Day two of our 7 day season. So how is everyone doing? Check day one = none. Roads are horrible be careful......jk

Good luck

I got 2 traps out today but the river is rising fast so I'll be adjusting all week
I had 2 other locations I wanted to set but the lanes to those locations are just about impassable
I would most likely make it in, but not back out. And it was pouring when I got there anyway
Good luck jk, hope you connect with one

7 day season,,,,, I wounded how mine are doing in NM…lol

1 beaver. Couldn't safely get to 3 traps because of flooding. Water should come down enough by the time I get off work tomorrow. Good luck PA otter trappers.

Terrible. All the lakes and standing water are froze up tight. So they were a no go. I’ve tagged otters in a bigger creek here the last two seasons, and it was open water. Got my five sets in yesterday. Looked good. But the combination of an inch plus rain and melting snow pushed the water out of its banks. Couldn’t even snag the drowning cables today. Now, we’re getting snow, 20mph wind, with single digit temps on the way. Maybe this flash freeze will shut off the seeps, and might see water levels come down. But it’s gonna be a couple of lost days.

Bigbrownie, did the game commission collect your otter carcasses? My fiance got one up in 2F a couple seasons ago and they came and got it but gave her the skull back after the study. We are trying for a 1A otter close to home. All the sign I've found is old. Basically just beaver trapping and saying we are otter trapping this week.

Check day number 2. Nothing yet, but had to readjust 3 of the 4 traps we have out. All looks good now the otters don't have a chance. guaranteed success!!! I hope......jk

The river came up 8 inches here overnight
I readjusted for the slight rise I'll have overnight and probably have to pull them Wednesday because of ice
I'm thinking about some pocket sets up on the bank to finish out the season

Nothing today but I know they are just waiting to get caught, guaranteed tomorrow......jk Hay someone must have taken one already!! Lets see the photos!

Typical. Put out 6 conibears between the 3 of us and the water goes up about three feet. Finally got to half of them today. Nothing yet.

Same thing here, but using footholds on drowning cables. Got everything reset yesterday.

Nothing today here either. The river is now going back down and I readjusted after an hour of breaking shelf ice and pushing it out into the current.
I'm starting to hate water trapping.
I did get a few creek chubs from my minnow trap. I put them in glycerin and I'll set 2 more traps tomorrow.

Got one today. 22 pounds male.
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Congrats! That has to be tough trapping with such a short trapping window for them. Don't you also have a restriction on number of sets allowed?

Nice catch. What kind of set did you get him in?

Undercut bank , kinda like a bottom edge mink set. Made up a lure with castor, mink and muskrat glands. Stuffed that up under the tree roots at the undercut. Looking at the tracks in the snow, there was a pair of them traveling together . Set a #4 Duke on a 10 foot drowning cable.

Nice work.

W. Pa trapper scores.

Five traps, seven days. I tried to get my wife to go with me, as we’d have 10 traps set. She’ll hunt with me a lot, but going out in zero weather was a hard no. Just to make sure she wouldn’t have to go, she flew out to Phoenix on the opening day.

Congrats

Congratulations BigB. I again got nothing but they are just wanting to get caught. Soon guaranteed tomorrow. Will post my photo then!!!!! No sign of one just a trail camera photo of a pair about three weeks ago. But I can;t miss......jk

Three weeks is about their travel circuit here. Good luck!!

You mean lots of luck don't you!!!......jk

Yes, lots of luck! Can't wait to see pics.

We’ve had terrible conditions here in western Pa to trap otter. Got traps set Saturday morning, then it started to rain, snow melted, and we were under a flood warning. Then we got 4 more inches of snow on Monday. Got everything fished out on Monday, reset in a stream that was flowing normal. Lakes and swamps are froze up tight…it was minus one here this morning.

Good luck, jk. Are you east or west here in Pa?

Congratulations Bigbrownie, that looks like a nice one.
The river came up over a foot last night and for the life of me I can't figure out why
I couldn't break through both layers of ice, so I left them as they are
I put in 2 large pocket sets near by with fresh chubs and mink glands
Maybe tomorrow

I’ve noticed that sometimes it takes a while for rivers to rise. Seen it on the West Branch when trapping beaver….get a bunch of rain, nothing rises. Then two days later it’s flooding . Takes a while for the watershed to drain. We had melting snow, and an inch of rain on Saturday. Streams were blown out by the next morning.

Nice job Big B!!! Looks like a darn nice otter!!

Monday it was up 8 inches, yesterday it went back down 2 inches
So the rise of a foot caught me offgaurd

Well done Bigbrownie!
Great picture.

Congrats great job!

Well they are avoiding me, can't imagine why, I washed and shaved too. tomorrow is it and don;t forget the camera john........jk

Good luck

How many days you guys have left? Our season runs November 15 thru march 15.

wws

Last day and I pulled the traps = got an ott-ver I
guess that is what you call a 37 pound beaver caught while otter trapping. 7 days came and gone.......jk And yes I did forget to bring the camera

Beaver that identifies as an otter. I’d count it.

Congrats on the beavott jk
Otter season is over and the shelf ice is gone
At least I can go fishing now

uh I like beavott better than my word. I was ice fishing and tomorrow afternoon will skin him/her, I still haven't looked. I use the tail for fish bait, tough and stays on the hook, fish like it too.......jk

jk, no Otter for me & friend. Was a challenge with ice up. Used 1 high pocket set the rest trail sets.
4 Coon, 2 Skunks, 1 Red Fox. Enjoyed & learned.

Yup...you have to trap in front of the otters ..if you see fresh otter tracks...you'll have to wait 3 weeks around here

For it to return.

With a 7 day season...your hands are tied.

Here in NH ..Nov 1 - April 10 ..limit of 10 otter

Congratulations Bigbrownie!! I got 2 muskrat and a beaver in my otter sets. Never saw fresh sign until the morning I pulled. Figures they'd go through the safety zone where they are forever protected. I wish drowning sets could be closer that 150 yards from a house in this state.

I wasn't worried about otter with the weather we was having.. But bumped into one. One trap one night one otter... Silly critters