Thank you for sharing, I thought I read a similar answer a while ago on here but sometimes a lot of info gets lost in my head over time. I am waiting for a little open water to check a few spots, no idea how much ice we will have, but I will be after one. Thank you again.

I have one toilet that I need to check on this week, it is a bit of a walk thru some heavy brush. The last time I was I was there it had more muskrat fur than fish scales.

Got this big female yesterday in a faint trail coming over a lake dam from some flooded timber. Beaver have a very visible trail a few feet away and I could see some of the pine straw off to the side was disturbed. Trail forks a few feet from the top and I put several Belisle 220s in the trails. Camouflaged them with sticks and pine straw. Have some 280s and 330s in trails on the lake side. Neighbor's property starts at the bottom of the dam and the dam is really steep. Have to set the top because I don't feel like sliding on the pine straw into the barbed wire fence below.

Anyone ever use cubbies like these for otter? Seems like a bucket with the end cut out would do the same thing, visual draw, single 220 in the end, thoughts?

I haven't used that set, but buckets smash them if they are set in the right conditions.

What do yall generally bait the bucket sets with? Sardines? Carp? Just wondering as I'm going to get some 220s and make some bucket sets.

Zac these would not be baited for me. The visual would be the attractant, the cubbie would be under water, and obviously very visible to the otter. His curiosity presumably would have him swim through it and the trap would define history from there.

Disclaimer: I am no otter trapping expert, I am harvesting knowledge is all to help with my quest for an itter to keep and tan for the lodge.

I have seen the swim through ones! I have caught a couple otter, but mostly just when trapping beaver. I was just wondering what the bucket sets with the closed end are baited with because I'd like to make a couple.didnyou make the ones you shared joe? Wondering what size pipe. Assuming a 220

No I didn't make these, those pictures are screen shots from youtube. I had never seen one of these before, just wanted some experienced opinions on them before I dove in. I am getting feedback that these would not be legal in PA, as man made materials are allowed only for trap support and not to direct travel of the otter. The visual draw to me seems like the real advantage to me, seems any curious otter would investigate the thing under water, but what do I know.

I believe that is 12 inch pipe with a 220 as well Z.

That's a great idea! An rbg would be awesome on either end of it. I'm trying to figure out if claiming that as a trap stand would be legal for you 😜. In Iowa we can use them, anything larger than 8 inch spread has to be completely submerged, that's the law I have the most trouble with when beaver trapping. Some places would be excellent for s 330 on land.