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

I observed a half eaten three to four pound bass on a black plastic float i have in my pond. Over a week or so the bass gradually disappeared. Today I discovered a half eaten grass carp, four or five pounds, half eaten on the bank. i have researched this site and understand how big a problem this can be. I think I also have a "small" muskrat problem and have talked to a trapper friend about trapping them. He says that occasionally he accidentally catches an otter in one of his traps. What a pity.

i feel your pain. seems like the otters visit my pond every year about this time. this year they didnt just visit. they were living in a hole in the bank best i can tell. i have tried everyting to get rid of them. i hope lead poisoning did the trick.

IMHO it is one of the hazards of having a pond outside vs an aquarium. Personally I would enjoy watching the little guys, but mad as heck at them just the same. Just have to hope your pond isn't so nice and full of juicy fish that they set up a nice home!

Bing if trapping doesn't get them and they become a real problem an electric fence works well.
Maybe you'll be lucky and the otter is just passing thru.

Fury cannot compare to the wrath of an otter-stricken pond owner.

where is that pic of Overton-007?

agreed!!!!!

That's too bad Bing. The otters have been hitting me harder than ever, I suppose with all the drought conditions they are looking for food and new territory. I am rigged up with night vision and laser-sights on a 12ga shotgun and I still feel unprepared.

I just ordered some 330 traps from snareshop.com. Also there are some good videos on youtube. You'll need to find their slides in/out if you plan to trap them. I recently caught one in a live trap but it hasn't caught one since.

Such a shame that they can hammer your fish population before you know it.

otter1 otter2

Sometimes I think that's life's so strange. You dig your pond to enjoy watching fish and animals and after some while you find out that everything you planned has ruined because of some f****ing otters or whatever. And you start hating all these live creatures instead of liking or enjoying them... What can I say...
Kill 'em all!


Ok, let's put that beer back in the fridge.
I've gone sixteen hours without a drink! I don't miss the poison at all! Cheers!. Mr. Rosewater (K.Vonnegut).

I love watching them. If i thought it would work I'd feed it a couple of pounds of protein a day so he wouldn't kill the fish and i could watch him.

Try to find some happy medium.

Does the otter like boubon?

I once watched a mink, an otter's little cousin, eat five 11-12" LMB on the ice in less than two hours in my dad's old pond, then he spotted a muskrat and the stalk was on....

I have a friend who is going to do some intensive muskrat trapping efforts on both of my ponds starting tomorrow. Of course it is illegal in Illinois to intentioally trap Otter. However if one is accidentally trapped all they want you to do is turn in to the state. My trapper friends do that, as much as anything to prove to the state that we have a lot of them and they should be controlled. The state is indicating if enough are accidentally trapped they will open the season to control them. He had trapped three of them in the last week. My buddy took a month off of work to trap muskrat, mink and coon. He is a cement finisher and makes more by taking a month off this time of year and trapping than he would at his regular job.

Sunil: A friend gave me a bottle of 23 year old Pappy Van Winkle single barrel bourbon for Christmas. I think I'll drink the bourbon and let the otter fend for himself.

I thought you were a Blue Goose fan.

Got some of that too, but that is mainly in warmer weather. Haven't had any of that since, lets see -- Last Thursday. It was a warm day and our 48th anniversary.

Big Cedar has a good supply of the Goose. October is usually warm in Missouri.

What about Famous Grouse?

I may be in this a little over my head. Sunil has sent me on a google search twice in the last 24 hours just so I understand what he is asking! I'm not much for scotch. There is a U in Bourbon.

Famous Grouse is a very smooth scotch, you might like it Bing.

If you bring the goose and tomato juice again, I'll join you in one.

Done -- Plus Club soda and lemon wedges after lunch. Funny we went through a fifth of that before dinner and I don't remember what the mixer was.

That was a nice little party you guys had going before dinner that night.

That younger, drunk, blonde girl (not Sue Cruz!) really took it to me, verbally, that is.

Those otters are so freakin' cute!! If I had a pond, it would be an otter pond. They look like water ferrets!
Thanks for the clarification, Sunil. I would never be caught (too) drunk at a PB Convention!! I have to stay sharp!

If my wife caught me shooting an otter I'd be in trouble...

I guess it was me who brought up bourbon. And I really don't know my stuff on bourbon or scotch.