I am a new comer to the site but have been reading for a week now ....non stop actually and I must say, very impressive. I am a third year trapper in Northwest AK and have become completely obsessed. Lynx are my main target with wolverine being a delightful extra. I diversified this season and attempted some mink trapping which turned out ok. However, there are a fair amount of otter in my area and would like to give em a shot next year.

I noticed many of the otter pics were during the open water season. Up here that is not the case. I have had a difficult time setting traps in the snow and ice. There are many many toilets along the river I live on but each one seems like a difficult place to hide a trap. Any ideas? Also, what do you do when there is nothing to attach your trap to near your set, do you use stakes in the ice?

Sure do appreciate this site, have learned a lot!

thanks

Catman

Welcome to the site Catman.

Catman,
I set the opening of the toilet, there are pictures in the otter thread, they come out of the hole andare committed and then it is to late. I used chain, with a swivel, and nailed it to a 6'*3ft log, and threw it off to the side. It worked great. The only thing I am going to different, is to either paint or dye my traps white, to conceal them better. You can not find a mroe perfect set then the toilet.

Thanks for the quick reply. I tell you what, this site is going to give me some serious trouble. I am already having trapping withdrawls as is, but now.......its really gonna get ugly.

Are the toilets used during the summer and fall months as well? There is a short section of the season for me to access open water with my jetboat. I am thinking of trying to get em at the same places. Others have told me that I should just find the beaver and set for otter where ever they are at. Any truth to that?

I inspect every beaver house I come across during the winter and have never seen such heavily used holes as in the pics on this site. Are the otter here denning some place else or am I just finding those lodges that still have beaver in em?

appreciate the knowledge guys, thanks!

Welcome Catman,

This was my first year on otters in the interior and there is no open water to speak of. Find the holes where they are going in and out, sometimes by just following their tracks in the snow, slap a 330 on there (I have some painted white, and some black and the white ones seem to work better, but have gotten them on both) and wait for them to come. May take a while, but they will come if there is a hole that they can get in and out of. I think they will even try to go into a hole just out of curiosity sometimes, as long as you can keep the snow out of it and make it look inviting. Plus, I think they are a lot like cats and wolverine, in that the trap doesn't seem to be of conern to most of them.

I have found holes mostly on old huts that are not active any more, but did catch two on huts that were active. One had a hole at the base, and the other just behind the hut. If they get the chance, they will eat a beaver, as we have had them get into underice beaver sets and eat them from the inside out and leave a bag of bones.

Good luck and welcome!

-TJ

Great info! How do you prop the traps upright? I am assuming you must place logs or willows near the opening to force them into your trap. The holes in the ice around here tend to be swaths and not distinct slides.

How long do you leave your sets out if there is no action? Do you have a lot of problems with the ice closing in on the holes. What about thin ice, most places that I see a ton of otter tracks, its just looks a little too thin for me to be traipsing around on to set a coni.

Hope I am not firing too many questions

Sure do love them otter pelts....

Catman,
they do have toilets in the "open" water, they are on banks of the river and they constantly use them also. I leave the traps set, once I find an open hole, or a route, as they will be back, be it the next day or 2 weeks. I missed a few because I pulled them do to in activity, and then the next week they came back.
the ice at the pullout seemd thin at the spots I found, but it was fine. You have to use dead branches or spruce so that a beaver will not find a free snack if they are around.
I usually will put a few small sticks under the jaws, so that they won't freeze in. Mostly they lay on the opening, and may need some blocking in.
when a hole does freeze, i bust it back open, and reset it.
they will also, go back to spots where there were previous holes and look around, or dig and try to get back in them.
I also found where they will visit most every hole along the bank, much like a mink, but I have not had luck with getting one in these sets. And I only have a dozen 220's, so they stay set at the holes, and in the travel paths.

I try and leave them until the hole is really frozen up, or snowed in/drifted so bad that they won't go in it any more. I have had them be gone for six weeks, then reappear all the sudden. They cover a ton of territory, so as long as the hole is there, and they can get in it, then eventually they will try and get nailed. Also, you never know if they may come from the back side. Where I am at, sometimes they can go underwater/ice from one spot to another, and you will get them coming from the back side of the hole coming out instead of going in.

I try and use a stick on each side through the compressed springs and then driven into the snow to hold the coni in place, but that is about it. We have tried the 220's, but have only gotten Mink in them. The 330's are big enough that the mink can get through the triggers without tripping it.

-TJ

It is funny how the grand plans for species specific threads go awry. It wasn't my fault. I promise. I didn't even post this here! lol.

Those pictures are coastal. Not interior, hence the open water in the one pic. Those only are the nice pictures though. Not the pictures from the awful months of December and January this year.

