Looking for stories, rumors, legends, and tall tales about BEAVERS
Yes you read that right. I’m trying to investigate a hunch of mine. For the last few months I’ve been researching the possibility of beavers south of Fallbrook in San Diego County. This search has sent me to dozens of papers and articles. What I’ve found is honestly surprising. First I went with hunches, and I followed the sweet water and began to learn about Beaver Hollow. Beaver Hollow as far as I can tell has been named that since 1903. Kinda an odd name for an area if beavers are not present. Even more it turns out that because of the name it is often stated by researchers that this could’ve been where a thriving beaver population existed. Further down the river on Google earth I found some suspicious looking pond structures but nothing that seemed definite IMO. So after my visual hunch search I set out for info and found it.
In 1944 it was cited that beavers can be found in the Cuyamaca mountains and sweetwater river. These beavers specifically are stocked and placed by CA Fish and Game. The stocking records get confusing though since the stated creek where the release happened doesn’t exist…. It says Caresito Creek but I couldn’t find that anywhere. Maybe Carrasita Creek? But that isn’t really in the same place as where it’s cited the beavers were located. After more digging I believe I found all I can. That’s the end of the record. We have no known sources stating current beavers have been seen since. But they HAD to go somewhere… right?
So that brings me to this post. I can’t find anymore info online and I’ve been looking. If anyone here has heard of something or seen potential evidence of beavers outside the Santa Margarita River but still in San Diego County let me know! I’d love to further my side project.
I’ve provided some links of the papers I’ve read in the comments. I apologize if I have poor grammar in this post.