New Year’s Issue! n January 1, A. D. 2015: The Tooth, the Whole Tooth, and Nothing But the Tooth!!!
A True Idaho Beaver Tale for the New Year! Satisfaction Guaranteed!
Geronimö, the Parachuting Backcountry Beaver!!!!!
By Rob Thornberry, Idaho Falls Post Register (With graphics courtesy of Elmo W. Heter!)
T
his is the story of a beaver named Geronimo
and a simpler time of ingenuity when the
rodents parachuted into Idaho’s
backcountry.
them, trucking them to a trailhead and then
packing them by mule train to some unoccupied
lush meadow. There the beaver equivalent of
Adam and Eve would be released to do beaver
things and get busy making more beavers.
Yes, I just wrote that sentence. Every word is true.
"Beavers usually set up colonies,
multiply and establish important
fur-bearing populations," Heter
wrote. "In addition, they do much
toward improving the habitats of
game, fish and waterfowl and
perform important service in
watershed conservation."
As the Idaho Department of Fish
and Game has celebrated its 75th
anniversary this year, a number of
wild tales of wildlife management
have surfaced. None, however, is
better than Geronimo’s.
His tale is from the 1940s when an
abundance of beavers in some
areas prompted depredation
concerns, according to an article
called "Transplanting Beavers by
Airplane and Parachute" by Fish
and Game’s Elmo W. Heter. The
article was published in 1950 in the
Journal of Wildlife Management (the
source of the boxed excerpts
included here).
The problem with trucks and
mules, however, was heat: beavers
died in large numbers because they
weren’t suited for the heat of
summertime travel.
"Older individuals often become
dangerously belligerent," Heter
wrote. "Rough trips on pack
animals are very hard on them.
Horses and mules become spooky
and quarrelsome when loaded with
a struggling, odorous pair of live
Faced with a bevy of beavers, Fish
and Game decided to transplant
some of the toothy critters into the backcountry.
beavers."
The accepted method at the time was capturing
(Let me stop here and point out that the problem
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with present-day Fish and Game reports is that
they don’t use enough words like belligerent,
quarrelsome and odorous.)
Heter didn’t explain how Fish and Game
ultimately turned to parachutes – I picture a
meeting of bigwigs with diagrams,
a wading pool and model beavers
– but in 1948 they became the
preferred method for a
backcountry beavers blitzkrieg. (I
want to stop here again and
ponder the thoughts of the elk
and deer as they watched the
aerial raid of ruffian rodents.)
Fish and Game officials first experimented with
willow boxes but that effort was abandoned
because of fears the beavers would eat their way
out of their airborne box at the most inopportune
time. Heter’s crew eventually made a box that
broke apart when it hit the ground.
placing the bewildered beavers in the selected
meadow.
In 1948, Fish and Game dropped 76 beavers in the
backcountry. There was only one fatality, a beaver
that "jumped or fell" from his box at about 75 feet.
A year later, observations showed all
airborne transplants were
successful. "Beavers had built dams,
constructed houses, stored up food,
and were well on their way to
producing colonies," Heter wrote.
Heter said the transplanting effort
showed a marked savings over mules, claiming the
expense of moving four beavers was $30.
Although Heter’s article makes no mention of how
many beavers were ultimately transplanted via
parachute – or why and when the program was
stopped – he did say that Geronimo was treated
well for his efforts.
But would the beaver die in the process?
E
nter Geronimo. To test proper drop heights
and box designs, Fish and Game officials
dropped Geronimo "again and again."
Geronimo "had a priority reservation on the first
ship into the hinterland, and three young females
went with him," Heter wrote.
To read Heter’s 1950 story in the Journal of Wildlife
Management, go to tinyurl.com/fly-beaver ★
Thanks to Rob Thornberry and the Post Register for their gracious
permission to reprint this outstanding true beaver story! Outstanding!
"Each time he scrambled out of the box, someone
was on hand to pick him up," Heter wrote. "Poor
fellow! He finally became resigned, and as soon as
we approached him, would crawl back into his box
ready to go aloft again."
With Geronimo’s help, Fish and Game learned
that the best launch height was between 500 and
800 feet because it allowed the chute to open
properly and still maintain some accuracy in
This story is Beaver-approved! Photo by Jeff Ralph
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Snowtacular
Opening Day
at Soldier
Mountain!
The Soldier Mountain
Ski Resort had a
dreamy opening with
new snow last
Saturday, and Soldierhungry boarders and
skiers turned up by the
hundreds to meet a
meticulously groomed
and powdered hill,
silky top to bottom! ❦
Soldier Mountain’s 201415 Season Opens!!!
