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#96574 - 02/18/07 12:28 AM Otter thread/archive
otterman otterman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1504 Loc: SW Alaska	ok been waiting for this till I remembered to take some pictures while out on the line . Here we have what is my standard set a 220 on an old beaver house that the otter use to get in under the ice or come out onto the tundra and run around and what not the top of this house is one great big toilet And here is the results I walked over the house to see what the other trap had caught and found this MAN I HATE IT WHEN I DO THAT!!! THis house has missed twice now once due to the thaw and once due to this The next set is a beaver dam cross over under the ice And the results otter number 8 or 9 from here in 3 yrs 3 this year Here is one more of some holes on another beaver house I set up and doubled on mink Quite often I just lay the trap on top of the hole wedge it in to give it a little support or make it so the otter just needs to pop his head up thru the hole or dive down into it. 75% or better of these sets catch as the otter are comning out from under the ice. All my current otter sets are 220s the one trap that had the safety left on was a 330 I swapped it out for a 220 today Who Says 220s dont stop otter!!!
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#96584 - 02/18/07 12:36 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: otterman]
trapperjoeAK trapperjoeAK trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 740 Loc: Chugiak, AK -- Currently detai...	Nice... Great to see how you do it. Awesome pics. I am going to have to go through some of my pics and see if I can add something to this.
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#96595 - 02/18/07 12:46 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: trapperjoeAK]
fishermann222 fishermann222 "OX" trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 3036 Loc: Bethel, Alaska	awesome before and after photos otter. _________________________ I survived the Tman crash of '06
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#96621 - 02/18/07 03:23 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: fishermann222]
SEwaterboy SEwaterboy trapper Registered: 02/08/07 Posts: 124 Loc: SE Alaska	Those are cool photos. I can't believe I didn't find this place sooner. I learn something new here almost everyday. My TV watchin has dropped to almost zero and where there was once dust on my computer there is bits of Doritos from snackin and scrollin' baby!
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#96677 - 02/18/07 06:48 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: otterman]
Ducktriggerman Ducktriggerman trapper Registered: 02/07/07 Posts: 282 Loc: Big Village, Alaska	Dad, is that right across the Wood by that first slough? Man, I got the itch real bad. I'm almost tempted to buy some 0's and set Potter Marsh for weasels. If anyone has room for someone to go check their line, I would be most greatful. I live in the "big village" Anchorage, and I am getting homesick more and more every day. I don't know near as much as my dad could have tought me, but I know some basic sets and I would like to get out of town. I would be willing to drive or pay for gas, I just need to get out of here for a while!
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#97009 - 02/18/07 11:20 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: Ducktriggerman]
otterman otterman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1504 Loc: SW Alaska	Ben the cross over is that first one I set the other side of little Muklung I think thats the one your thinking off most years it is just a hole to set but this last thaw the cross over opened up for me to set. The other is behinde 1st place _________________________ It is interesting how much a man will do to suceed and how much more he will doto make sure he has excuses for failure when sucess isa simple process
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#97313 - 02/18/07 02:11 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: otterman]
piperniner piperniner trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 586 Loc: Alaska	Big village - I like that. Looks like this forum saves on long distance calls too. I hope you can get out. Weather and daylight getting better.
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#100190 - 02/19/07 11:23 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: piperniner]
poutpro poutpro trapper Registered: 01/10/07 Posts: 60 Loc: MN	looks like that snowmobile goes through a workout with all that snow.
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#101133 - 02/20/07 06:00 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: poutpro]
wilsonjr wilsonjr trapper Registered: 01/10/07 Posts: 151 Loc: Kenny Lake, Alaska	Now this is my kind of thread. I don't know what it is about otter trapping but its addictive to me. I only get a handful every year too but I still can't wait to check those otter sets every week. I seem to be constantly scanning the river for good locations to set up. Here's a couple new sets I just got out the other day where they were surfacing and had a potty set up and I fenced in a couple 330s in a trail they were working. No post catch pics yet...and I guess, there might not be either. We'll see.
