what kind of stakes do you guys use for otter? I was thinking about using POGO's to hold them live.

I drown all my otter or use 330's.

But if to hold it alive staking depends on your soil type. Use whatever you would use for holding coyote. The same should hold an otter

Pound for pound otter are some of the strongest toughest customers out there. I say drowning set unless you have some big reason to keep it alive.

What ever you decide to anchor with make sure its solid, to include drowning rigs. If not, when Mr. Loutre decides he wants to go home he will take your entire set into the bayou. They are a strong animal and know how to use every ounce of muscle they have. Last year I had a double crossed staked #2 long spring set on a coon run, the ground was soft, but not that bad. A big male otter tore up the ground and went home with my trap. I found one stake and a trail heading off in knee water deep into the swamp.

I don't know where you trap or the terrain but I trap a lot of otters and I do the following:

If I use a 220.280 or 330, I make sure the trap is staked or cable off to something solid. If you tail catch a otter he will roll and pull. I also put a swivel near the trap just for this reason.

Foot holds I try drown them. I will use a drowning rod or run a cable. Make sure its anchored solid. Also, you want the water deep enought to drown the otter.

Live catching I make sure my trap have a couple of swivels to keep them in the trap.

All of my drowning rigs are double staked or cabled off to small tree or root. My drowning rods are double staked. If the ground permits I use a earth anchor on my cables.

Its not a otter is some kind of mystical creature with unearthy strength, its they are all muscle, do not give up and will twist over and over and over....

What has been stated said above is good advice and use common sense when trapping , you respect the otter as he wants to eat you and will. The ones that I have trapped alive make an adult coyote seem like a weaned pup. Put your knife proof ear muffs on and have a place to put him before you lay hands on him
Good luck.
ROBERT

Thanks for the advice!

I found out that swivels are a good idea.

Thanks Trappeur for giving a better description of staking for otters. Great job.

I have released 6 otters from footholds due to the season for otter not being open when I caught the otters. 5 were in 1 stoploss traps and 1 was in a 1.5 coil for coons. All were staked with my 3/4 inch by 7 foot bamboo stakes. They held but were ruined. The mess these otters created was tremendous. I as others have stated would set to keep otters alive, unless you have very good reasons to do so. One reason is the much higher percentage of loss and the other, a live otter, spinning, twisting, and hanging up in thorns, brush etc. can decrease the look and value of the pelt.

Bryce