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Otter - Otter methods? #482691
12/26/07 09:10 AM
12/26/07 09:10 AM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,700
South Central Michigan
Freepop Offline OP
trapper
Freepop  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,700
South Central Michigan
Went to the folk's this weekend and took a few traps. As I was walking along a creek I saw some tracks in the snow. After looking them over, I didn't think they looked like beaver, but made a mound set and worked downstream. I came across a beaver feed pile, saw where a mink had been there, then saw some scat. After further investigation, I determined it was otter scat (4-6 piles). I placed a 330 where the otter had been coming in and out of the water. As I was walking back to the truck, the thought of getting an otter really intrigued me so I grabded a bucket with a 160 in it. Placed it where my first set was and put some Jack Mack in it, as a hail mary. Well, he visited the set and even peeked in the bucket (it was basically buried in the snow and camoed with grass across the front) but didn't get his head in far enough to get caught.

I did a search in the water archives and came up empty. Can any of you fine people offer some suggestions on produtive sets for otter?


Born to hunt, forced to work

Re: Otter methods? [Re: Freepop] #483088
12/26/07 04:13 PM
12/26/07 04:13 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 786
Mineral, Virginia U.S.A.
K
Krustyklimber Offline
trapper
Krustyklimber  Offline
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K

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 786
Mineral, Virginia U.S.A.
Freepop,

Just use sets like you'd use for beaver, crossovers, pinch points, and slides, with #330s.
Dirt holes (large and deep) set with #3-4 foothold traps, bottom edge sets with #330s, and other overgrown mink sets are also useful.

Stick with your bucket sets, just because he didn't commit this time doesn't mean he or another one won't next time.

There's also a submerged bucket set, placing your bucket in a few feet of water, upright, with a stone or some other weight in the bottom of the bucket.

A gland lure from one of the smaller mustelids, mink or weasel, is supposed to enhance some otter sets, as is otter based lure.
But they aren't necessary, and many trappers will recommend not using lure for mink or otter.

Gang up your sets, otters do travel in groups, so when there's one around it's likely there's more.

I was the opposite of you, I had no clue my line had otters, or that I might catch one, until I found one in my trap.

Best of luck! \:\)

Krusty

Re: Otter methods? [Re: Krustyklimber] #483145
12/26/07 05:05 PM
12/26/07 05:05 PM
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,700
South Central Michigan
Freepop Offline OP
trapper
Freepop  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,700
South Central Michigan
Thank you for the info Krusty.

Unfortunately I only will be able to chase them for 4 days twice a year, at Thanksgiving and Cristmas as the locationis at my parents, 130 miles away. I'll definately keep trying though.


Born to hunt, forced to work

Re: Otter methods? [Re: Freepop] #486111
12/28/07 08:40 AM
12/28/07 08:40 AM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 262
Chippewa County, Wisconsin
S
Snowshark Offline
trapper
Snowshark  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 262
Chippewa County, Wisconsin
For Otter I would use beaver or muskrat meat for bait. I think it works better for me. I do get most of my Otter in blind sets for beaver. I have found that 220's and 280's work better on Otter, with 330's they usually get most of the way through the trap before it fires and your catch them just in front of the hip. If using 330's spread your trigger and maybe run a wire between them.

Re: Otter methods? [Re: Snowshark] #486443
12/28/07 01:36 PM
12/28/07 01:36 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 372
Halifax VA
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HOKIETRAPPER Offline
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Posts: 372
Halifax VA
I was wondering if you set a 330 at the top of the water with a dive stick or on the bottom. In about a 3 foot deep chanel.


7 greys
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Re: Otter methods? [Re: HOKIETRAPPER] #486688
12/28/07 03:58 PM
12/28/07 03:58 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 262
Chippewa County, Wisconsin
S
Snowshark Offline
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Snowshark  Offline
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Chippewa County, Wisconsin
I would set just under the surface with a dive stick. We can have them up to half out of the water.

Re: Otter methods? [Re: Snowshark] #489306
12/30/07 01:03 AM
12/30/07 01:03 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,735
SW Alaska
otterman Offline
trapper
otterman  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,735
SW Alaska
hokietrapper I have alot of small deep creeks here, just wide enought to accomodate a 220, 280 or 330 in the pinch points. Many of these do not freeze for some reason. Using the dive pole and then plugging up the water underneath the trap with a spruce tree or brush so they have to run through the trap works quite well. It also keeps the trap working if the water on top turns solid

Last edited by otterman; 12/30/07 01:04 AM.

We get out of life only as much as we really want and work hard enough to achieve
Re: Otter methods? [Re: otterman] #495192
01/02/08 10:45 AM
01/02/08 10:45 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 225
Missouri Ozarks
T
TOTF Offline
trapper
TOTF  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 225
Missouri Ozarks
What's the best way to use bait for otters without worrying about 'coons or possums getting in your sets?


Gone trappin'
Re: Otter methods? [Re: Krustyklimber] #513960
01/11/08 07:18 PM
01/11/08 07:18 PM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,355
Vermont
G
Gotcha! Offline
trapper
Gotcha!  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,355
Vermont
 Originally Posted By: Krustyklimber
Freepop,

Just use sets like you'd use for beaver, crossovers, pinch points, and slides, with #330s.
Dirt holes (large and deep) set with #3-4 foothold traps, bottom edge sets with #330s, and other overgrown mink sets are also useful.

Stick with your bucket sets, just because he didn't commit this time doesn't mean he or another one won't next time.

There's also a submerged bucket set, placing your bucket in a few feet of water, upright, with a stone or some other weight in the bottom of the bucket.

A gland lure from one of the smaller mustelids, mink or weasel, is supposed to enhance some otter sets, as is otter based lure.
But they aren't necessary, and many trappers will recommend not using lure for mink or otter.

Gang up your sets, otters do travel in groups, so when there's one around it's likely there's more.

I was the opposite of you, I had no clue my line had otters, or that I might catch one, until I found one in my trap.

Best of luck! \:\)

Krusty

Will You Elaborate On the Submerged Bucket set?



Re: Otter methods? [Re: Gotcha!] #514836
01/12/08 04:06 AM
01/12/08 04:06 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 786
Mineral, Virginia U.S.A.
K
Krustyklimber Offline
trapper
Krustyklimber  Offline
trapper
K

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 786
Mineral, Virginia U.S.A.
Gotcha,

I cannot elaborate much, as I am not personally familiar with the set (I don't own any #220s).

From the photos I have seen, it appears to be an identical set up as used for raccoon... a square white bucket, with slots cut to hold and stabilize a #220 conibear, and bait wired into the bucket... only that it is placed in the creek, not along side of it.

Try looking in the Wilderness Trapping archives?

Krusty

Re: Otter methods? [Re: Krustyklimber] #518519
01/14/08 10:20 AM
01/14/08 10:20 AM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,355
Vermont
G
Gotcha! Offline
trapper
Gotcha!  Offline
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,355
Vermont
makes sense, but how are they gonna smell the bait under water? mabey a whole fish would work best?



Re: Otter methods? [Re: Gotcha!] #523112
01/17/08 12:13 AM
01/17/08 12:13 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 218
clovis, nm
R
rueben Offline
trapper
rueben  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 218
clovis, nm
I have never used the bucket set either but I have the pictures somewhere. The set as I remember it you take a whole fish like a herring and wire it to a rock that is in the bottom of the bucket. Some put aluminum foil around the rock also.

If I can find the pictures I will, but gotta get some work done first.


trapped in alaska, newest adventure new mexico
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