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#101173 - 02/20/07 06:16 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: wilsonjr]
rueben rueben trapper Registered: 01/07/07 Posts: 161 Loc: USAF Academy Colorado	when the otter are coming up in areas that have no surrounding brush will they use the same trail if a coni is placed in it or will they just go around? _________________________ trap in alaska
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#101914 - 02/20/07 11:59 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: rueben]
otterman otterman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1504 Loc: SW Alaska	wilson I am interested to hear your sucess rate at setting like you show us this is probably the one way I bypass as the big holes just seem to have so many random spots they can haul out and go around the conis. I do set in the narrow creeks like this below this set actually has 2 traps I forgot to take a picture of the second on a hole 10 ft away as it was full of this the two holes where once one big long one the otter like these spots as the blackfish they feed on are attracted to the light of the holes. this otter actually had a blackfish tail hanging out of its mouth but dumb me tugged at it thinking it was a piece of ice and it fell out before I could take a picture. It seems if the otter come out to a toilet or seem to be feeding on the blackfish they will return to the spot otherwise some of the holes are very random in nature they come out once and the next time thru they come out 20 yrds away these are little creeks that dont freeze up till the extreem cold and at the first warming the open up the otter love them _________________________ It is interesting how much a man will do to suceed and how much more he will doto make sure he has excuses for failure when sucess isa simple process
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#101959 - 02/21/07 03:47 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: otterman]
trapperjoeAK trapperjoeAK trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 740 Loc: Chugiak, AK -- Currently detai...	It is pretty cool seeing all these pics. I have seen all the same sort of things, but my setups are usually a bit different. Essentially, I have all the same situations as in the previous pics with them coming out of the creeks and such, but what with the extreme snowfall I had this year, I avoided those sets and tried to set back underneath the trees where I had a chance to keep sets working. The neat thing is just how it becomes so apparent, that the critters are the same regardless of what sort of country they are in. I don't have as many of the before and after pics as I would like, lots of afters, short on befores; but here are a few... This is from a few years back. A nice slide. 280 under the spruce branch, and an otter caught in it. Another one not from this year. (Notice no snow. Ha!) 280 on a crossover trail. Trap was set right about where its at. Between the bushes and the tree. Another toilet. Caught a few otter here. 280 was on the sticks and camouflaged with dead grass. You can see that I cut the sticks down because I decided that they were a bit much... Nice standard hole through spruce roots to access the water. Pic is of reset after pulling that otter out of it. Snowed in the next week though and it never really returned to operable condition. Here is the all-time greatest crossover. 9 otter this season. First pic is one of a double took on the first check. 280 was camouflaged in the bushes there. Then there is a pretty cool, but poor quality video that I took early in the season. All the snow put one end (first pic) out of commission for good, but back under the trees I just kept shoveling and kicking out the trail and picked up a few more. Classic otter hole. When we first found this spot, we were drooling over all the places to set traps when an otter stuck his head out of this hole and looked at us. Played peek-a-boo for quite a while. This was just a couple weekends ago, and this place had a ton of sign. Set it up hard, and picked up 4 on the first check. Unfortunately no stills. I took complete video of the whole thing, set-up and check and hence forgot the stillcam in my pocket. Here is a foothold otter though at that same place, part of the quadruple. The otter were going back up underneath that stump. Bedded a #3, put down a few guide sticks and the #3 Montana did the job from there. And here is a pic to show that on a few occasions, the effort I put into shoveling out sets paid off this year. This guy managed to get caught before everything drifted back in. That is the back of an otter there. So yeah, hopefully someone can get something from those. Although they weren't necessarily taken to be instructional so don't show everything the best. I'll stop now before I really get carried away... Ha! I took a lot of pictures this year...
