How to Get Rid of Otters
How to Get Rid of Otters in a Pond, Lake, or any other Water - Otters eat a lot of fish and they jump at the opportunity to invade private hatcheries or stocked ponds. If you’re trying to get rid of an otter, you can forget about using repellents and decoys. Otters are too curious and intelligent by nature to be alarmed by a decoy. These creatures are best handled with trapping—lethal or non-lethal. Because of their antics and ability to reason, otters can be very difficult to trap. Select your method of trapping and place the devices around where the otter frequents. You can tell an otter territory by the slides down embankments, grooming flats, and large mounds of waste. Otters have designated bathroom areas which is why their feces are often in a central location. Traps are most effective if they are placed in areas where the otter travels often. Pathways through the mud and routes through the shallow water are the best places to set up traps. Even though many states have a trapping season for this animal, otters are interesting creatures and live trapping is a good way to preserve their fun-loving nature.
Homes that are perched on the banks of rivers and deep streams may become targets for otter invaders. Otters won’t live inside of a home like a squirrel or a raccoon, but an otter will make full use of an embankment regardless of a house being in close proximity. In some cases these animals will choose locations around the home as bathroom sites or grooming sites. Even though otters are cute and entertaining, they can create quite the stench when they leave pieces of food and large piles of feces around the home. Otters in this situation need to be live trapped and relocated or lethally trapped and removed. Both methods of trapping are productive, though advocates of live trapping see no reason to harm a playful animal like an otter. No matter what type of trap you select, trap placement is the key to catching an otter. These animals are agile and smart. Traps must be set along frequented routes and must be cleverly placed so they do not draw attention. If you have caught an otter and want to release it, the animal needs to be taken to an area of public land with an adequate body of water. Relocation can be difficult. Otters need a large amount of food, so a pond with a small population of fish will not sustain an otter for long.
How to Get Rid of Otters Outside, on a Boat Dock
Otters are not a densely populated animal, and the occasional otter group can be more entertaining than annoying. Otters need to be dealt with when they invade private ponds and hatcheries, something they frequently do once it’s discovered that food is in abundance. Getting rid of otters outside can mean good exclusion tactics. Otters are drawn to areas where food is plentiful. These large mammals need to eat enormous amounts daily. If you own a stocked pond or a commercial hatchery, you should consider installing a fence around the perimeter. Fences may be expensive but they are effective. Beyond fences there is little that can be done to exclude an otter. As long as there is food the otter will remain. A fish hatchery can’t eliminate the food without eliminating the fish! If fencing is not an option and otters have become a nuisance, trapping and removal is the only way to deal with them. Otter trapping is not easy and may be best left to the professionals. Traps need to be placed in the correct locations and in the correct amount of water. If you cannot find a way to exclude otters in the future, you may have to have them trapped once or twice a year.
How to Get Rid of Otters in the River
Otters are a playful bunch, enjoying social interactions and daily routines with obvious glee. Due to the large volume of food they consume, otters can prove very problematic for fishermen or private land owners. River otters will also move under mobile homes or decks of houses located very close to the water. You may never get rid of the otters in the river, but you can button up your home so they will not invade again. Buildings like mobile homes, tall decks, or sheds with gaps underneath can provide an otter with excellent shelter. The animals may not live under the structure. They may use the structure for one of their numerous activities like grooming, eating or going to the bathroom. Problem otters can be trapped and removed. Live traps do work if baited with the oils from another otter or if baited with a potent-smelling fish. Because of their agility in the water, leg hold traps are the most common method for trapping live otters. Traps are placed in otter slides, along grooming locations, and in the watery tracks these animals leave through the mud. Some states have an official otter trapping season. Be sure to learn all rules and regulations prior to trapping.
Go back to the main Otter Removal page for more information about how to get rid of otter.
