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Post by k9 on Feb 25, 2008 21:51:51 GMT -6
Can we really hurt the otter population at this point? Seems to me we could just open her up all season long.
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Post by riverbandit on Feb 25, 2008 22:07:07 GMT -6
When otter were bringing $150 apiece I might have said yes but at $30 I dont think enough guys would hit them hard enough to harm the pop. The first year most guys wanted to get one for the wall but now that most have accomplished that goal I dont think at least raising the limit would hurt a thing.
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Post by ringtail on Feb 25, 2008 22:16:15 GMT -6
In the area I trap I dont think you could hurt the population at all, but Im real close to one of the first release sites. Not sure how the population is in other areas. ringtail
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Post by ~ADC~ on Feb 25, 2008 22:25:52 GMT -6
I'm certain I wouldn't hurt their population.  I got to agree with Dave though, I can't see anyone hitting them hard for the current prices. ~ADC~ |
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Post by Brett H. on Feb 25, 2008 22:45:05 GMT -6
Nope no one will hurt the pop. (atleast in my eyes) becuase i think every last one of them should be killed!!! The worst thing that has ever been released in Iowa!
I dont have any pictures to back up my feelings...but this summer while cat fishing i will get some pictures! (Last summer while fishing on the Iowa river every sand bar had atleast 20-30 dead NICE catfish that only had a couple bites out of each) Its just stupid and they are helping a darn thing!
Brett
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Post by corey on Feb 26, 2008 7:59:26 GMT -6
K9...are there quite a few otter over around you? I was wondering as I was driving across some of the bridges on Sunday...some of those rivers looked like ideal otter habitat.
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Post by k9 on Feb 26, 2008 8:13:55 GMT -6
Yeah there are. One of the first release areas was at Otter Creek Marsh north of me. Lot's of otter.
I have seen some bobcat sign, not a lot, just enough to know they are there.
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Post by ringtail on Feb 26, 2008 8:49:16 GMT -6
Alot of the farmers around here are complaining about the otter cleaning out their ponds.I also think there are more bobcats than amost think there is, A guy south of me usally catches a couple(bobcats) a year that he has to release cause were to far north .I personally have never caught one, but have seen tracks in the snow and heard one scream once, Ill never forget that sound lol
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Post by minnow on Feb 26, 2008 9:20:40 GMT -6
It would be nice trap them with out a limit & filling quotas. I was not able to get my quota this year. However I had caught 3 & had to turn them in to the DNR. Caught them one day after Quota was filled.
Really the season starts to soon for them. The 3 I caught were not even prime or even close to prime.
There are a lot of otter around. I know I saw tracks & signs all season long. Not sure you could dent the population of otter Iowa has now.
One customer I have just hates otters. It used to be great fishing at his stocked ponds. Now the banks are littered with fish heads of large Bass, Walleyes & catfish. Last year the otters were going under ice where the spillways are at. You should of seen how many fish the had stacked up on the ice.
If they raised the limit or removed the quota, there would be land owners that would pay you to trap them off the ponds they own.
Minnow
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Post by Brett H. on Feb 26, 2008 11:56:48 GMT -6
Minnow i agree with you if they lifted the limit than i know a bunch of farmers that would pay to keep them out fo there ponds! I used to beable to fish about 5 farms ponds and now all of them quit stocking the ponds because the otter kept cleaning them out.
Brett
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Post by k9 on Feb 26, 2008 17:27:08 GMT -6
You are right about the primeness issue. Both the otter and cat season are far too early, and are geared towards incidentals. The most trappers are out the first couple weeks therefore the most incidentals happen then. If we trapped them when they were prime we would never make the quota as most trappers have quit by then. It saves DNR some to not have to run aorund releasing otters. I don't get why guys have to call and have them released. If you are gonna set traps you need to also have the knowledge and equipment to handle release of non targets. I did some ADC coon trapping last summer, and promised the DNR officer he could release all my non target skunks if he wanted to  |
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Post by minnow on Feb 26, 2008 22:35:35 GMT -6
K9
How many non-target skunks catches did he have to release!!!!!!!! lol
I think the otter caught beyond the quota is add to the total catch of the year. With out this information they would not be able to increase the quota. I know a trapper who was not turning in his accidental otter ( he caught a lot of them) catches before we had a season on them even though he knew he should. I look at it like this if it increases the quota for more otters next season it is very important to turn them in live or dead.
I look forward to keeping & catching those otters when they lift or remove the quotas.
Minnow
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Post by k9 on Feb 26, 2008 22:51:56 GMT -6
None I just wanted to get a rise out of him. He assured me I could kill them if I wanted to.
