Otters

VinhlongVet71

There are two lakes here on the property where I caretake. One is approx. 4 acres in area, and one is about 25 acres in area. In the past couple of years, we have noticed a decline in the size and number of fish caught. Back in Oct. 07 we noticed otters in the larger 'back' lake. The lake also has a small beaver population, but beavers don't eat fish. I'm not gonna say what action we have taken so far for fear of reprisals from God knows who. For those who may not know it, (I didn't in the beginning), this text is splashed all over the internet via Google. It's the price that a public forum has to pay. That is true, the internet is dangerous. Nothing is sacred anymore. With that being said,,,,,,This otter problem that we have here is bigger than first thought. It seems that the more that are 'taken out', the more that seem to appear. I'm hoping somebody that reads this knows of a trap that I could construct to capture them live. We are already using conebear traps. They don't work real good and they are dangerous as hell if you mishandle them. I'll welcome any suggestions

dpmule

There are suitcase type live traps I have used for beaver,
. They are about $450.00 each.
I'm sure you could modify the approach to have it work for Otter also, bad thing is if one family of otter found this honey hole another bunch will too, so if you don't want to continually use lethal means then these traps would be the way to go and you would be able to write the cost off.
Call or check with the ADC on the net it is under the USDA
they might give you more ideas.

VinhlongVet71

Thanks dpmule, I'll check that out. Been told by a local game warden that there is no season on otters, hence, it's illegal to shoot them with a firearm. The owner is now considering hiring a professional trapper. And yes, your right about more of them showing up. They travel from pond to pond. Everybody in this area has them in their pond. However, we know the local game wardens and they are sympathetic to our problem. quote:Originally posted by dpmule
There are suitcase type live traps I have used for beaver,
. They are about $450.00 each.
I'm sure you could modify the approach to have it work for Otter also, bad thing is if one family of otter found this honey hole another bunch will too, so if you don't want to continually use lethal means then these traps would be the way to go and you would be able to write the cost off.
Call or check with the ADC on the net it is under the USDA
they might give you more ideas.