Author Topic: River otters (Read 18239 times)

Boss .300 winmag · « **on:** February 16, 2011, 09:39:19 PM »

Is it legal to trap them? If so who wants to do it?

Machias · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2011, 10:59:10 PM »

Yes, with cage traps.

Hannibal · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2011, 06:57:42 AM »

boneaddict · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2011, 07:13:01 AM »

Sit and watch them for a bit. Some of the best entertainment in the world.

runamuk · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2011, 07:27:45 AM »

Quote from: boneaddict on February 17, 2011, 07:13:01 AM

Sit and watch them for a bit. Some of the best entertainment in the world.

I am with Bone otters are really fun to watch critters

MtnMuley · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2011, 08:00:10 AM »

Quote from: boneaddict on February 17, 2011, 07:13:01 AM

Sit and watch them for a bit. Some of the best entertainment in the world.

Exactly. I couldn't bring myself to trap one. Just not enough in my country, and the things they do will make your day.

Humptulips · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2011, 09:20:52 AM »

Otters are like anything else. They are fun to watch however when they are causing you problems they can wear out their welcome. I trapped a couple different fish hatcheries in the last couple years that were having problems. One had lost 400,000 fish the year before to otter. The other was in the process of losing 5000 fingerlings a day. When you're on the receiving end of something like that they soon loose their cuteness. I trapped the area for years before I-713 and there were otter but not a problem like it has turned into.
That's what I don't think the general public realizes. Animals cause problems when their population gets too high. Managed correctly we can have the otters to watch and trap a few also. Besides they make a pretty nice fur blanket.

lokidog · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2011, 09:41:00 AM »

They are cool to watch, until they get on your boat, crap all over the place, and, just for the heck of it, rip out the screens on the cabin's windows! We get some really BIG ones out here on the docks. It drives me crazy though when people call them sea otters just because they are in the salt water.

Do you have to have a trapper's license to have a fur tanned from one that was hit by a car?

MtnMuley · « **Reply #8 on:** February 17, 2011, 10:04:49 AM »

Quote from: lokidog on February 17, 2011, 09:41:00 AM

Do you have to have a trapper's license to have a fur tanned from one that was hit by a car?

Yep. Then you have to lie about how you got it. WDFW laws can make a criminal out of anyboby.

lokidog · « **Reply #9 on:** February 17, 2011, 10:16:46 AM »

Fortunately, my wife, Weathergirl, has a WDFW salvage permit for educational purposes.

MtnMuley · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2011, 10:53:43 AM »

Sweet! Then you shouldn't even need a trapping license.

Humptulips · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2011, 12:17:30 AM »

Quote from: lokidog on February 17, 2011, 10:16:46 AM

Fortunately, my wife, Weathergirl, has a WDFW salvage permit for educational purposes.

Sounds like you might be in good shape but just a reminder to others, It is illegal in WA to pick up road kill even if it is in season and you have a license. Roundly ignored but if you cause a problem when stopping to pick something up I imagine you would be sited.

Also all otter and bobcats have to be CITES tagged or they cannot cross the state line. No tannery or taxidermist will touch it if it is not CITES tagged. If you are thinking about picking one up and you don't have a license to allow you to take them it would be pretty hard to explain how you came by it when you go to get it tagged.

MtnMuley · « **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2011, 08:02:43 AM »

Yes, are correct Hump, and good info.

TeacherMan · « **Reply #13 on:** March 13, 2011, 09:04:54 PM »

Quote from: lokidog on February 17, 2011, 10:16:46 AM

Fortunately, my wife, Weathergirl, has a WDFW salvage permit for educational purposes.

Since I'm a science teacher can I get one for educational purposes. I wont even sell the fur

So but seriously I would like to get one.

lokidog · « **Reply #14 on:** March 14, 2011, 07:24:30 AM »

Teacherman,

For WA you need to contact WDFW (mammals and non-protected birds, bird nests, I think you need to specify what you are looking for), you also need a Ffederal Permit for protected birds like songbirds, herons, and sea birds. Of course, endangered species are off-limits.

