Help with otters - Trapperman Forums

Posted By: Jim Bethell

Help with otters - 04/08/19 11:01 PM

Been in this business for 25 years. First time call for otters in a farm pound. Would like to use cage traps in possible. Coons are a problem. What kind of bait works the best for you guys? How hard does an otter fight a cage trap? What kind of sets works for you? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for any help you can give.

Posted By: brisket

Re: Help with otters - 04/08/19 11:48 PM

cage with a wire trigger. set it like you would a 330 in the water or in a slide

Posted By: jzahntrapper

Re: Help with otters - 04/09/19 01:31 AM

if you decide to bait it use a few eggs or egg shells and a few feathers like cats they like eye apeal

Posted By: AJE

Re: Help with otters - 07/28/19 06:24 PM

I have heard of very few people be successful at cage trapping otter. Maybe it's because not many folks try.

Posted By: warrior

Re: Help with otters - 07/28/19 10:02 PM

I get very few calls for otter but have caught a few over the years. All as incidentals on beaver jobs if that tells you anything.
That said my catches are always cages or conis set on runs.

Posted By: traprjohn

Re: Help with otters - 07/28/19 11:46 PM

I'd ask Jim Comstock and Kirk DeKalb via PM's if it was me!

Posted By: AJE

Re: Help with otters - 07/29/19 12:51 AM

Keeping the coons out might be the hardest part.

Posted By: warrior

Re: Help with otters - 07/29/19 01:14 AM

They don't fight cages like coons or dillers but they are constantly in motion in them.

Posted By: webfootwhacker

Re: Help with otters - 07/29/19 04:08 AM

I’ve caught two in 9x11x30” Comstock traps this year as incidentals - one going into a groundhog hole under a deck and the other going under a cabin. Both lake homes. The weird thing about the cabin one was that there was a gray fox litter under there at the time.

Posted By: Vinke

Re: Help with otters - 07/30/19 03:02 PM

Set the toilets
No bait
Green grass over pan
If there is a dock with a toilet you are golden

Posted By: AJE

Re: Help with otters - 08/01/19 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by Vinke

Set the toilets
No bait
Green grass over pan
If there is a dock with a toilet you are golden

Are most people's foothold otter toilet sets setup as a drowner set or daily check?

Posted By: J.Melton

Re: Help with otters - 08/09/19 04:27 AM

Hi Jim, Same deal here, i'm 40 miles N of you. Was just asked to remove Otter family from Private Lake. Caught my limit last year Trapping Beaver. I want to relocate and will work with new Wildlife Biologist for Whiteside and Carroll County. Could you let me know how things go for you. Any help appreciated. Some good ideas on these posts.

Posted By: Jim Bethell

Re: Help with otters - 08/09/19 11:12 PM

Originally Posted by J.Melton

Hi Jim, Same deal here, i'm 40 miles N of you. Was just asked to remove Otter family from Private Lake. Caught my limit last year Trapping Beaver. I want to relocate and will work with new Wildlife Biologist for Whiteside and Carroll County. Could you let me know how things go for you. Any help appreciated. Some good ideas on these posts.

That post was last spring. About 8 months ago. I set some traps, but did not catch anything. Also no more sign of the otters. My e-mail is wyldlife@divcominc.net. Contact me. I think you are one of the new Illinois ADC operators.