land set for otter

[Turner89]

I've found a few otter cross over trails that id like to setup on. I just planned on putting a swim through rite in the middle of the trail, and creating a tunnel. Any of you guys have any luck, and advice about this?

[Trapper John]

The tunnel sounds good, it will most likely work.
Just make sure that you put the trap it in an area (say between two trees and or brush) where it can't go around your trap so it is force to go into your trap.  Put a few drops of fish oil in the area and put a few drops inside and out the other side of your trap.  The fish oil will attract him into the area and trap. Good Luck, let us know if you catch it
JC   

[Turner89]

Thanks john

[big wood]

I would put a swim through on each side of the crossover trail, that way you can catch 2 and have a 72 hr trap check!

[Humptulips]

I have caught otter like that as a blind set. Only problem as a land set an otter will eat the trap unless it is a very heavily built one. My old with 1x2 wire may or may not hold an otter like that but the trap will have to be rebuilt for sure.

[Turner89]

I have caught otter like that as a blind set. Only problem as a land set an otter will eat the trap unless it is a very heavily built one. My old with 1x2 wire may or may not hold an otter like that but the trap will have to be rebuilt for sure.

I'm worried about them destroying the trap. Most of my swim throughs are the ones I bought from you. I do have one of your new fold up traps though. That should hold up I would think?

[Turner89]

I would put a swim through on each side of the crossover trail, that way you can catch 2 and have a 72 hr trap check!

you mean put them in the water? I would prefer to do a water set, but this particular spot is difficult to do that.

[big wood]

Yes

[kirkdekalb]

I catch as many on land in cages as in water. The trap needs to be checked the next day when trap is not submerged. Make your doors bar doors. They will work the doors and not your cage.

As was mentioned earlier, if you have a good central run, use two traps. You catch one alive, others will come if they are near.

[Turner89]

I catch as many on land in cages as in water. The trap needs to be checked the next day when trap is not submerged. Make your doors bar doors. They will work the doors and not your cage.

As was mentioned earlier, if you have a good central run, use two traps. You catch one alive, others will come if they are near.

kirk, in the other thread yo mentioned how the otter doesn't like to touch his wiskers if possible. With the conibear triggers how would you bend the wires? Or should I not worry about that much?

[Humptulips]

I would not worry about that. Never had a problem getting them to spring the trap.

[kirkdekalb]

You make an opening in the wires too small for him to go through, but large enough that he will shoot for that opening. If the wires cover the whole area, you will have go arounds. That is why on a wire triggered trap, the use of a four way trigger is sometimes best. Think about it, when you are using your conibears or reading  posts on using a 4 way trigger with body grips on other websites.

Back many years ago I watched Newt Sterling do a demo on snaring otters. He made his loop and set. The last thing he did was bend a piece of grass and hang it on the snare. That is just enough of a barrier to keep the otter from going under and makes him want to jump through the trap. You set the snare and don,t do that, your missing otter.

[kirkdekalb]

I would not worry about that. Never had a problem getting them to spring the trap.

That is because of the type of trigger Bruce uses and how it is positioned. Even the relationship the trigger design has to width of the trap, has a great effect when using a wire trigger.

[kirkdekalb]

If you are having go arounds on your land set cages it could also be the width and height of the trap. I have found that a 10" wide trap when set on land (for beaver and otter) should have a minimum of 14" of door height to be optimum. A 12x12 works, but a 12" wide trap at least 13or 14" tall is better.