Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations FOE! As Bruce Would Say...

This evening while walking my dog, I was walking along what I had hoped would be my future fishing pond. Last year I had stocked it with several forage species and was hoping to get it stocked with some game fish this spring... Well, what do I see chasing 6"-7" GSH, but a river otter!

He had them jumping out of the water and scattering every which way... Now as I said, there are only forage fish in this pond right now. And probably the only fish large enough for him to really make any kind of meal are the GSH and some creek chubsuckers. My dilemma is that this pond is a neighborhood pond. So trapping and definitely shooting are not an option.

All my experience with river otters is not good. A pond I was managing for my dad's friend was literally picked dry by a family of river otters before we took care of the problem and that was in just a couple weeks! So with shooting and trapping not an option, what else can be done?

Now, the pond is not exactly an otter desert table as there are only forage fish in there... Do I hope this otter get's bored and moves on the greener pastures and not worry too much about it. Or is it even worth my while stocking fish as it is a high likelihood he'll return now that he knows the pond is there? Or is the fact that the pickins are slim enough to think he won't be back? The pond is only a quarter to a third of an acre and 5 to 6 foot max in depth. There isn't any cover other than willows and cattails growing along the shore.

Any ideas???

Personally,I favor dynamite,as it makes a very good first impression.But not too many people tend to concur with my ideas,to put it politely.

I doubt my neighbors nor the HOA would dig that idea... I certainly wouldn't mind it though!

That stinks.

Might you be able to trap it, or is the safety of kids at risk?

Buy a silencer.

I would get rid of him (or her).

Can you live trap an otter to appease the tree huggers or are the otters too smart for that? My trapping experience is not extensive other than muskrats so I don't know.

You are aware you'll probably have to have a permit whatever you do right?

Just don't think I can pull off trapping with the pond being right in the heart of the neighborhood with a walking trail around it. I think this is going to be a more of learning to deal with otters rather than kill the friggin thing. Although I sure would like to kill it!

What would happen if he was caught with a silencer?

He'd show his badge.

I'm a cop, I get to have cool toys... Well, if my department says so. Darn!

PONDFUZZ,

Sorry to hear about your dilemma, I too, yesterday say a swimming varmit in my pond (muskrat, or Hudson Seal if your a trapper), Jen would kill me if I shot it, (or took the axe to it) so I have asked a friend of mine to bring a live trap over to get it. I have been instructed to start baiting a certain area of the pond with potatoes, apples, shucked corn, etc. so that when he brings the trap over on sunday he'll have an "area". Has anybody shopped for fresh fruit and vegetables lately? Also, I'm thinking that bait, might attract more critters than I have already, since Hope Pond is very close to nearby 'wetland'. This could get very ugly quick.

Maybe you could let your lab harass the otter?

Tazer. How far do they work?
Or, lace a fish and place in a spot only an otter could get to.

sounds like a job for...

Overton's Varmint and Pest Control Service

Is there such a place?

I can see the headline now: "Local Officer Arrested for Poisoning and Killing Elderly Neighbor's Poodle"

"Poor Fluffy always did have a thing for fish," said Myrtle Stephens, former dog owner.

I respect you folks for respecting others sensativities about killing animals. I always explain the food chain and how my species is at the top of it, and so on and so forth, I will say though that I sometimes feel like Tom G mentioned earlier, people often don't concur with my outlook.

I have never trapped otter but if you had a beaver problem I could take them out with traps under the nose of every neighbor you have and they would be none the wiser, the moon don't shine every night ya know. It would seem to me you may have to poison this thing to remain how should we call it, unsuspected?? I would think a 20 oz. pop bottle with the bottom cut out and a string with a weight tied to the neck would make a neat little bouy, you may need to trap some air in the there to get it to float, but that would keep the neighbors cats out of your bait. In this bouy you could put some ground fish with exlax or some such laxative in it, a very strong dose of course, or even a dose of whatever you like to coup de grace this fish eater with. The plan would be for the otter to consume the treat and meet his waterloo. Or you could get a silencer and just shoot it.

Seriously though CJ, i don't envy you your problem, folks get down right owly about killing pretty creatures, they don't mind eating bacon from a nasty old pig but don't kill the cute little furry thing that does the back stroke and flips around on the bank doing tricks. You have a problem if he is there to stay.

Todd Overton: Fish Squeezer by day, Varmint killing Ninja by night.

Talk to your game warden.
Here in NC you can dispatch an otter if he's damaging your property without a depradation permit if you don't keep any part of the animal.
If you let him live you are asking for a lot of frustration if you're plans are to try to grow fish.

Kevin,

I never use bait for my muskrats. I just set a coniber in front of a run hole and that's the end of that. Runs are usually easy to see and many times you'll see a cloud of silt as you walk along the bank as they shoot out.

Just a word of caution since the pond & otter is in a neighborhood. An otter can be VERY fierce! It can & will kill even a large dog if cornered. I would warn the neighbors with kids to respect his space.

Do you have any friends who are into archery? That's pretty quiet.

It looks like pondfuzz is gonna have to use stealth tactics like JoeG mentioned or a submerged conibear trap.
Watch out for PETA.

It's coming out regardless, when I saw him, he just rolled on his back and looked at me like "what are you looking at?" I flung my King Kong swimbait at him, in an unfruitful attempt at 'catching' him, he just ducked under the water for a second, then came floating back up, on his back pimpin'. All of this time he's 12 feet away from me, not afraid of anything, other than a 10" swimbait. My Gamo Whisper varmit rifle may get used for more than paper targets this week while wife's at work, although I will attempt at trapping him first. Cecil, is a conniber trap underwater? I couldn't have that thing thrashing about, suffocating, Jen would de-jewel me, she got terribly upset with the whole 'turtle incident'.

I would like to add that I DO NOT have any reason, other than to see it 'swim', for throwing a 10" inch swimbait in my pond, NO 10 lb. LMB yet...

PondFuzz, you need to stock Puffet fish.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/130719/puffet_fish_vs_otter/

I think poison may be an option... The pond in completely circled by a fence which is why I was so surprised to see the darn thing. I think he swam in through the feeder pipe. The fence was put up to keep neighborhood toddlers from drowning in it. If the otter sticks around, he may get a few free fish to eat with some "special ingredients" added...

I archery hunt, but get called in by my neighbors for just practicing with the bow. In a safe location too, that is what ticks me off. So many people are tree huggers around here. I'll see if the otter sticks around, if he does... The war is on!

I just hope the bugger gets bored and leaves!