Last year two local otters decided that my two fish ponds were easy pickings.

They did quite a number on the bass and the channel catfish.

We tried traps, both live and steel, to no avail...........we did catch a raccoon though in the live trap.  Seems he liked sardines but was really pi$$ed about being caught.

Anyhow, this year the otters are back and we have resorted to having them removed by whatever means will work.  I know they are just doing what otters do but large-mouth bass, white channel cat and hydrib bream are expensive.............the otters gotta go!

Besides, the fish are for us and our entertainment.....not the otters.

The steel traps keep getting thrown and it looks like I only nabbed one otter one time.

I did locate their den today so I know where they live.

Anyone got any suggestions as to the best way to rid my ponds of these critters?

Ask your Game Warden or local State Wildlife Biologist for the names of any local fur trappers.  Otter pelts shold fetch good prices at this time of year, so some trapper may jump at the chance.

If ya cant shoot guns on your property. You might try a bowfishing setup if its not against hunting regulations.

I have one suggestion

[img]http://www.ruger-firearms.com/images/ruger_guns/rifles/rimfire_auto/rbm.gif[/img]

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is not interested.  Already tried them.

Blowing them to kingdom come is not an issue as this is a 50 acre farm in the middle of nowhere.

The problem is actually getting the drop on em'.

I am not sure of their behavioral patterns so I spose it is time to surf the net for otter info.

Just want them gone.

Recreational fishing ans the occasional fresh catch meal....etc etc is a favorite pastime of ours.  

Anyone like otter etoufee'?

more?

Well, why didn't you say so? That changes everything. May I suggest this

[img]http://www.dynaserve.com/timebomb/images/tmebomb2.jpg[/img]

Now then...........[b][size=3]That![/b][/size=3] is exactly what I need.

Shoulda known this was a situation that called for an application of high explosives.

Thanks Ponyboy!

Truth be told, I don't think I've ever seen an otter. I don't think there are otters in Texas. However, we do have lots of beavers (both kinds[:D]), that can do a lot of damage to people's ponds such as tearing into the damn walls and eating lots of fish etc.

The way we do it is to get a few friends, some lawn chairs, .22s and/or shotguns loaded with buckshot and a cooler full of beer and make a day out of it. Same thing goes for turtles. Happy hunting![sniper]

Otter sniping?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......that might just work.

I know of a guy that was coyote huntng at night (private land) and these pair of glowing eyes lit up in his spotlight beam around an old pond................well, turns out it was an otter til the .308 got hold of em'

Otterflage????????

Now I may be on to something......

Hey, thanks for the tip on the trap BeeKeeper..........I knew there had to be a specialty trap available but had no idea where to get the right info.

I looked at the Conibear trap web site and it lists the #330 for only a few dollars (less than $20).

It will be well worth it.

These ponds have largemouth bass from 1.lb to 3lb and catfish from 1.lb to 7-8lb so we cant fool around.

Thanks for the tip and we will keep the pelts.

Cool.

Thanks Bro!


here otter otter otter.......

[stick]

We had the same problem here on two separate occasions with beavers.  Those big rodents absolutely deforested our place and kept building the natural pond dam up so high we were worried about flooding.  I got real tired tearing up their dam every day, only to find it rebuilt even higher the next.

Since we moved here from LaLa Land, I didn't want to take the ultimate sanction if I didn't have to.  I called the game warden who told me that I couldn't just trap and move them because they were a pest and that I had two options:  Live with the beavers or kill the beavers.

About three years ago, when I spotted a big one towing what remained of my favorite weeping willow across the pond, they sealed their fate.

From that day forward, my son and I began carefully hunting the pesky critters.  Beavers are quite skittish and will dive at the slightest provocation.  Since they swim with only their head showing and since they are out mostly at night, that makes for a tough shot.  Eventually, one got careless and made a foray out just about dusk.  We had our sniper team out in a flash and got him with a .22 rimfire LR from cover as he was nearing the bank.  [peep]

We got number two a couple of weeks later at night, using the big spot from my truck for targeting, but with .22 subsonics so as not to excite any neighbors.  I got the third with a subsonic about eight months ago.  It appeared to be a solo yearling looking for a nice place to set up housekeeping.

I suspect we'll have more.  We aren't that far from the river and the young ones migrate up the streams looking for a new home every year.

If otters hit us, they would find our pond like a smorgasboard with all the bass, crappie, and bluegill in it.  Plus, they move a lot faster than beavers, making for a tough shot.  

Good luck.

[sniper]

This sounds like a job for the AR15.com ARMY!!
c-rock