Need advice on how to get rid of otter...

[acid_chipmunk]

Try calling your Communications Center (911 center) using the non-emergency number and ask them to have someone form Fish and Game or Wildlife contact you. They should have someone who is either working or on call so you don't have to wait until Monday.

 

[Randy]

Don 't worry, it will move on eventually. After it's cleaned out your pond! My advise, SSS.

 

[Amyable]

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Don't kill it unless you have to. They are very social, neat critters. The Wildlife service should be able to help; if they won't, try a wildlife rehab center.

 

[welsummerchicks]

"That's just another varmint"

In a lot of areas you can't just kill off any species you consider a varmint. Some people consider bald eagles to be varmints.

In any case otters generally feed in different areas and aren't generally going to settle down and eat nothing but your fish.

 

[GammaPoppyLilyFlutter]

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Agreed!

Or relocate it.

 

[PartridgeRckgal]

Thanks so much everyone for all the great suggestions. We have a live trap baited for him.... if that doesn't work. We are going to contact the wildlife agency and see if they can relocate him.

 

[clintwilson59]

I,ve caught 2 on our deer lease with a 1 1/2 coilspring trap baited with fish for coon. It would more likely go into that than a live trap, then if you wanted to keep him alive to relocate it you could make a catch pole and put it in a cage.

If you do dispatch it, the hides are worth quite a bit but you may need an otter tag to sell it (we do for otters and bobcats)

 

[bluere11e]

Otters are to fish as racoons are to chickens.

My DH and I put a LOT of time and money into our pond and stocked it with Koi. We had an otter family move in a do a LOT of damage.. It was VERY hard for me as I don't like to hurt anything (Unless it's threatening my pets) I made a phone call and all of them died of lead poisoning in a day.. It really bothered me..

They are cute, but they kill for fun too. In a few days they wiped out over 100 Koi in a 1/4 acre pond! Imagine if I was a fish farmer that relied on those fish to support my home, family and business?
The ONLY way I was able to console myself is knowing they are related to weasels and weasels kill for fun too AND damage eggs and we use body traps strategically placed around the coops and runs to trap them.. They end up dying of lead poisoning.. They used to drown, until we upgraded the pond and put Koi in..

 

[Randy]

No doubt about it, they are fish killing machines and down here in the south they are as thick as mites on a poultry swap rooster.

 

[Ladybird CA]

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How did they die of lead poisoning?