Pond Boss
Posted By: TGW1 Another Otter bites the dust - 11/20/17 02:49 PM
I had no idea I would become a trapper some day. But I have to say Thanks again to Highflyer for teaching me. It was not in my life's plan. An outdoors man, yes. A fisherman yep! But not a trapper. But yesterday, I caught another river otter in the pond. The first this year and now I have trapped a total of five from the pond over the past two years. Have also trapped one really big beaver. I keep a close eye on the pond and have learned to look for otter scat, it's easy to tell their scat form other's. Look for poop that is loaded with fish scales. It looks like any other poop but with scales. They also like to investigate or take up residence in beaver dens and that is were I caught this one. An entrance to a beavers den. I used a CB 330 trap to catch it and will leave the traps out year round. checking traps daily along with making adjustments to the traps on occasions.
Posted By: Chris Steelman Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 11/20/17 04:43 PM
Good job. I've trapping beaver for a few members on here.

I'm going to get into trapping coyotes, possums, and raccoons on my property. My first baby on the way put a damper on that for this year but I'm going to start rounding up the equipment and my start around New Years and in the spring.
Posted By: DrLuke Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 11/20/17 04:51 PM
Originally Posted By: Chris Steelman
Good job. I've trapping beaver for a few members on here.

I'm going to get into trapping coyotes, possums, and raccoons on my property.


We use coni boxes, which are great on coons (and whatever else can crawl inside, like possum). Advantages for easy setup and baiting, and weather does not impact their function. But you will have to build them...

Posted By: Chris Steelman Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 11/20/17 10:25 PM
I bought a few Dog proof traps to start. They are cheap and easy to set.
Posted By: TGW1 Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 11/21/17 02:54 PM
For me, I don't like trapping. It is just what I have to do at the pond. Most likely because it is close to a bayou, a travel corridor/path for a lot of our animals here in E Texas. Like others, I don't care for all the raccoons and possums along with river otters, beavers etc that are on my place from time to time. And with the 5 farm cats we have, they investigate everything and would probable put their paws in the dog proof traps. And I would not use the traps Dr Luke is using because of the same with the cats and or dogs around. I would feel terrible if one of my neighbors dogs were in the CB 330 box trap. And I may have to remove my traps in the pond soon because I have a new Golden Retriever pup that will be here by Christmas. He just opened his eyes last week. And my last duck hunting Golden, I cold not keep her out of the pond, she loved to swim.
Posted By: esshup Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 11/23/17 06:38 PM
Tracy, I'd just set the traps out when you see sign that there are critters there that you don't want. That way you only have to curtail the pup for a short amount of time.

Some states do not allow setting Conibear 330's on dry land, I'm pretty sure the traps in the 'coon boxes are 220's.
Posted By: TGW1 Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 11/24/17 12:34 PM
Scott, that's the plan. After the pup arrives I will remove the traps and add them only when I see signs of otters or beavers. The only problem I see, is with this last otter, I saw nothing to indicate the otter was there, Until I found him in the trap. He was alive even though he was caught at the hips. That told me he had Just been caught. I finished him off with the 22 mag I carry daily. With the drought going on at my place and the water is down in the bayou, that is the times I usually find such things as beavers or otters in the pond.
Posted By: snrub Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 11/24/17 03:17 PM
Just a warning guys, careful about posting pictures on the internet if they are not 100% legal.

I'm not even sure what all the laws are about fur bearing animals and what a landowner has a right to do with out permits, yada, yada, yada, where I live in Kansas.

But I do know there are people that have nothing better to do than observe and turn people in to authorities. Then the authorities are obliged to check it out, even if they do not want to.

Local conservation guy says any time a bulldozer is working near a creek in bottom land he will get an anonymous call about it. Then he is obliged to check it out. It rarely is a problem. But the point is sometimes people are watching our actions without us knowing it. Google earth is a historic record about what is done in what are potential wetlands with more regulations than any single person could ever understand. And people watch it just to turn people in to the authorities.

