"WELL, I'LL BE DAMMED"

White-Tailed Deer (Adult & Immature) - 5 Photos

Same beaver dam, just less than a week later from when the coyote used the dam to cross the channel. (See blog of March 31st, 2026, "THE COMMUTE TO WORK".)

This doe and her youngster had been grazing in the nearby meadow when Mum decided to move into the nearby woods for better protection & cover. And the quickest route from the meadow across the water, was a straight line and that straight line was the beaver dam. The doe proceeded first, waited to ensure her youngster was following (Photo #2) and then crossed, who then made the crossing shortly thereafter. 
 

Of course, beavers have engineered the dam to hold back water in the channel to maintain water levels in their pond not intending for their creation to be used as a wildlife bridge or corridor. But it does provide an example of the benefit of co-existence. 

The average weight of a coyote is 25 - 35 pounds. The average weight of a female White-Tailed Deer is approximately 140 pounds. The dam that can withstand a coyote walking across, without any damage or material shifting is an achievement but a dam able to handle an adult White-Tailed Deer is a testament to the engineering skills of the beaver. 

We have much to learn regarding the structure & material make-up of beaver dams. Scientists & biologists are already studying in laboratories, on small scales, how & why this engineering is so strong & resistant to flooding. In fact, some of the knowledge obtained is already being used in current human engineering. 

I've noticed in the years that I have photographed beavers in their natural habitat, that if an area where beavers have chosen to build their lodges, etc. repeatedly floods & flooding waters damage their homes & related structures, they relocate to more secure and safer locations, away from where waters can dangerously quickly rise. Beavers don't deliberately build in flood plains.

FEMALE

PHOTO #1

PHOTO #2

PHOTO #3

IMMATURE

PHOTO #4

PHOTO #5