Ok, I'm new at this otter thing. I've been noticing/scouting and see scat where beavers come out of a canal to cross over into drainage ditches on either side. The cross overs are always where a culvert goes under the canal. The ice just came off today. Today I found several older droppings from last fall on a grass mound only a couple feet from the waters edge. I have seen this type of scat is several places along this canal over time (bike path on one side, mowed south side for the occasional horse rider). Reference here concerning otter toilets has me wondering. It's weathered but always looks as if it has fish scales in it.
Would someone please educate me on the difference between beaver scat and otters. Beaver/otter season is open here until March 31st (Illinois). Thanks.

Beavers crap in the water and their scat resembles tater tots or crumbled sawdust in appearance and the scat you have found on land that is mostly fish scales on a grassy mound by a crossover is most likely otter...could be coon too...a picture would help.

Beaver scat is found in the water and looks like a wood pellet, as in wood sawdust or shavings looking. As far as I know they don't ever defecate on dry ground...as in I have never seen it. I have always seen it in the water. Otter on the other hand use "toilets". Their scat is fishy, sometimes slimy, and has scales, fish bones, crayfish parts, etc. in it. All I can say is that it looks like otter scat. Nothing else. Sometimes people will mistake it for raccoon feces, but once you know what it is you can't mistake it. Same for beaver. They are nothing alike.

My guess is that you are seeing otter crossings and not beaver. If beaver can stay in the water they will. Otters spend a significant amount of their time on the land.

Beat me to it...

Thanks. I know it's not coon. I'll be out setting traps next Saturday.