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#102031 - 02/21/07 07:04 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: trapperjoeAK]
wilsonjr wilsonjr trapper Registered: 01/10/07 Posts: 151 Loc: Kenny Lake, Alaska	Rueben and Otterman, not being the expert otter trapper by any means, but I came up on that set just because I was out of options on several similar situations. I noticed they were using one or two trails to get to under a tree where they had a potty or something else going, so I fenced in a 330 on their existing trails even though they can easily get around them and I can't say I get them all but I've got some with that set. I've caught them without fencing in at all and it would be real easy for them to go around that trap but they, at times, just wanted to stay on their trail I guess. We'll see next check.
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#112216 - 02/27/07 12:59 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: wilsonjr]
Kusko Kusko "Mr. Mayor" trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 2086 Loc: Bethel, AK	Otterman, how are you setting up your mink sets. I found a slough with some mink in it and want to try and catch them. _________________________ "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin." Linus Van Pelt
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#113107 - 02/27/07 07:43 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: Kusko]
otterman otterman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1504 Loc: SW Alaska	Kusko I actually dont target mink much but got just over a dozen this year almost all in otter sets but a 110 or 120 on the holes they use like otter holes only mink sized did the trick for a couple and what i use to do when I really went aftter them that and pocket sets befor ice up but instead of the standard 1.5 in front of the hole I used a 110 and put the bait deep in the pocket this way if the ice froze the pocket I made dry still held mink when they ran the shelf ice _________________________ It is interesting how much a man will do to suceed and how much more he will doto make sure he has excuses for failure when sucess isa simple process
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#116930 - 03/01/07 08:33 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: otterman]
Mark M. Mark M. trapper Registered: 12/25/06 Posts: 93 Loc: Custer, MI	Could anyone give me some advice on otter trapping. I have an area where I saw otter signs all over about 3 weeks ago on a lake with some old beaver lodges on it. i havent seen any activity on it until a day ago but it was just where an otter popped up through the ice and walked only 20 ft on the ice then went back into the water. The weather here has been between 0-40 degrees since then and the ice is getting to thin to walk on. I did have an encounter with an otter at a beaver lodge about 3 weeks ago. I know there is more than one because the landowner told me he saw 3 this summer and i have caught some there in the past so it is good area. I have checked out the two other lakes in the area and i didnt see any sign of them at either place and i also checked the creeks and ditches nearby and there is no sign of them there either so I am curious what they might have done or are doing, the food supply there is plentiful and there is no other trapping pressure in my area. Could they be living under ice this whole time and in the abandoned beaver lodges and decide they arent coming on the ice and if so how do I trap them? Thanks -Mark _________________________ 06-07 Season so far 34 rats 2 coon 2 red fox 1 beaver
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#122310 - 03/05/07 12:14 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: Mark M.]
Hupurest Hupurest trapper Registered: 12/26/06 Posts: 3905 Loc: Las anchorage	well, I got my first otter. Before, I set at the toilet After _________________________ Beaver for everyone VOTE DOBBINS in -08
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#123327 - 03/05/07 10:09 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: Hupurest]
otterman otterman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1504 Loc: SW Alaska	Mark M the otter are most likley staying under the ice and travelling there. After teh ice freezes the water will drop and leave hollow spots along the bank between the bank and creek otter will run these for miles punch a hole in the ice and look for the trail you find a trail stick a coni in move a bit 10 feet or so and put another in do this 3 or 4 times and a family comes along you may get most of them. Dont forget to cover the hole with a chunk of ice and cover with snow so the otter dont climb up over your coni in an attempt to exit your hole. the set should look similar to the crossover set I posted above only tight to the bank with any beach or ground left between the coninand water blocked off so they are forced into your coni _________________________ It is interesting how much a man will do to suceed and how much more he will doto make sure he has excuses for failure when sucess isa simple process
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#145069 - 03/20/07 09:38 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: otterman]
Top Jimmy Top Jimmy trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1678 Loc: Alaska, USA	We picked this otter up this weekend. Wish I had some pictures of the before and after. We had the trap on this otter hole for over two months before it connected. He weighed in at a bit over 20 lbs. He is the biggest we have gotten this year, and also the darkest. I will try and get some before and after picks the next trip out. Sorry, the beer wasn't the bait that got him. Just for reference for size....... $\:\)$ -TJ _________________________ Alaskan. . . . . . . the Net Man you don't want to have! If everything seems to be going right, you obviously don't know what going on.
