Otters!!!!!

[Sgt911]

Ugh, Texas has officially been invaded by otters. I am about 60 east of Austin. In 2008 I saw an otter in my tank and thought "how cute". It was the first documented otter in this county since their expanse back into their former range. Fast forward to today and what was once cute, has turned into a siege. My two acre trophy pond and been reduced to a watery fish void desert. I see otters dead on the hwy on a regular basis now. There is almost no one that I have talked to that hasn't had a problem. They are everywhere. I even saw one in the city limits of Brenham last week. I love nature and would rather observe than destroy so it took me a long time to take action. The body count has been piling up and more keep coming. This might be the last message I get out. They are coming for you next.

 

[Bro. Dave]

Now I have something else to fear besides feral hogs and coyotes! Here in my area we can't seem to kill hogs and coyotes fast enough to keep up with their birth rate.

I've seen nutria in stock tanks and lakes, but never an otter. Of course, Texas is so big and so diverse in topography, climate, (and most everything else) that we probably have a few of most of God's creatures.

 

[Sgt911]

Now I have something else to fear besides feral hogs and coyotes! Here in my area we can't seem to kill hogs and coyotes fast enough to keep up with their birth rate.

I've seen nutria in stock tanks and lakes, but never an otter. Of course, Texas is so big and so diverse in topography, climate, (and most everything else) that we probably have a few of most of God's creatures.

I have only seen one nutria here thank God. Beavers are starting to show up and I saw a big porcupine a few years back.

 

[Skeet 028]

Otters are neat critters and I couldn't shoot one We had plenty of 'em in Maryland...streams and creeks. I'll bet they could clean a pond out of fish in short order. I never saw one in a pond...but we had lots of streams and cricks( Eastern Shore for creeks) back east. We did have a lot of beavers in the area, Kill the heck outta trees

 

[bigwheelzip]

I've noticed some hunters on the forum post about harvesting the otter's natural predators, bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, wolves, black bears and foxes. Maybe your just out of balance.

 

[Absalom]

I think you need to develop a new hobby.

I don’t know Texas hunting regulations, but you should get yourself a furbearer license and some traps.

Fur-Fish-Game || Trapping

 

[Sgt911]

Otters are neat critters and I couldn't shoot one We had plenty of 'em in Maryland...streams and creeks. I'll bet they could clean a pond out of fish in short order. I never saw one in a pond...but we had lots of streams and cricks( Eastern Shore for creeks) back east. We did have a lot of beavers in the area, Kill the heck outta trees

Any place else, like a lake or a stream I wouldn't bother. Texas A&M had their whole catfish research pond wiped out.

 

[H Richard]

Illinois is no stranger to Otters, but we have not had an exploding invasion like you are having. I have helped a few friends with ponds "eradicate" a few, (a 22-250 with a 55 gr Nosier ballistic tip at 3600+ does a nice job).

 

[Sgt911]

Illinois is no stranger to Otters, but we have not had an exploding invasion like you are having. I have helped a few friends with ponds "eradicate" a few, (a 22-250 with a 55 gr Nosier ballistic tip at 3600+ does a nice job).

I use a .204. I took one this morning. It is bittersweet. They are fascinating creatures. I tried live traps at first but nothing seemed to work. They are so thick in population now I took that option off the table. I read an article about Ohio trading Louisiana, turkeys for Otters. A biologist had told them that was not a good trade and they have problems now.

 

[krsmith58]

otters

i live in Mauriceville texas . probably around 30 mile from the coast . the otters came to my friends fish pond and in a few days no more fish . they cleaned it out . being on the coast i like to do a little crabbing . one of my favorite spots is an access canal for local power company bordering lots of marsh . mostly brackish water . last time i went an otter came out of the marsh . a really big one .i wasn't aware they got so big . must have weighed 30 pounds . that joker had been practicing . it would take the crab lines under the dock and strip em of bait .thought it might get full and go away but no such luck . i had to go away . i like to see more wildlife in places where they were no longer found after being trapped out but if not in the federal nursery sanctuary marsh someone would surely kill them for that infraction . pardon the length of my story , couldn't help myself . kenneth r smith , Mauriceville , texas

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Question?: Are Otters a large form of weasel or a small form of seal?

Shoot, skin & sell! You won't get rich, but should pay for your ammo costs, and maybe lunch.

Ivan

 

[Watchdog]

Question?: Are Otters a large form of weasel or a small form of seal?

Otters belong to the weasel family...along with ferrets, mink, badgers, and wolverines.

 

[Fishinfool]

Sgt911 - I wonder if a "scare crow" would work? A friend in town has a small farm pond that was being ruined by an overload of geese. He set up a life sized archery coyote mannequin / target he borrowed from me so it was standing near the edge of the pond. The goose problem went away (I am assuming from the yote target). I am not sure what you would use to scare them off though, as I don't know what predators in Texas would scare off an adult otter. The ones I have seen in the East can hold their own against a coyote or bobcat.

Larry

 

[Watchdog]

Ugh, Texas has officially been invaded by otters.

Otters are actually native to Texas, but usually stay in coastal areas and East Texas.

There's an informative little article about them and their move into other areas of Texas on the Texas Hill Country website. You can read it by clicking here.

 

[Sgt911]

Otters are actually native to Texas, but usually stay in coastal areas and East Texas.

There's an informative little article about them and their move into other areas of Texas on the Texas Hill Country website. You can read it by clicking here.

That was an attention getter. I'm from Louisiana originally, and my family still has a place on Toledo Bend. I have seen Otters my entire life in Louisiana and East Texas. Centex is part of their historical range but wasn't until the last decade that the population started steadily rising. They didn't show up here on my place until 2008 that I know of. I was warned by pond owners in other states and areas that have always had populations of Otters that they would void the fish population of a stock tank. They are cute, entertaining and get a pass by most people.

 

[VonFatman]

shoot, trap whatever....take no prisoners!