DAKOTA DATEBOOK: Beavers as Pets

November 24, 2025 – The most important animal in North America in the 1700s was not the mighty grizzly bear, nor was it the stampeding buffalo. Instead, the most important animal in colonial America was the lowly beaver.Beaver pelts were profitably used to make felt hats in Europe, and fur companies sent out Native Americans to trap beavers, and fur traders to buy the pelts.Beav...