Trapping Live Otter

[robertw]

Anybody on this forum ever live trapped otter for the live market? (Any Louisiana trappers?)

Would be very interested in corresponding with anyone who has experience about long term confinement & transport cages, feeding rations and any veterinary practices needed to help adjust these animals from the wild to captivity.

Thanks.

[robertw]

Anybody?

[Steve Gappa]

Robert- never trapped for the live market per se- but did trap, remove from traps, transport, take to vet, kept some in cages feeding and watering them for 4-5 days. I think my experiences would serve you well. If interested, let me know.

[Ross]

There was a national newspaper story about a guy from Louisiana a few years ago. I remember he removed the otters from the trap with what looked like a fish landing net and said he had to feed them a mixed diet including carrots.

[robertw]

Steve,
What did you feed those otter? Did you use barrels or boxes for transport? If you used both which did you prefer as the easiest to work with?

Ross,
I suspect that it was the same article that ran in the American Trapper several years ago. That man went out of business and retired resulting in the current demand for otters as most that he supplied to various zoos have passed away from old age.

I have heard about the red meat ( beef or venison) being ground with carrots, celery and broccoli added to it. Would be very interested in learning about other rations for otter.

[Ross]

Here's the guy.

alligatorfur.com/press/conservation.htm

Google: Lee Roy Sevin

[trappnman]

we had access to a trout hatchery, and fed trout 6-8 inches long. frozen and then thawed, they ate them literally like popsciles. We fed 4-5 twice a day. Some otter would eat day one, some wouldn't eat until day 2- never had one go longer than that

We started with barrels- and they work fine- but they are so hard to carry and manuveour with in a marsh, water. And heavy.

I had them make me a back pack cage. The cage was about 3 X 3 X 3 made of 1/4 inch heavy mesh wire. tried it this way- but the otter fought the cage hard. So we covered outside of wire with some cheap type of panelling and that worked very well- the otter settled right down and was content. the front had a sliding wood door in a wood frame- kind of wierd slipping that on your back with an otter on the other ide- but worked very well

[wolfer]

I live trapped marten years ago when I was in the Yukon. It was for a transplant job the game branch was doing at the time.

I found if they were covered up and in a dark place when transporting them it made them a whole lot quieter and they did not fight as much.

This is true of any animal and something to keep in mind. Even most animals on a drag will head for the nearest place to 'hide' in. I've had lynx fast asleep in a clump of willows that way.

Steve, your otter backpack reminds me of a story of a lady in the Yukon who had a wolverine in a set. She belted it over the head and put it in her Trapper Nelson back-pack and headed home across a lake.
About halfway there, that 'dead' wolverine came to life. I bet the back-pack was there 'til ice-out in June and that was the fastest trip home that lady ever made.

That has got to wake you up big-time!

[bobwendt]

robert, I`ve kept live wild adult weasels, badger and mink, and all have tamed down amazingly fast. badger will eat out of your hand on day 2, I mean old old geezers too. so my guess is otters are not the hard keepers one might guess. they will need vaccinations for both canine and feline distemper ,along with parvo and etc.

[trappnman]

no Bob- they are not- they settle down pretty fast. Used to be an old guy around here back in the 50s that raised otter and put on shows with them.

[220Swift]

It's my understanding that the otters introduced in Missouri where caught in La. in legholds.You might contact Dave Hamilton at the Missouri Conservation Dept. and get some information from him,He's a hell of a nice guy by the way. Hope this helps.

[frenchman]

Go to a scientific library, and do a search for author Thomas Serfass - he wrote numerous papers about care of captive otters during a translocation project in PA

Check the Wildlife Society Bulletin and J. Zoo and Wildl. Medicine among others.

There was an article a while back about catching otters in Longsprings no. 11 in the Wildl. Soc. Bull as well - you may wish to track it down. Scientific for sure, but still might give you an diea about how to proceed.

[robertw]

Ross, Thanks for posting the link to that article! It is a good re-read and is the same article that appeared in the American Trapper but is still a very good article.

220-Swift,
I know Dave Hamilton and have spoken to him a few times about this stuff and have benefitted from some of his information.

Frenchman,
I read the article about the #11s a while back. Thank you for the other referances.


I've got some time before having to worry about this adventure so like to be prepared for whatever I haven't thought of or don't know.

Anyway, thank you guys for everything.

Taking off tomorrow on a beaver job for a few weeks so take care,

Robert.

[musher]

Bob: You managed to keep weasels alive? anyone i know that has tried had them die. They just didn't eat and they seem to have stressed to death. Size of the cage doesn't seem to matter either. The animals were box trapped.