Just saying. Be aware.
Posted By: TGW1 Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 11/25/17 12:58 PM
snrub, I agree. One should know the laws prior to Opening mouth and inserting foot, or posting pics so to speak. In Texas, a land owner can take some fur baring animals if they are a nuisance animal. Otters can fall into that category. Cormorants were in that category until the Feds got involved. Texas is a state that gives a land owner a lot of power over our own land. Unlike many states from what I have seen on this forum. Louisiana is close to the same.
Posted By: Zep Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 11/25/17 01:09 PM
Originally Posted By: TGW1
In Texas cormorants were in that category until the Feds got involved.

smirk

Posted By: TGW1 Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 03/03/18 01:10 PM
Ok, here is a first for me and not something I like to find. Due to all the rain in the past two weeks I did not check the 3 CB traps that have been out in the pond. I usually drive by and can see the top of the traps just under the surface of the water. But, with the pond on the rise and with it being so muddy I did not check them until yesterday afternoon. Now these traps were about two and a half foot under the surface now and so I pulled them blind so to speak. My first trap check had a 3+ lb lmb in it, and that kinda sucks. Looked to have been in the trap for at least a couple of weeks. And that was a first for me and not something I really want to catch with the trap. The next trap was empty and I had to set the trap off so I could safely retrieve it into the boat. I don't like setting off the traps, It is a little scary when I do it. The third trap had another Otter in it. Guessing it had been in the trap for at least a week. And that is not good when removing it from the trap. Stinky to say the least. I have seen no indication of an otter or otters since this last report here. I don't like trapping and after trapping and killing a nice lmb I plan to set on the banks with the Colt AR 223 and green light in the near future. Maybe tonight because I never see an otter in the daytime or night either but I am going to give it another shot.
Posted By: ewest Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 03/03/18 04:43 PM
They are not always in groups. Many times its a single looking for a new home. You may not have a problem for the moment.
Posted By: John Fitzgerald Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 03/03/18 05:03 PM
I think I had a single otter. In the neighbor's picture it looked to be about a 30 to 40 pound male. I guess after it wiped out the CC it left. Haven't seen any sign in a few weeks. I still have a decent BG population, judging from feed response.
Posted By: scott69 Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 03/03/18 10:47 PM
Tracy, besides catching them at the beaver lodge, how do you catch them in open water? i caught several at my old pond, but it was almost always below the pond in a stream where they were crossing beaver dams. i had trouble catching them around the pond in open water.
i just caught one here at the new pond. it was actually in the stream below the pond too. i saw about 40 piles of scaly poop and new it was time.
Posted By: TGW1 Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 03/04/18 01:03 PM
Eric, I think you are right about the possibility of only one and not a family of them. I have had singles and a group of them over the past 3 yrs and that is why I have kept traps out and checked most days.

Scott, Highflyer (Brian) taught me how and where to set traps at his pond(lake) and I then applied that to my place. I always set the traps where I see slides or travel paths along the shoreline leading into the water or near old beaver dens in the ponds banks. I think the Otters are inquisitive and will check out old beavers dens for a new home site. I usually set a straight line about 5' long near the shoreline or a V shaped border using 3 to 4 foot long sticks or cut small trees down to that size and stick them into the pond bottom to where the tops of the sticks are just above the waters surface. And then leave a gap to where the trap an be set in that gap. Set the top of the traps just under the waters surface to where you can see and check them daily.

Scott, From my experience, 40 piles of scat tells me there is more than one otter around and I would look for several of them to be close by. When I trapped 4 in a week one time there were several piles of scat around. But 40 piles, that is a lot of scaley poop
Posted By: FireIsHot Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 03/04/18 01:25 PM
Tracy, I'm not sure is if applies to otters, but when we had a beaver problem, I'd scatter corn meal on every slide I found. It made it easy to find the most active slides.
Posted By: TGW1 Re: Another Otter bites the dust - 03/04/18 01:53 PM
Al, that's sounds like a good idea. I can see where that would help. I have a place where a path goes to the water but I don't see a slide there so I don't set a trap there. I might work to determine what animal is traveling that path. Pretty well beaten path.
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