Illinois Otter

[tcoop]

No this one isn't a rhumor like the Illinois bear. I have proof.

I've seen 2 otters in the area. One in a borrow pit next to the interstate and one on a small river. Well, the inevitable finally happened. I caught one in a 330 set for beaver. It was a great dissapointment to me as I knew I had to turn it over to the DNR as they are not yet legal to trap here in IL. Now I sure wish that they had passed that bill to open trapping season on otter.

Unfortunately I didn't think to measure it or weigh it. I would guess it was about 3-1/2 feet long and about 30 lbs. I think it was a pretty good size for an otter, but I'm really not sure as this was the 1st one for me.

tcoop

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a16/tcoop616/Trapping/1stottertrapped12-11-2006004.jpg

[raywooster]

tcoop:I saw three otter last year and never caught one here in lower Michigan.It would have been legal here.Last summer I saw them a few times.This year I couldnt do much of anything but hope to be back out there soon.Otter have beautiful pelts,wish you could keep it. wooray.

[mt.bronk]

way cool tcoop. you have two on me now i have never caught an otter or a opossom. to bad you cant keep that otter! mt.bronk

[tcoop]

mt.bronk,

You can have the stinkin' possums. They are just about usless. Just clog up your traps. The fur buyer won't take them whole and only pays $1 for skinned and $2 for fleshed and dried. And that is only the large ones in perfect condition. And it's hard to get them put up in perfect condition, their skin is so thin.

tcoop

[mt.bronk]

tcoop.
thanks but nothanks thay remind me of skunks! in the old days i used to skin them. i even got good at it. but now days id have to pass. mt.bronk

[Mossyhorns]

Dnr wouldn't tag it and give it back to you huh ?
That sucks tcoop. I know they are forever asking in questionaires if you have seen any Otters. I suppose they want to do a little research on it.
Good catch though buddy !!

[tcoop]

Mossy, Good to hear from you.

Nope, they take it. Ohter wise people would purposely go after them and just get them tagged.

My daughter and I took the trapper ed class a couple of years ago. We talked to a couple of guys in the class that trapped in your area, on the Rock River. They said that they can't keep the otters out of their beaver traps. They have been taking a dozen or more every year for a few years. I'm surprised you haven't seen any?

tcoop

[Mossyhorns]

tcoop i fish the lakes and ponds more then I do thr Rock River. The Dam is just two blocks away so i go down and toss a jig once in a while during the summer. And this past summer i got my boat back out.So I hit the river channels a few times. I really am not on the River that much, but i sure would be neat to see them on the River.Good to hear they are coming back