Any of you guys whack an incidental otter every now and then in a 160??
I found a really cool spot today…. The water here has significantly dropped and I noticed a hole going up through some tree roots going up to the bank,, a perfect little little tunnel that is indeed being used because it’s really slicked down..
A foothold would not be an option because it’d be extremely easy for a critter to get tangled and snagged up and potentially pull out..
A 160 would fit perfectly..I’m thinking about using the 160 with a “yooper” coni pan..because I’m sure there’s mink going up in there..a mink would certainly snake around the trigger wires on the 160, and using a 120 would certainly miss any raccoon goin up there.

A Belisle 160 worked very well for me. Wouldn't be first choice, but in the right spot, it works.

I have a Duke 160 I had set in a coon trail coming up away from an implement roadway culvert over a ditch in a field waterway full of cattails and a small pond. The trail went up and over the road and down the other side to the other end of the culvert. It had already produced several coon using it.
The next check was a bent trap, blown up set, and that was as close as I’ve ever come to catching an otter and wasn’t even trying to catch one there on purpose it was supposed to be a blind coon set. The trap stabilizer/holder was set so the 160 was a couple inches up off the ground and I had pulled all the grasses and weeds back around and over the trap leaving just the small trail tunnel to go right through the 160 opening.
Looked like I whacked him more on the head area than behind the ears, and with all its twisting and rolling it managed to get its tapered head back out and went off on its way. Looked like a bomb went off. And the cable I had connecting the 160 to the stand and a stake (thank goodness it was staked) was a mess. Otter tracks everywhere in the muddy catch ring.
The jaws on that 160 are bent a little in middle creating a small opening between them. I’m guessing the springs never got very far up the sides of the jaws either. Maybe if I’d got it behind the ears I’d have an otter pic to show you. I believe I only whacked it on the top of the head and it wasn’t enough trap to hold it until I got there.
I’ve killed some big coons with 160s behind their ears but I didn’t get this otter and like I said it was my one and only shot at one so far. It was a Duke and lighter trap than a belisle and maybe that mattered too. Wished I’d have set a 220 there instead of a 160. Still think about that set and that pullout often.
Jim

Ive used Belisle 160's in those locations before & the outcome was good.

However, if there's room for a 220 , tear up one side of the opening and re build it with sticks or grasses or both. slick it up again.

A friend of mine..caught a 35 lb bobcat in a 1 1/2 victor 2 coil....in a mink set.

The cat dragged the lead sash weight into some brush and got hung up in there

With the trap still attached.

Would I use a 1 1/2 for cat trapping ...no

Just like a 160 could dispatch an otter...but it's not my first choice.

160 will work in tight grass trails but I also prefer 220's.

I should add mine was a water set. If you could get the otter before he gets up the bank, it'd be better.

X 2. I've done it, but I much prefer the 220 if I can.

280 in water...is the perfect otter trap... Fast..haahd hitting head catches

I'd opt for the 220 is possible but you would probably be fine anyway. You can spread the trigger wires and put some florist wire on the bottom of the wires so a mink will hit that and make it go off or make a circle trigger out of a coat hanger like this one below;

This is a mink in a 220. It works great with a 160 also.




I have caught a few otters with the circle triggers like this.

160 belisle- Yes
160 Victor- maybe
160 Duke- no

The otter I've had in Duke 160s all mangled the traps and escaped. And I mean the traps were not even repairable mangled.

Yeah, with the right 160

I've taken otter in bottom edge sets for mink/rats in 160's but not my trap of choice. 220 or 280.

First otter I ever caught was in a Sauvageau 160 with the one spring removed. It was set in a small trickle of a stream dead center with mink being the idea. It did not move. Hit right behind the head, and did not even move the stabilizer sticks, they were still in an X. It was not a big otter, but I was surprised that little 6” BG with one spring was instant full stop.

I used to set coon buckets in coastal marsh areas. My coni traps were 220 and 160. Would catch a few otters. Don't recall which traps but probably the 220 Dukes. Bait was fresh fish, often scrap pieces of yellowfin tuna. Never any trap damage.

I caught small otter in Bridger 160 on edge of corn field.. Was maybe 20 yards off of a creek. Also caught a Badger in 160 neither moved the trap very far. Weren't legal takes for me at time so were turned over to DNR.

MacMac

Thanks guys,,, I’ll do some chopping to make a 220 fit…I’ll string some wire across the trigger to get any mink that tries to snake around it.