|
Post by Furhandler on Apr 25, 2005 19:30:03 GMT -6
After seeing all those Otter pics Winston posted, I've got the Otter fever all over again for this coming season.
I would like to hear from each and every Otter trapper what they feel is the most important factor in catching Otters.
The most important factors for me are setting up locations that keep working throughout the season and to keep moving traps as to keep them working day in and day out.
The second one is "Patience", how many times have I made doubles and triples after having looked at those traps 8 or 9 weeks in a row and FINALLY connect.
How about other factors you feel are important?
|
|
|
Post by robertw on Apr 25, 2005 19:50:02 GMT -6
Learning to take large numbers of them in foot hold traps.
It is amazing how many more otter can be caught in a foot hold than in a conibear!
Learning how to efficiently use baited and flat sets for otter.
Putting up and marketing these otter for the greatest return.
|
|
|
Post by RiverRat on Apr 25, 2005 20:36:47 GMT -6
"Have trouble respecting a man that is to lazy to put up his otter and just give them to the local buyers."
Anit that the truth !! the ones that are too lazy to put up fur are the ones doin the most belly achin. They think beacause they READ in FFG that a top lot finshed fox is worth x amount of dollars their first days muddy, bloddy cockelbur filled cacarrass fox are worth what the magizine says.
Sorry to highjack your post we dont have an otter season yet so for the time being I try not to catch em can be tough at times, I am sure when we finally get a season it will change LOL
|
|
|
Post by Gasconade on Apr 25, 2005 20:42:53 GMT -6
Robert, I don't expect you to dump the bag on a public forum, but would you mind sharing a few hints on how to turn those picture perfect tracks an inch or two from the pan into paydirt on land sets.
|
|
|
Post by trapperjoemo on Apr 26, 2005 7:52:59 GMT -6
Always a lot of variables, but simply put... set a 280 or 330 (or several) in THE narrow spot where "every otter travels thru", and leave that trap there working as long as you can afford the time/travel to check it. The feeder creeks will general pay-off if the traps are there when the otter comes back thru.
|
|
|
Post by trappnman on Apr 26, 2005 8:09:48 GMT -6
only trapped otter for the dnr with #11- but have a few tips..
1) easier to take in footholds on land than water
2) FORCE otter- otter can take a lot of guiding
3) keep entanglement situations away from traps
4) on crossovers- really dig out a "trench" type trail, about a foot wide at most- block sides- lighhtly cover trap with a little sand- otter don't fear footholds.
|
|
|
Post by thefoxtrapper on Apr 26, 2005 10:10:59 GMT -6
I just set places that have otter sign and leave em set, some places that have no sign will catch an occassional otter in february, but many of these will not, I like to at least see old sign or tracks to know the otter are coming, then its just a matter of waiting, now your major water ways, those will have travelers for sure...right now killing them all in conibears, but next season will set a bunch of footholds at certain blind locations which I know are going to produce.
Winston
|
|
|
Post by vttrapper on Apr 26, 2005 10:36:10 GMT -6
I would like to hear from Robert as well on foot trapping otter.
I set all small creeksand streams as well as crossovers on larger rivers. Time is on the side of the otter trapper if he is on location.
frank
|
|
|
Post by thebeav2 on Apr 26, 2005 15:29:33 GMT -6
Set every pinch point every beaver dam crossover both the high side and the low side. Set every sourcre of water where it crosses a road, It dosen't matter how big or how small,. Running water or stagnate set them all. Find the pinch points or make your own.If you have flowing water block the stream so the animal will follow the natural flow.
But I have found that In most cases otter won't cross through the culvert, but will go over land and enter above and below the culvert. Set your foot holds at these take out points. On a good road line or sets that don't take much time to walk in to, I will leave the line In for the whole season, two months.