Finding the critters is easy, trying to figure out how to pay for all the taxidermy is the hard part. Could be fun if you had enough critters to have an advanced bio class prepare mammal and bird study skins if nothing else.

grundy53 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 14, 2011, 08:32:08 AM »

I understand they are cool to watch. unfortunatlly what you watching is them killing the heck out of fish. It's like saying the sea lions on the columbia are fun to watch. I hate them. I just wish you could legally shoot them. just my

MtnMuley · « **Reply #16 on:** March 14, 2011, 04:30:45 PM »

There fun as hell to watch where I watch them in a mountain creek, and not doing too much harm at all.

Hannibal · « **Reply #17 on:** March 15, 2011, 09:22:20 PM »

Quote

There fun to watch where I watch them in a mountain creek, and not doing too much harm at all

wellllll,,,,,,,,, the creek were they "were" fun to watch now has cut thought trout in it again.....

?? by my house....

JimmyHoffa · « **Reply #18 on:** March 15, 2011, 09:34:07 PM »

River wolves. I've seen lots...and they were killing steelhead one right after the other. I see the most on the Hoh, one day they were everywhere, cleaned out every steelie in a couple big holes.

grundy53 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 15, 2011, 09:37:28 PM »

Quote from: JimmyHoffa on March 15, 2011, 09:34:07 PM

River wolves. I've seen lots...and they were killing steelhead one right after the other. I see the most on the Hoh, one day they were everywhere, cleaned out every steelie in a couple big holes.

Yup, no better then wolves or sea lions.

CAMPMEAT · « **Reply #20 on:** March 15, 2011, 09:45:27 PM »

You're talking about this little beauty on the Kettle River eating a big brownie.....

JimmyHoffa · « **Reply #21 on:** March 15, 2011, 09:57:14 PM »

Here is a youtube video of an otter eating a steelhead.
Otter takes Steelhead

One day just below the Sol Duc hatchery I watched two otters drag a steelhead out that was significantly larger than the biggest otter, 25# maybe. They left it by a tree and then went back in for another fish. About 10 minutes later they had another....and drug it out and placed it next to the other fish. Then they went back into the water. They might have been eating them later on, but while I was watching, they were just collecting a big pile. Possibly just having having fun. It was really annoying, because I had fished there for a while without even a strike. They proved there were fish in that area though. Maybe the fish won't bite when they are around. I've had salmon stop biting in the Hoh when the seals start swimming up river with the tide and tuna stop when sharks/dolphins are around.

MtnMuley · « **Reply #22 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:13:08 AM »

Quote from: Hannibal on March 15, 2011, 09:22:20 PM

Quote
There fun to watch where I watch them in a mountain creek, and not doing too much harm at all

wellllll,,,,,,,,, the creek were they "were" fun to watch now has cut thought trout in it again.....?? by my house....

I will guarantee you have no house near the creek I'm talking about. I firmly believe about trapping them around problem areas, as I have.

Quote from: grundy53 on March 15, 2011, 09:37:28 PM

Yup, no better then wolves or sea lions.

Now you're comparing river otters to wolves? Better educate yourself.

grundy53 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 16, 2011, 09:07:45 AM »

Quote from: MtnMuley on March 16, 2011, 08:13:08 AM

Quote from: Hannibal on March 15, 2011, 09:22:20 PM
Quote
There fun to watch where I watch them in a mountain creek, and not doing too much harm at all

wellllll,,,,,,,,, the creek were they "were" fun to watch now has cut thought trout in it again.....?? by my house....

I will guarantee you have no house near the creek I'm talking about. I firmly believe about trapping them around problem areas, as I have.
Quote from: grundy53 on March 15, 2011, 09:37:28 PM

Yup, no better then wolves or sea lions.

Now you're comparing river otters to wolves? Better educate yourself.

They do too fish populations what wolves do to elk populations.... so ya.

MtnMuley · « **Reply #24 on:** March 16, 2011, 10:10:07 AM »

As I mentioned before, educate yourself. I'm not talking sea lions either. We have a way to maintain river otter populations when they cause trouble, but do we for the wolf?

?

grundy53 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 16, 2011, 10:19:51 AM »

Quote from: MtnMuley on March 16, 2011, 10:10:07 AM

As I mentioned before, educate yourself. I'm not talking sea lions either. We have a way to maintain river otter populations when they cause trouble, but do we for the wolf??