The community-owned nonprofit ski
area plans to get your attention in
2015! Open all this week!
Funny hat day January 1! Huge
discount on day pass for patrons
wearing funny hats!!
New Year’s Eve Festivities! 2015 is coming! Don’t be Left Behind!!! in 2014!!
New Year’s Party at the New Year’s Party at Soldier
Cliff Bar and Grill!!!! Creek Brewing Company!
A successful passage into the new
year is guaranteed New Year’s eve at
the Cliff on Fairfield’s Main Street!
Tickets for another year of the
future will be punched for all, no
questions asked! Don’t stay stuck in
2014! You’ll miss nearly everything!
At the Cliff, there will be free
champagne at midnight, so you can
be sure you made the leap and
landed safely! ❦
Musher Basketball!
Tuesday, January 6, Community School, Away, JV 6
p.m., Varsity Boys 7:30 p.m.
* Thursday, January 8, Hansen, Home, JV 4:30 p.m.,
Girls 6 p.m. Boys Varsity 7:30 p.m.
* Friday, January 9, Jackpot, Home, JV 4:30 p.m., Girls
6 p.m., Boys Varsity 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 13, Lighthouse, Away, JV 4:30 p.m.,
Girls 6 p.m., Boys Varsity 7:30 p.m.
* Friday, January 16, TFC, Home, Girls 6 p.m., Boys
Varsity 7:30 p.m.
The mighty Moon Pies will drag
celebrants smoothly into 2015 at
Fairfield’s celebrated mystery bistro,
Soldier Creek Brewing Company! The
music will begin 8-9ish in the p.m.!
Dinner specials! The Moonpies are a
Folk/TransPunk/HyperRural fusion
band led by the polymorphous and
pleasantly disturbing Andy McDevitt,
five-time winner of the Wurlitzer
Prize! Viva da Moon Pies! ❦
Thursday, January 22, Bliss, Away, Girls 6 p.m., Boys
Varsity 7:30 p.m.
* Friday, January 23, Carey, Home, JV 4:30 p.m., Girls
6 p.m., Boys Varsity 7:30 p.m.
* Tuesday, January 27, Castleford, Home, JV 4:30 p.m.,
Girls 6 p.m., Boys Varsity 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 29, Murtaugh, Away, JV 4:30,
Girls 6 p.m., Boys Varsity 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 3, Dietrich, Away, JV 4:30 p.m.,
Girls 6 p.m., Boys Varsity 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 4, Richfield, Away, JV 4:30,
Girls 6 p.m., Boys Varsity 7:30 p.m. ❦
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NORTH SIDE CENTER
202 14th Avenue East, Gooding, ID 83330
208-934-8678
Happy New Year! Start 2015 out right with a community education class at the North Side Center.
ADVANCED WOODWORKING
Learn advanced woodworking skills while creating beautiful and artistic projects that will last a lifetime. This class is for
individuals who have taken the Introduction to Woodworking class and are ready to utilize their skills in a more advanced
environment. Classes will be located in the Vo-Tech Building at Gooding High School. Materials will be available for
purchase at class.
6:30-9:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 28-March 18, GHS Vo-Ag Shop, Gooding
Instructor: Bill Perry
$115 plus $10 supply fee
Here’s a sneak peek at Community Education Classes and events coming in February:
CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH
FUNDAMENTALS OF DRAWING
FACEBOOK FOR BEGINNERS
BEGINNING COMPUTERS
PAPER-PIECED FOUNDATION QUILTING
3-D BLOCK QUILTING
LECTURE SERIES TWENTY FIFTEEN
“The Toano Road” by Shauna Robinson
7 p.m. on February 10 at the North Side Center
ADVISING & FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP
10 a.m.-noon on Friday, Feb. 27 at the North Side Center
FREE! Please call (208) 934-8678 to reserve your spot.
CAREER PLANNING
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 at the North Side Center
By appointment only—call 934-8678 or e-mail [email protected] to make yours!
Spring credit classes start January 20. Take your classes through the
North Side Center and save time, gas and wear-and-tear on your vehicle!
We’ve recently added four more classes to our credit class line-up:
BIOL 228 Human Anatomy & Physiology (Lecture only; required lab must be taken in Twin Falls.)
FINA 102 Personal Finance (A class from which everyone can benefit.)
MATH 253 Elementary Statistics (This one may not be for everyone, but it’s here if you need it.)
SOCY 238 Race & Ethnic Relations (A timely subject in this world of ours today.)
We have over 20 courses from which to choose! If you have questions about taking a credit class, contact
us—we will be happy to help you.
For more information, go to www.csi.edu/northside, or contact us by calling 934-8678 or
e-mailing us at [email protected].
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