Nebr. Water wolves

The Nebr Game and Parks Commission approved a trapping season on otters. There is going to be a statewide quota of 75 otters. Once that number is reached, season will be shut down. Every year a lot are caught by beaver trappers. At least if otters are caught, they can be kept. To bad they aren't worth something.

How long do you think it will take to fill the quota?

I bet it won't take long. The season runs from Nov 1 to Febr. Would be surprised if it made it till Dec.

It won't take long...

Sounds like the wolf season we had a few years back. I think it took 4 days to make our quota. Not a enough time to let the make their travel patterns.

Unless you actually trap where they are relatively concentrated, the chance of an incidental catch is low. I have caught a few by accident here but only when doing beaver work. And I knew they were there due to all the sign. Trapping coons, rats, mink on the smaller creeks in NE Nebr. has showed no consistent otter sign in my 32 years here. Major river systems are another story. The Platte, Elkhorn, Loop, Niobrara, etc., and (of course) the Missouri hold a concentrated population where a person interested, could catch one. Don't know why the smaller water courses don't show any sign like they did when I lived and trapped otter in Minn. Guessing it could be the food as there are plenty of beaver colonies to provide cover here. Pulled some beaver traps (prematurely) this April as there was a lot of otter sign at one of my jobs. Thought to leave the pair alone long enough to pull off a litter if they could. Getting soft in my old age .LOL............ the mike

I had to stop trapping beaver on the Niobrara as the otters wouldn't stay out of the traps.

We have a limited season. Two per trapper butAfter 600 in the state have been reached you can't keep them.

Wildlife managers always play the safe game. They think they know roughly what the otter population is so set a quota. Truthfully, they have no idea if that quota is good or not. 75 across the whole state of Nebraska seems pretty low. Better management plan would be to set season dates with no limit. Do that for a few years. Average catch over a few years would be a better indication of true population.