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#145213 - 03/20/07 11:53 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: Top Jimmy]
otterman otterman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1504 Loc: SW Alaska	nice otter Top jimmy love them big dark males. Man I told you not to give my secret bait away you know cheap beer works just as good as that Canadian stuff on otter they arent fussy Edited by otterman (03/20/07 11:55 PM) _________________________ It is interesting how much a man will do to suceed and how much more he will doto make sure he has excuses for failure when sucess isa simple process
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#145469 - 03/21/07 08:29 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: otterman]
Top Jimmy Top Jimmy trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1678 Loc: Alaska, USA	Thought I would tease Fish as he can't have any....... $\:\)$ -TJ _________________________ Alaskan. . . . . . . the Net Man you don't want to have! If everything seems to be going right, you obviously don't know what going on.
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#145511 - 03/21/07 09:09 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: Top Jimmy]
fishermann222 fishermann222 "OX" trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 3036 Loc: Bethel, Alaska	LOL thanks Jimmy, I appreciate that. Good thing I am headed to the big town thursday night $\:\)$ _________________________ I survived the Tman crash of '06
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#145542 - 03/21/07 09:26 AM Re: Otter thread [Re: fishermann222]
snowman snowman trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 3286 Loc: Michigan	You injured yourself just so you could go drink didn't you. For some reason I can see you sitting in front of a computer monitor, staring picture of a bottle of beer, leg outstretched, hammer in hand. WHACK! "Um...yah...my knee is swollen and it hurts like the dickens...I think I should fly in to town to get dru...err...get it checked out"
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#145796 - 03/21/07 12:20 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: snowman]
Kusko Kusko "Mr. Mayor" trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 2086 Loc: Bethel, AK	That's the secret bait to getting a 12 pack....otter. If you have an otter and place it just right in your specified location, a 12 pack will come. Now, the quality of the otter will determine the quality of your 12 pack. The otter I used this year has been only effective on Milwaukee's Best and Schmidt. Had that otter been a little bit longer, it might have drawn in the elusive Rainer or maybe even a Blatz. Now if I could just catch a bigger otter.....I might..... Sorry Len, didn't mean to put this in the otter thread, just being funny. _________________________ "There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin." Linus Van Pelt
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#145830 - 03/21/07 12:44 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: Kusko]
otterman otterman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1504 Loc: SW Alaska	Man I wish I ahd the otter population Joe has I would be going nuts heck with beaver it would be all otter mittens $\:\)$ My best yr ever was 34 out this way and I was hitting every location I found all season long _________________________ It is interesting how much a man will do to suceed and how much more he will doto make sure he has excuses for failure when sucess isa simple process
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#145919 - 03/21/07 01:45 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: otterman]
Top Jimmy Top Jimmy trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1678 Loc: Alaska, USA	Kusko, It was supposed to be a new thread. You know, the "Beer Sets and Techniques" thread. -TJ _________________________ Alaskan. . . . . . . the Net Man you don't want to have! If everything seems to be going right, you obviously don't know what going on.