Here's a classic situation. This location drains one large swamp Into another. We have a beaver dam 20 yards above the road,there are two crossovers on that dam, I have 4 body grips here. Two on the high sides and two on the low side.There Is a 20" culvert under the road.On the down stream side the stream splits,the current has scoured out 2 perfect channels. We have a total of 4 330s at this location 2 330s In each channel and they would be 20 ' apart. So we have a total of 8 330s here. Last season In 57 days I caught 14 otter and 32 beaver at this location.
Beav
|
|
|
Post by robertw on Apr 26, 2005 20:23:34 GMT -6
Gasconade & Vttrapper,
Just got back to checking this forum, sorry for making you wait.
On dry land in regards to guiding the foot on to pan......This is basically done the same as most coyote & fox sets. I know my describing on the internet is hard to follow (would be alot easier to just show you in person) and this going to sound like a counterfiet answer but you simply target the foot of the animal to land on the pan. You want the location of the pan of the trap to be the only place and the most natural place for that animal to step! Practice making a set, after the set is completed look at it like an animal does walking up to it. Picture where the foot is going to land in your pattern, then check your self by seeing if the pan is squarely centered where you envisioned the track being.
I know this "sounds" rediculously simple but.... most trappers never master this.
Anyway, it's hard to describe like this over the internet. Catch me (when I have time of an evening) at one of the conventions and I will be happy to demonstrate it for you. Most people once they have seen it, pickup on it real fast.
Steve Gappa, not sure why edited my post above. Please explain what was wrong with the statement that I made.
|
|
|
Post by robertw on Apr 26, 2005 20:38:48 GMT -6
Steve, You may edit this but I got to say it!
It doesn't matter whether we are talking otters, coons, cats or nutira's. If anyone (my personal opinion) really wants to be good at catching a species they must respect and honor the animal that they are pursueing.
I For myself, this is "nearly" a religous belief. Hope no one reads this as being sacrilege, just how I feel.
Edit- Robert, the reason I edited it before and am editing it know- is simply this. Its the business of the individual trapper to market his fur however he wants it to be. Whether green, in the round, put up, sold local or shipped to auctions- none has anything to do with respecting the animal, the trappers skill or indeed the trappers moral values. We stay away from judgements on this forum- there are many reasons to market fur in certain ways and its up to each trapper to do so how he wishes.
|
|
|
Post by Gasconade on Apr 26, 2005 21:42:35 GMT -6
Robert, thanks for the reply. We'll have to visit sometime. I guess if I'm honest pattern misses are my biggest problem when land trapping, especially on'cats and otter. Strange thing is I'm actually more confident in getting the foot on the pan when blind setting than at bait and lure sets.
|
|
mink99
Tenderfoot...
Posts: 25
|
Post by mink99 on Apr 27, 2005 5:35:04 GMT -6
What about Bottom edge for otter? Did somebody have succes? For me easy for mink but otter.....
|
|
|
Post by Steve Gappa on Apr 27, 2005 5:48:45 GMT -6
btw on otters- I cannot stress it enough- FORCE your otters when using footholds- I was taught this trick by Mike Fisher, who has live trapped probably more otters than anyone else out there.
the number of snapped traps disappears when setting on dry land vs water.
Cut chunks of sod, plant weed clumps, dig trenches- MAKE the otter put his foot where you want.
|
|
|
Post by thefoxtrapper on Apr 27, 2005 7:20:59 GMT -6
beav, I agree with you that if you have the time and traps that setting every waterway on your line is a good idea, however in my experience I have found that setting the waterways whether a trickle or large stream that are near large bodies of water such as rivers, big lakes, swamps, etc., are better producers than just the little ole crick out in the middle of the woods....also, I prefer to see tracks to know that it is being used regurlary, once again increases my percentage, now there are those that are weak spots but right along the way and real quick and I set these, but if I have to drive out of the way or it is a long walk, it has to be decent to set, its all about the time and number that can be caught the quickest...some areas differ greatly, just on my line I have two totally different areas, around my home I am in the foothills of the mountains, I need to be near a large body of water for the most part, as I go east about 50 miles the land becomes more flat and more water thus the otter seem to spread out away more and most likely just more of them. I also gang set hard in places that have alot of sign, block every possible way the otter could go, on streams usually put two good sets in the main run and go, Ive really jumped my numbers by setting on large waterways on sign and sitting tight for a few weeks to a month at some places. Im gonna use a bunch of footholds next year on the rivers to see if I can boost my catch some like this, but will run my road line virtually the same as I have been, run and gun with 330s....
