Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Looks like I have an otter problem

Now that was REALLY BAD!!!!

Man this is a great way to celebrate the last day of 2011, with another OTTER. They have been hammering me. I resorted to pulling out some old steel leg traps, and got this one by the last digits of two toes. If he hadn't wrapped himself up in this paddlewheel aerator and drowned, then he would have escaped (without two toes however). Also recently I did also catch a single otter toe but he got away. Otters populations seem to be on the rise around here. I'm even happy to catch toes actually because I figure that puts a significant damper on their skill level. I get more and more calls with mysterious fish disappearances. I just invested in a lot of conibear traps also and plan to start offering pest control services for pond and lake owners. They have an affinity for hybrid stripers and especially largemouth bass.

Brutality Rising!!!

Oh I got more:

I went to buy a camouflage Otter hunting jacket the other day but I couldn't find any....

Two Otter hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy takes out his phone and calls 911. He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?"......

Three Otter hunters, lost in the bayou, find a magic lantern containing a genie, who grants them each one wish. The first guy wishes he was back home safe and sound. The second guy wishes the same. The third guy says "I’m lonely. I wish my friends were back here."

Considering a career change?

Better stick to fish !

Alright, how's everybody? Good! Good! Good! Now, as your father probably told you, my name is Matt Foley, and I am an avid Otter Hunter! Now, let's get started by me giving you a little bit of a scenario of what my life is all about! First off, I am 35 years old.. I am divorced.. and I live in a van down by the river!

Now, you kids are probably saying to yourself, "Now, I'm gonna go out, and I'm gonna get the Otter by the tail, and wrap it around and put it in my pocket!!" Well, I'm here to tell you that you're probably gonna find out, as you go out there, that you're not gonna amount to Jack Squat!!" You're gonna end up eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a van down by the river! Now, young man, what do you want to do with your life?

Brian: [ nervous ] I.. actually, Matt.. I kinda wanna be a writer, not an Otter Chaser..

Matt: We-e-e-elll.. la-de-freakin'-da! We've got ourselves a writer here! [ jumps across the room ] Hey, Dad, I can't see real good.. [ lifts his glasses off and on his face ] ..is that Bill Shakespeare over there?

Dad: Well, actually, Matt.. Ellen and I have encouraged Brian in his writing.

Matt: Dad, I wish you could just shut your big yapper! [ stumbles back across the room ] Now, I wonder.. Brian, from what I've heard, you're using your paper, not for writing, but for rolling doobies!! You're gonna be doing a lot of doobie-rolling when you're living in a van down by the river! [ turns to Stacy ] Young lady, what do you want to do with your life?!

Stacy: [ sarcastic ] I want to live in a van down by the river.

Matt: Well, you'll have plenty of time to live in a van down by the river when you're.. [ tries to be clever ] ..living in a van down by the river! Now, you kids are probably asking yourself, "Hey, Matt, how can we get back on the right track?!" Well, as I see it, there is only one solution! And that is for me to get my gear, move it on into here, 'cause I'm gonna bunk with you, buddy! We're gonna be buddies! We're gonna be pals! [ picks Brian up ] We're gonna wrassle around! [ puts Brian down ] Ol' Matt's gonna be your shadow! [ motions] Here's Matt, here's you! There's Matt, there's you! [ trips and falls flat on the coffee table, sending it crashing to the floor ] Whoops-a-daisy! [ stands up ] We're gonna have to clean that up later! Me and my buddies! My pals! My amigos! I'm gonna go get my gear! [ heads for the door ]

Awesome.

Is that Brian's work ? -

You forgot that Matt was in the basement chewing on cocoa leaves prior to the meeting.

I spent the day putting cover in my pond. With the water intentionally lowered about 5 feet it is much easier to do. There was no sign of the otter. No fresh tracks, no new slides, and best of all, no dead fish. My neighbor "accidentally" trapped one last week and this might have been my guy. The buddy who put traps out in both of my ponds got 7 muskrats, a couple of mink, two racoons, and a possum. Most of these were in the smaller, lower pond which has more wild terrain in which for them to hide.

Wow! Now Connie can have that fur coat she's always wanted...and a raccoon cap for Bing.

The last Raccoon hat I saw was at the Alamo in San Antonio. It was just laying on a chair, kind of in the corner of a very long room where I had heard the final massacre occured. I thought it might be Davy Crockett's. I picked it up and looked at the name inside. Guess who, the real hero: John Wayne.

Well Todd, I might have to get some more fish from you! I saw 3 otter in my little pond tonight! I went looking around for info on them and found this forum. Are there any restrictions about killing otter in Texas?

This is from TPWD.

"•A landowner on their own land or their authorized agent is not required to have a trapper's or hunting license if these nuisance animals are taken while causing loss or damage to agricultural crops, livestock, poultry, or personal property. However, such animals or their pelts may not be possessed or sold."
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_br_w7000_0065.pdf
This includes Otters. Have at it.

Thanks Sgt911!