside rather than taking the bait.

Many trees in the area had already been sheared by the beaver, despite preventative efforts. Chaia Alford/The Bethel Citizen

But the next day, in the new location the trap caught the second offending beaver, who Parker and LePage believed to be a mated pair. Both were taken to the same location on the Androscoggin River and then released. “There’s a good chance they’ll find each other,” said LePage. “We’re hoping they’ll reunite.”

Parker was also enthusiastic about the live catch and release. “I wanted to show people that this is something we do,” he said. “Most people don’t want live capture.”

A very displeased beaver, about to be relocated. Chaia Alford/The Bethel Citizen

When it comes to becoming an ADC agent, the process itself is rigorous. The job requires an applicant to submit a full application, and three letters of recommendation. At least one of those must be from a game warden. After that, there’s a full background test, and a 100-question quiz, which requires at least 80% correct to pass.

“People have this stereotype of ‘guy in a pickup truck with a flannel shirt coming out of the woods’,” said Parker. “But we’re licensed professionals.”

The first of the two beavers making its exit, safe and sound at its new home at the Androscoggin River. Chaia Alford/The Bethel Citizen

The ADC work directly with local game wardens and biologists when it comes to managing animal damage. All steps of the process are reviewed, and relocation sites, if that should be what the client wants, are carefully chosen. The release must be at least 75 miles away from the site of capture, and must also be a fitting habitat for the animal.

When it comes to the beaver pair, they were released in the Androscoggin River. “It’s one of the [rivers] that freezes last,” said Parker. This leaves the beavers time to set up a den before winter.