Beaver trouble

[Le pickerel]

I thought I was safe when they extinguished the Minaki fire before it threatened my property but ooooh noooo!
My cottage lot has recently been visited by a family (read hoard) of beavers intent on removing every Poplar and Aspen tree for their winter cash of food. They have already cut down seven large Poplars as well as at least twenty Aspen. I am quickly running out of trees.
Today before leaving for the city, my wife and I put up 130 lineal feet of chicken wire fencing along the shoreline stretched from tree to remaining tree and anchored with rocks along the bottom.
I am desperate, does anyone have a solution to these vermin!!! If the fence does not hold I should be out of trees by this time next week.
I am contemplating bringing out the old .22 but because they come at night and it is our national animal for @#$%^ sake I am hesitant to do so.
Anxioustly awaiting replies.
Any trappers out there?

Le pic

[Dan2]

I heard that chicken wire firmly anchored around each tree will stop them. Beavers can't climb.

You might try a finer mesh than chicken wire though.

A friend of mine lost most of the poplars he had on his heavily wooded shoreline property and that really upset him. This year though he remarked to me at how well the ash had filled out with those same poplars remove. I suspect that's not your situation though - having other trees that beavers don't favour fill in the gaps.

Check out this link for some other ideas: http://www.beaversolutions.com/beaverproblems/treeprotection.shtml

[Limiterr]

I live in NW Ontario and this is a common problem. I put wire around trees that I really want to keep and buy our neighbour (the local trapper) drinks from time to time and ask him to keep a close eye on the critters around our lake shore. Good luck.

[MachZ]

What I heard works (never tried but supposed to work well) is adding a whole bottle of DETOL (the stuff used to clean out wounds and cuts) to a can of paint and paint the bottom portion of the trees you want to keep up as high as the beavers will get to.
Good luck.