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#145981 - 03/21/07 02:24 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: Top Jimmy]
trapperjoeAK trapperjoeAK trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 740 Loc: Chugiak, AK -- Currently detai...	Yeah, you can't catch what is not there. I am lucky to be in awesome otter country. Horrible weather though. We really went at it the last three days and ended up running out of traps. This was new country and we had to find the spots, and it was better than expected. Decent chance that a majority of them are out of comission now though as it was snowing pretty good as we left. I wish I could post real videos on here, as I have taken about 7 hours of footage this season so far. Last trip got some real cool video of two otter. I allways like seeing them on dry land. It's cool. One of them had a pretty big fish also. I had real big dreams for those sets till it started snowing. We'll see. Oh, and here is that picture of one of the four caught on the backcheck yesterday if I am supposed to put it here. I haven't quite figured out exactly what the new idea is... $\:\)$
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#146667 - 03/21/07 07:13 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: trapperjoeAK]
fishermann222 fishermann222 "OX" trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 3036 Loc: Bethel, Alaska	From TrapperjoeAK Great job on the otter. As far as on the holes, they usually will use the same path into and out of the holes and I set in that. Skinning and fleshing is just a bit of work, but I don't think there is much special too it. Great job on the mink also. Here is a picture of the otter snares that I use when I use them. I like conibears better, and I mostly used snares back when I only had 1 dozen 280's and would run out. They work pretty good though. It is just like the wolf snares that I think Dusty posted but smaller. 5/64 cable. About a 6 inch loop. The height off the ground varies a lot depending on circumstances. I always try for a neck snare, so I miss a few but brushing by a snare doesn't spook them so it is no big deal to me. Usually I have multiple sets on a trail anyways. About 4 inches or so off the ground is pretty good. Sometimes a bit higher. Fencing with dead grass or something really helps. _________________________ I survived the Tman crash of '06
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#146674 - 03/21/07 07:16 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: fishermann222]
fishermann222 fishermann222 "OX" trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 3036 Loc: Bethel, Alaska	From TrapperjoeAK When I set footholds for otter. I use #3's, but a good strong number two should be fine I would guess. Not a ton of experience on this as we have caught maybe 8 otters total in footholds over the years. The one thing I would say is do not wire your footholds off. Use cable or extensioin chain or something, but wire is a very bad idea in my opinion. I have never had the slightest bit of trouble with otter in 5/64 cable. But I am a big believer in smaller cable. This is 1x19. Here are some pics of snares afterwards. The first pic is a snare that made a catch last year, and the second pic is a snare catch from this year. The second one is only as twisted as it is, because the otter got wrapped up around a stick and the swivel incapacitated, but as he was held almost completely off the ground he went down pretty fast anyways. _________________________ I survived the Tman crash of '06
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#146678 - 03/21/07 07:17 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: fishermann222]
fishermann222 fishermann222 "OX" trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 3036 Loc: Bethel, Alaska	From TrapperjoeAK I usually just put a bit of dead grass over it. Same as I do for mink. They fight pretty good usually. Here is a pic of one in a foothold. (I love all these excuses to trot out all my otter pictures :)) Once I got one in a foothold that was on a lift and even with the whole thing off the gound it was still trying to get at me when I was trying to dispatch it. $\:\)$ _________________________ I survived the Tman crash of '06
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#146681 - 03/21/07 07:20 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: fishermann222]
fishermann222 fishermann222 "OX" trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 3036 Loc: Bethel, Alaska	From TrapperjoeAK We have never lost an otter out of a snare, but they have all been neck snared. I use conibears 95% of the time. I rarely use snares now that I have more traps. I used to use them primarily when I ran out of 280's. I have dispatched a bunch of otter, and I haven't found the need to shoot them, but they are pretty vicious. I used to just give them a knock on the head to put them down and then stand on their chests. The only problem is that it takes a LONG time for them to succumb this way. This season I tried something a little different just for the heck of it. I had a spare 220 with me for replacing traps, and I just popped it over the otters head. I know it sounds really weird, but it actually worked really good. It wasn't instant, took a few minutes; but one of the huge benefits was that I could work at remaking the sets, while it succumbed instead of having to keep my foot on it. Shooting is definitely an option... Just not one that I can comment on myself. _________________________ I survived the Tman crash of '06
