DESOTO COUNTY, MS (abc24.com) - Beavers are creating trouble in DeSoto County. The animals are tearing down trees, building dams and causing drainage problems.
The problems are expected to get worse this fall, their busy season, so the county's taking action now.
Over the last few weeks the board of supervisors considered issuing a bounty on beavers. That idea wasn't approved. Instead, the county is hiring a new employee: a trapper.
"They're kind of a nuisance animal so we want to do what's going to be the most economical and efficient for the county," says road manager Andy Swims.
The new environmental services employee will work with recycling as well as beaver control.
"Set up and creating traps," says Swims. "Travel back and forth to sites."
The county discussed offering a bounty on the creatures, but decided the idea was too risky. "There were several people interested in that," Swims says. "We had some concerns about the bounty program and whether or not all the tails would come from DeSoto County. We wanted to make sure if we were going to pay for them, they were actually having an impact in DeSoto County."
"Beavers are a problem all year round. If you go back several years, there are some years where we've had a significant beaver problem," Swims tells abc24.com.
So far this year hasn't been as bad as previous ones, but they're still active. "We've had some problems in the eastern part of county and in some of the cities."
The county's prepping for a busy fall and winter. If more rain arrives, so will more beavers.
The state has been partnering with the state to trap beavers, but that contract expires at the end of September.
The board has not set a salary for the trapper position, saying pay is negotiable.
