Peppermint and Beavers?

[pyro4lif]

This weekend I was hiking Cherry Creek in the Sierra Ancha I found peppermint and clear signs of beavers but no dam! Is peppermint native? or did this come from cherry creek lodge or some other humans? Also to my knowledge most beavers in AZ have been killed off like in the san pedro river. I know there are a few in oak creek? and they say there are some on mt baldy but I never saw any when I was there...
Have you guys come across beavers? If so then where?

[chumley]

I've never actually seen one, but they are known to live along the Verde River in the Verde Valley (though they apparently don't build dams there). You can see a ton of their handiwork along Bonita Creek: http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=540117 http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=394344

[joebartels]

Saw a tree cut down by a beaver in the past month. Bad memory, either Gun Creek Sierra Ancha or Deer Creek - South Fork Mazzies.

Lots of mints in AZ. I'm not familiar with specifics. Wiki shows peppermint as
Mentha × piperita, also known as M. balsamea Willd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppermint

Then look up the range on USDA shows it's not native to Arizona
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=MEPI

none labeled on HAZ yet
http://hikearizona.com/dexcoder.php?PID=1657933

[thesoloist]

Yup- many mints in Az, the ones that smell good are all introduced. True peppermint is a hybrid that only reproduces clonally-no seeds. There are many native mints without much smell. And, yes, beavers are making a steady comeback.

[chumley]

The only photos of actual beavers in the HAZ database (taken in AZ) are gummo's from the Lower Salt River, and trailzrus's from Scott Reservoir in Pinetop.
http://hikearizona.com/dexcoder.php?PID=530

[rcorfman]

I just replied here and the post seems to have disappeared into the ether so I'll try again.

I saw a beaver and beaver dam in 2007 near Greer.

[mazatzal]

Seen beaver cut downs in multiple tributaries of the Verde from the Mazatzals especially sycamore, wet bottom and davenport. Also one dead beaver on the road near Horseshoe dam

[jonathanpatt]

I've seen small trees cut down by beavers along the Gila just east of the AZ border in the New Mexico Gila Lower Box.

[Tortoise_Hiker]

I've seen some trees "Beaverized" on a hike into Woods Canyon Lake one time in the off seson when the roads were closed. It was some years back though.

[gummo]

I've seen 10+ near Yuma on the Colorado River and see them on the Salt River. I've seen beaver tracks at Cibola NWR.

[outdoor_lover]

Beavers are in the Verde, Salt, Gila and Hassayampa Rivers, Bonita Creek, and Tres Rios in South Phoenix. There's also been another one visiting the Construction Workers at the new Tempe Town Lake Dam....

[SuperstitionGuy]

There's also been another one visiting the Construction Workers at the new Tempe Town Lake Dam....

He must be a consultant brought in by the City of Tempe and PETA to approve of the design and construction. Just sayin. ;) :whistle:

[pyro4lif]

@chumley now that you mention it I remember as a kid seeing a beaver dam down stream from Scott Reservoir.

@Outdoor Lover wow that's some good info thanks!

Good to know about the mint I was pretty surprised seeing it! @joe bartels@thesoloist