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#146770 - 03/21/07 07:54 PM Re: Otter thread [Re: fishermann222]
fishermann222 fishermann222 "OX" trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 3036 Loc: Bethel, Alaska	Question from TOp Jimmy OK otter guys, I have another question. What size boards do you use to strech on? I am looking at getting a half dozen and need to decide between 7 or 8 inch boards. I was thinking of getting three of each so I had some varitety, kind of like Mink boards. What do you all think? Anything I should look for? Response from Otterman Jimmy around here most of my otter fit on an 8 inch board but otter do vary in size around the state. I do have a 7 inch board too just dont use it as much as the 8 inch ones. Response from TrapperjoeAK Maybe get 1 7 inch board. lol. I use 8 inch board 99.5% of the time. Like once every 3 years I catch some dinky little runt of an otter that I put on my one 7. _________________________ I survived the Tman crash of '06
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#146790 - 03/21/07 08:05 PM Re: Otter thread/archive [Re: otterman]
Family Trapper Family Trapper trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1484 Loc: Trapping the Yukon Delta, Ak	I could I could have added a lot more to this thread a couple of years ago. I don't have the pictures with me right now but when I get to Homer I will find some. Here is a couple I had on line. I prefer to set underwater in narrow channels that we have a lot of in the Lower Yukon Delta. Perfect In trying to figure out a set for the 12-15 foot wide and wider streams I have used this set. I prefer to use a conibear but this is a snare set up. I have a small stream that branchs off a larger one. About 10 ft wide the otter never seem to miss going in to have a look around. I set an outside bend. Fence it off with brush and sticks getting them close to the bank. It is a little deeper than normal so I set up three snares on this set. The location picks up 3-4 otter per year in the three years I set there. Snares on pole with otter in the background. Snares are secured with a box nail that goes through an 1/8 inch ferule. Quick to place on the pole. Fencing them into the bank will work on any size stream. Better to build fence early due to ice. But it keeps working all season. Just leave a narrow channel next to the bank that can be secured with a conibear or two. Or snare On the top snare you can see my experimental attempt to hook up wires to use my continuity meter for checking. Using the snare cable as an electric current path- upon triggering the connection was pulled from the bullet breaking the current. If the bottom ones caught they would pull the first one down in there struggles. It worked. Just hook the continuity meter to the wire on one end and the snare on the other above the ice. Use on the conibear is easier to set up. No continuity Trap is set off. Using the bullet connectors is a good idea as it prevents a false reading when the wire ends acidentally touch the trap. Had beaver stay in a set for some extra time once when I had the elec wire hooked to a spring I forgot to take the safty trigger off of. The meter is standard on my conibear otter sets. My otter sets don't get a lot of ice build up due to their locations in the small blackfish streams but it does build up. I keep it to a minimum with use of cardboard or plastic bags and snow on top of the hole. This is easier to remove than a foot of ice. Checking an under water set coverd with cardboard and snow in 30 seconds with a meter however makes for a lot of sets that can be checked in a day. Certain sets that do buld ice should be opened up every other 2 or 3 checks regardless. I would run my traps once per week. Otters can be left under the ice for up to two weeks without a problem. No more. The cardboard works wonders on beaver sets as well. Even in the 30 below temps we had this winter my beaver sets never got more than a couple of inches of ice in 5 days. With a good snow covering it works wonders. Cover with a good amount of snow. Ice after a week of cold. One of my favorite photos. Seemed we were always ending the line in the dark that year. The moon made for a great photo. Fruits of our labor. Fully lined otter parka I made for my son. Before otter prices came up. Parka is inside out here to show the fur There was a guy on the other forum, I believe from Kotz. He talked about putting a rapalla lure minus the hooks on a conibear trigger and catching otter. Anyone ever have any success with anything similar. Edited by Family Trapper (12/28/07 06:43 PM) _________________________ Shoot for the Moon and you will be a lot happier where you land.