Good answers to the questions so I won't repeat them. That is how I have done it in the past as well when in that sort of country, although honestly I don't really like setting directly on holes. I prefer to set routes. The one thing that I will maybe disagree on, is that I do not set 330's for otter on dry land. I don't think they are a good trap for the job. But that is my personal opinion, I use 280's and 220's. I think stabilizing traps is very important. I allways make sure they are completely stable. Now, that is easier to do when you have bushes to wire the springs too, or ground to pound spikes into. I use a LOT of 60 penny nails and short pieces of wire. In open areas I use stabilizers that I build. As far as anchoring, I run cable from all my conibears. If necessary I will run extensions out to about 20 feet to reach an anchor. If that is not possible, I use a large "drag" that I intend to be unmovable.

Thanks Otterman. We now have one "otter thread" again.

THe problem I had with setting the routes to or from the toilet is that it is in the middle of the lake, and they come and go different everytime. But, i did set thier route along the edge of the woods, and used satbilizersalso, and also found a natural funnel/pinch point in thier trail, rather than just setting it down in the middle of no where. I use 220's and am getting some 280's based on Joes experiences, but a 330 will work in "certain" instances.

Sorry guys, but I am a fan of the 330. It seems to go around the hole, not frame it up and tighten the hole a bit. I think it is more inviting for them. Plus, sometimes a few of our holes ar actually pretty big and you have to fence them a bit as it is. And the 330's don't get tripped by any mink like the 220 seems to do. Not sure why. But I would rather get the mink in a 120 on one of their trails to the hole, and then have the Otter eat the mink and then get wacked by the 330 instead of the Mink getting it on the 220 and then the Otter eating it and leaving (I did have the first one happen twice this year). Plus, as you can see in my last pictures, I forgot to take one safety off and it still killed the Otter instantly. They just don't move or struggle much in the 330.

I have all my 330's swiveled, just in case, and then I have 6' extensions of 1/8 wire that I can use if I can't get to a good anchor, and I can add more if I need more lenght, but that usually gets me where I need to go.

I guess the upside to the 220, is that you can get more of those for the same price as a 330.

-TJ

Iv'e killed 99% of the otter Ive taken in my life in 220s if I had to make a good guess I would say that is no less then 350 in 25 yrs. I hate setting 330s for otter on the holes they seem to catch to far back when you lay them over the holes something I do most the time I move my triggers off to the side on the 220s and it helps avoid the mink all together untill this year the things were everywhere and I couldn't avoid them even got one in a 330

I agree completely. I would estimate that at least 5-10% of otter caught in dry land 330's end up being flank caught. Probably more. And a flank caught otter kicks a big fuss. I have personally lost flank caught otter in 330's that fought and fought until they pulled out. Hence I no longer use 330's on dry land. Submerged water sets are a completely different issue. Also the 330's being used make a big difference.

While 95% of otter in 220's will be perfect catches in my experience, I do agree that a 220 is a bit small for many locations. Another difference for me is that I am allways happy to see a mink in an otter set. (I allways thought that was sort of a plus of 220's actually.) BUT, I have never had problems with them being eaten. I can see how in that case it would be a drawback.

Personally, I think the 280 is the king of dry land otter traps. Big enough to cover most openings well, and I have never lost an otter out of one. Haven't been doing it as long as otterman, but have over 100 otters out of 280s with no escapes. 2 live ones that I had to dispatch. In actuality, almost 10% of 280 catches are a bit far back on the neck, right in front of the shoulders, and are not fast dispatches. They fight a bit. I just got there to quick on the ones that were alive. Otters are tough little suckers and there will always be some that do not want to succumb.

Again this is all just my opinion, and am not trying to be argumentative, just foster good discussion.

I don't have a ton of otter experience but I'll pitch in what I've seen. Had an otter get caught in a 330 suitcased back on the ribs and across the abdomen. It braced its front paws on the jaws and pushed the trap down its body until it got it's back legs through the first set of jaws and was now only held at the waist. At that point, I "intervened". I'd seen enough. I'm a 280 man, now. Strong 280s with a striker bar added.

John

Wow, a lot of food for thought gentlemen. I think I am going to go with the 280s for next season and try them out. I have a few 330s so I will try them as well.

Once again, thanks for all the great info!

Catman

I'm getting ready to get a few more otter traps, I think after doing a little reading I will get some 280s. The 220s seem a tad on the small side, although I see that otterman has great success with them.

Does anyone have experience with the duke 280s, or should I go a more expensive route? I can't get any locally, does anyone know if someone in Fairbanks sells 280s?

smalltime it depends on what types of set you are planning on using as to the size of the trap if you are setting the holes they use to exit the ice chances are a 280 wont fit them as well as the 220. now on dam cross overs and trails 330s work well I have not used 280s but the 220 is often too small for the holes I set
As for Dukes I cant say I don't own any and don't plan on buying any. I figure as much controversy as the name Duke seems to produce I will stick with BMI's they are a tad more $$$ but a super strong trap and I am talking the regular not magnums

I have no problem with Duke bodygrips. I like the BMI's a little better, and that was what I had and used for a long time; but I bought 5 dozen more Duke 280's and 220's before last season and caught over 50 otter in them with no trap problems or malfunctions. It remains to be seen if they will hold up and maintain there strength as long as the BMI's have.