Winston
|
|
|
Post by Furhandler on Apr 27, 2005 11:10:53 GMT -6
Good point on the setting near large bodies of water. I too have started focusing on cutting off small streams that lead somewhere. A small trickle a foot wide and 6" deep leading to a large lake will outperform a 10" wide river heading into the mountains and going no where. The Otter need something to draw them and the big bodies of water are where the food is for them.
I also like the #330 for Otters. I used to avoid the big trap a few years ago, but now with the new Magnums - the bigger the better. Caught 5 alone this year by an extremety or another and all where held and secure. #220 and #280 have their place, but if I only had to chose 1 trap it would be a #330 in a tight closing Magnum.
|
|
|
Post by NattyBumpo on Apr 27, 2005 18:36:54 GMT -6
I look for small creeks close to big water. I find the narrowest chokepoint and put a 330 or a 280 in the run or middle and fence it with whatever sticks are available. So the otter has to come thru my trap to travel the creek. Most of my traps are halfway out of the water in very shallow creeks. We can set 330s here as long as the traps are 'partially' submerged in water. I put the trigger on the bottom with the wires shaped like a T with the top of the T underwater. All the otter sees is a big gap to swim thru. I use cross sticks to break up the square shape (nothing in nature is square). Then I wait them out. I know that they are great travelers and sooner or later they are coming.
I am confident that when an otter comes I got him. I will leave my sets in all season if I have to. I once left a trap in for 30 days before it nailed one.
Otter often travel in groups of 2 or 3 or even more so I gang set. If the creek branches off I agree you have to cover every creek because when they finally come I dont want them going down the wrong creek.
I never use bait, dont want a $8 coon in my $125 otter set.
I have never tried footholds for otter and I know that many otter were live trapped with small traps like #11s and 1.5s. However I know that many otter have escaped big bad beaver traps like #5s. Every year I catch otters that have missing toes. I think if you use foot traps you better drown them fast. It is a big mistake leaving otter struggling in a foothold on land. Otter can escape the best coyote or beaver traps. The #11 dls traps seems to hold otter on land better than bigger traps.
Anyhow the ideal sets for me are small runs 12"-18" wide or so especially if they are coming off a beaver dam. Also set every beaver dam crossover you can find. Every culvert look for a dry land crossover some otter go thru the pipe and some cross over the top. Set the pipe and the crossover. I set these crossovers right where the trail enters the water.
|
|
|
Post by trappnman on Apr 27, 2005 18:59:51 GMT -6
#11 are a joke for otter- for every otter- God knows how many snapped traps or toes.
esp in water- which is why I went to dryland sets.
|
|
|
Post by thebeav2 on Apr 27, 2005 19:04:37 GMT -6
It all depends on the area you trap. Where I trap there are 2 large rivers but you can't trap them,to much water flucuation. There are no lakes just very large swamps.These are also pretty impossible to trap,anyway to time consuming. 90% of this land Is ditched and every ditch leads to a swamp or a pond and most every pond or swamp leads to these large rivers. It's a good thing these rivers and swamps can't be trapped they just keep producing more otter.
Beav
|
|
|
Post by thefoxtrapper on Apr 28, 2005 7:09:03 GMT -6
i use very natural looking fencing for the area, will use large logs off to the side and a decent one for the dive pole, also learned a trick this year from ColdSteel..take a pair of lopping shears, that goes everywhere with me now, quickly cuts big bushes or support sticks or whatever I need, cant stand looking around and walking for stuff, just get what i need right near the set, big fluffy green bushes really guide and look natural compared to a bunch of dead sticks sticking up in the air...
Winston
|
|