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#146905 - 03/21/07 09:19 PM Re: Otter thread/archive [Re: Family Trapper]
piperniner piperniner trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 586 Loc: Alaska	FT : I put herring on the trigger and catch otter in 330 conibears on poles. Set them in toilet haul outs, under ice, etc. I think artificial lures, white pvc, tin foil, etc would probably work to attract, but have not tried those yet. I plan to experiment with some of that next season. Never know till you try.
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#146956 - 03/21/07 10:05 PM Re: Otter thread/archive [Re: piperniner]
otterman otterman trapper Registered: 12/24/06 Posts: 1504 Loc: SW Alaska	From Trapperjoe Ok Loel. No otter that I put up. They are all sold, but I grabbed one of my Dad's and took a pic. This is exactly the way that I do it, except that I use pins on the tail not staples. I think that with pins it is possible to do a much better job on the tail. You have more control. I would of done it this same way, but stretched wider (it is hard to stretch with staples) and with straighter lines. So, for what its worth here are some pics, but I don't think much of this tail. lol. _________________________ It is interesting how much a man will do to suceed and how much more he will doto make sure he has excuses for failure when sucess isa simple process
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#155140 - 03/27/07 01:29 PM Re: Otter thread/archive [Re: otterman]
trapperjoeAK trapperjoeAK trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 740 Loc: Chugiak, AK -- Currently detai...	Hey! Get rid of that nasty picture. lol. I put up a much nicer one later in the thread I think. Here they are again. Prety good evidence I think of why the staple experiment was deemed a failure. $\:\)$
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#155294 - 03/27/07 03:18 PM Re: Otter thread/archive [Re: trapperjoeAK]
Top Jimmy Top Jimmy trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1678 Loc: Alaska, USA	OK Joe. We need to see a picture of the entire animal on the board from the belly side to round out the pictures. For me, I am a bit curious on the front legs. How short do you keep them. Kind of like Mink? -TJ _________________________ Alaskan. . . . . . . the Net Man you don't want to have! If everything seems to be going right, you obviously don't know what going on.
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#155504 - 03/27/07 05:28 PM Re: Otter thread/archive [Re: Top Jimmy]
trapperjoeAK trapperjoeAK trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 740 Loc: Chugiak, AK -- Currently detai...	I chop them off right above the paw before I start skinning. That is the fastest, easiest way for me, and then I do not do anything at all to them. They are pretty short all by themselves. If you cut them off too short, it leaves to much of a hole and I do not like how it looks when it dries. Here is the belly picture of that otter, I do not know if you can see anything very well though. I took all these pictures earlier in the season.
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#155519 - 03/27/07 05:34 PM Re: Otter thread/archive [Re: trapperjoeAK]
Top Jimmy Top Jimmy trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Posts: 1678 Loc: Alaska, USA	Looks good. Thanks! -TJ _________________________ Alaskan. . . . . . . the Net Man you don't want to have! If everything seems to be going right, you obviously don't know what going on.
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#155865 - 03/27/07 08:19 PM Re: Otter thread/archive [Re: Top Jimmy]
fishermann222 fishermann222 "OX" trapper Registered: 12/22/06 Posts: 3036 Loc: Bethel, Alaska	Posted by TrapperjoeAK In the warm weather last check I succumbed to temptation and set a foothold in the water for otter. #3 Montana underneath and behind the root. Pullout up above, and looked like just the kind of spot for the otter to decide to squeeze underneath the root. They have a definite preference to going under stuff instead of hopping over in my observations. I love setting footholds in water, as it is about the easiest way to cover a trap and the otter are definitely conibear shy in that area by now, but you know what happens to water up here... Sure enough, it got cold and I just knew that spot was going to be frozen hard and I would have a job getting that trap out. It was... But, not only did I pick up an otter before it froze, it obligingly got up out of the water before it tangled up and expired. Very cool... $\:\)$ A double at another spot. You can just see the tail of an otter in a foothold on the far right of the pic. The rest of the critter on the other side of the stump. _________________________ I survived the Tman crash of '06
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