A man has been charged in Montmorency County in Michigan after he allegedly used explosives to blow up a beaver dam along Crooked Creek. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Dan Liestenfeltz investigated the incident after calls were received regarding reports of multiple gunshots and a loud explosion that shook nearby homes.
One of the callers speculated the sounds came from a property with a new owner and that a beaver dam had been removed as the river had begun to significantly rise after the explosion. The caller reported their property had started flooding as a result of the rising river.
CO Liestenfeltz was able to locate the area where the dam was destroyed and found several .308 rifle casings which were recovered as evidence. The officer also noticed the water level had dropped dramatically resulting in there being less water upstream and more downstream where it eventually leveled out.
CO Liestenfeltz was then able to make contact with the property owner, who admitted to using a large block of Tannerite to blow up the dam. The suspect allegedly said they did not think about what would happen as quickly as it did when the dam was removed.
The rifle used to shoot the Tannerite was also seized as evidence. The Montmorency County Prosecutor’s Office will now decided if a charge of removing a beaver dam without a permit will be formally filed against the suspect.