I'm merely talking about the animal itself not the way they are regulated. Ok I will go educate myself now. Sorry for thinking otters kill a lot of fish even though I have personally watched them do it on multiple occasions and have seen there affects on local populations....

MtnMuley · « **Reply #26 on:** March 16, 2011, 10:38:19 AM »

Quote from: grundy53 on March 16, 2011, 10:19:51 AM

I'm merely talking about the animal itself

So basically what you're saying is that that's an bad animal because it eats fish? So now I guess we should start: 1) Shooting the bald eagles for knocking our young mtn goats off cliffs and decimating their populations in areas. 2) Shoot the red-tailed hawks for cleaning out the chuckar in an old honey hole of mine. 3) Shoot the blue herons for picking off too many trout in the creek where we like to take kids fishing. 4) Shoot every bear you see because they have been known to damage fawn populations........etc.........

grundy53 · « **Reply #27 on:** March 16, 2011, 10:50:21 AM »

Other then the bald eagle I feel pretty much the same about those other animals too.

MtnMuley · « **Reply #28 on:** March 16, 2011, 11:03:41 AM »

Hmmm. Interesting.

grundy53 · « **Reply #29 on:** March 16, 2011, 11:24:35 AM »

Yep

one more · « **Reply #30 on:** March 16, 2011, 12:48:01 PM »

For your information: High metabolism animals like otter often need to eat as much as 1/3 their body weight each day. They eat crayfish and clams, too. (When I read the info on how much weight they eat, it did not say if it included the weight of the crayfish shell.) I've caught 30# otters. Like wolves, they hunt together and are very efficient killers.

Otters like every other fur animal should be caught during the winter when their beautiful fur is prime. It is a natural resource that should be enjoyed.
Diane

Phantom Gobbler · « **Reply #31 on:** March 16, 2011, 07:54:07 PM »

Was checking one of the ponds recently planted by the Snohomish Sportsman Association and guess what I saw ............. yep ......... Otters!!!

I have not seen any trout rising in this pond since. Last Fall the pond was full of trout dimpling the surface!! I agree that Otters are neat to see in the wild, but they are very very efficient predators!

brew · « **Reply #32 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:09:13 PM »

I'll adimit I don't know a lot about the biology standpoint but IMO this is the best place to view a river otter

Boss .300 winmag · « **Reply #33 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:18:13 PM »

Quote from: Boss .300 winmag on February 16, 2011, 09:39:19 PM

Is it legal to trap them? If so who wants to do it?

when is the season over?

Hannibal · « **Reply #34 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:27:56 PM »

I'm cuter................ and wwwwaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy more fun to watch!!

Trapping is a management tool

rasbo · « **Reply #35 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:30:20 PM »

Quote from: Hannibal on March 16, 2011, 08:27:56 PM

I'm cuter................ and wwwwaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy more fun to watch!!

Trapping is a management tool

a 10 at 2 you are LOL

Hannibal · « **Reply #36 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:30:52 PM »

Quote

Is it legal to trap them? If so who wants to do it?

when is the season over?

It is legal..... season ends the end of the month...

Boss .300 winmag · « **Reply #37 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:32:19 PM »

Quote from: Hannibal on March 16, 2011, 08:30:52 PM

Quote
Is it legal to trap them? If so who wants to do it?

when is the season over?

It is legal..... season ends the end of the month...

Well I guess next year I can pursue that.

brew · « **Reply #38 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:35:05 PM »

nice work Hannibal.....they're pretty cool ....not sure though about calling you a "10" at 2:00

wingnuts · « **Reply #39 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:40:47 PM »

we most certainly do not have a shortage of otter here in western washington, and most of eastern washington either.With trapping the only way to legally take them, there is actually a serious excess. I took the two to four otters per year from the same small stream/swamp location for twenty years before moving last year. I believe most small streams can be treated that way, and even more taken on streams entering salt water.

Boss .300 winmag · « **Reply #40 on:** March 16, 2011, 08:52:41 PM »

Whats your general area?

TeacherMan · « **Reply #41 on:** March 18, 2011, 12:36:31 AM »

have fun skinning those. I HATE fleshing otters. Nice catch

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Author Topic: River otters (Read 18239 times)

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