Beavers used to parachute into Idaho’s backcountry

I have a Christmas present for you.

It’s a story about parachuting beavers. No, really.

In the 1940s, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game decided that there were too many beavers in some areas. They wanted to transplant them to the backcountry, where they could get, well, busy and produce more beavers while improving the habitat for other wildlife.

First, they strapped the beavers to mules. Neither the mules nor the beavers liked this. Not at all.

So instead, Fish and Game created a box that allowed them to drop the beavers into the backcountry from a plane.

An unlucky critter named Geronimo was their test subject. Amazingly, he survived. In 1948, 76 beavers were parachuted into the backcountry. All but one survived.

My quick summary of this story doesn’t do it justice. I can’t recommend enough that you go read it.

Rob Thornberry of the Post Register did a masterful job of telling the full, fascinating tale. I can’t remember when I’ve been more entertained. And I’ve never been so proud to call Idaho my home state.

If you need even more, you can read a 1950 report in The Journal of Wildlife Management about the project. It includes a diagram of the box (really very clever) and more details about Geronimo and the project.

Rob Thornberry was kind enough to answer a few of my questions:

How did you find this story?

A friend at Fish and Game emailed me a link to the 1950 report. Apparently somebody nationally had asked about the story and my friend just sent it to me as something to smile about. At first, I wasn’t going to do anything with it, but I couldn’t keep it out of my mind.

What was your response when you first heard about parachuting beavers?

At first, I laughed out loud. Like I said, I put it aside because I wasn’t going to write about it but I had a break in my day and reread the article by Elmo Heter. On deadline the next day, I just started writing.

It seemed like you had a lot of fun writing this story. Is that true?

I love writing, especially when the words are flowing. The words flowed on this story. It basically wrote itself. Then I went back and looked for alliterations and other areas to have fun.

What sort of response have you had to this story?

I haven’t had a ton of response to the story, but the comments have been incredibly positive. It is also interesting to me that I am getting folks emailing me from all over the Northwest.

How are you ever going to top a story of parachuting beavers?

I hope I top the parachuting beaver story but I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t happen.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.