I have always just released my otters over the years. When they first came out with an otter season they started talking about a trophy fee and I assured the DNR guys that I talked to that I would call them to release every trophy otter I caught if there was even a penny trophy fee attached to it. Apparently I wasn't the only one that felt that way, and they listened to us.
When we legally kill or release an otter we save DNR a lot of time and money. Figure they send a CO or two out to release each otter, the hours, the gas for the truck, etc. Every trapper that deals with his own saves the DNR.
I know a heck of a nice guy, grown man, who had DNR help him release a dog that he did not know how to deal with. Huh? Maybe we need to have a basic demo on how to release stuff, and what basic equipment to carry with you. This fella is a smart guy, just never ever caught a dog before and was perplexed on how to deal with it.
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Post by minnow on Feb 26, 2008 23:00:36 GMT -6
K9
Very good point. Everybody should be taught to relase a unwanted catch.
I removed a otter at 2:00 am. I bet the DNR guy would of liked me to call him then. He would of not responded untill after 8:00 anyways. lol
Minnow
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Post by Brett H. on Feb 26, 2008 23:46:08 GMT -6
Haha....i agree i would call the DNR about 2:00am everytime i caught an otter that needed to be released!
Bret
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Post by k9 on Feb 27, 2008 18:13:22 GMT -6
I will teach how to release non targets if they ever want a demo on it. Plueger gets to teach them how to release the skunks though |
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glen
Shy Talker
Posts: 43
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Post by glen on Feb 28, 2008 4:22:40 GMT -6
I've caught quiet a few otter in my day and would hate to think I would have to release one. Them things are like a missile on a 2 ft chain. As far as hurting the population, when the otter prices were high a lot of guys hit them VERY hard here. After 3 years of high prices I could see a big change in our population. I'm not sure but was told that one of the sexes had to be 2 years old and the other 3 years old to breed.
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Post by minnow on Feb 28, 2008 8:02:04 GMT -6
Hey Glen,
You mean a missile with lots of teeth too!!!.
Thats an vaid point.I would think time will tell. But what is differnt about our otter population vs. other states that do not have a limit on otters. Is it that we do not have enough habitat?
I used to just move my traps to another creek system to try to avoid catching them. Well that only work for a few years. Im in the creeks
everyday in season. We have a very health population of otters in Iowa.
Minnow
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Post by dfox on Feb 28, 2008 9:26:40 GMT -6
Rumor has it that the quota for next year may be going up to 500 otters and 200 kitties with the zone being expanded for kitties.
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Post by Brett H. on Feb 28, 2008 11:06:52 GMT -6
Lets just keep hoping for unlimited OTTER!!! KILL EM ALLL!!!
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Post by Brett H. on Feb 28, 2008 11:08:31 GMT -6
 Cant catch things like this with OTTER in this state! |
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Post by dfox on Feb 28, 2008 11:43:08 GMT -6
I don't agree with killing them all. I think it was great the state brought them back and gave us the opportunity to trap them.
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Post by ~ADC~ on Feb 28, 2008 11:46:12 GMT -6
Bob was sure glad to see us this day...  I was glad Doug had the hip boots and I had the camera ...  I'll bet several of you have met Bob in the past. ;D ~ADC~ |
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Post by ringtail on Feb 28, 2008 12:30:26 GMT -6
Nice flathead creekman! What he weigh and did you catch him on rod and reel or banklines?
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Post by Brett H. on Feb 28, 2008 20:27:07 GMT -6
My uncle caught him on rod and reel i think just under 25 pounds!
It was a good battle getting him in!
oh, i agree with some of you that you enjoy trapping them and it is fun i have caught a few, but IMO i would like to see EVERYONE of them dead!
I like to fish and hate to see so many just alying on the bank barely evening eaten!
Brett
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Post by yotetrapper on Feb 28, 2008 21:26:04 GMT -6
I know we have a healthy population here. Find toilets and saw a couple swimming about last summer while fishing. One guy here killed 30 on a depredation permit out of one pond. Yet.....no season. Go figure.
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glen
Shy Talker
Posts: 43
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Post by glen on Feb 29, 2008 15:00:24 GMT -6
Those toilets are MONEY IN THE BANK when it come to catching them
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Post by riverrat on Mar 31, 2008 23:56:07 GMT -6
They were neat at first but cant stand em now , dont know which is worse them or Hawks. Course I not supposed to kill them. Couldnt keep em out my sets before we had a season now I cant catch one on purpose.
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Post by Kelly on Apr 1, 2008 7:23:56 GMT -6
Really curious how many otter are caught on purpose and how many are caught by accident is sets for mink, raccoon, etc?
Wisconsin has a lot of Otter and all the years I lived and trapped there never caught one by accident in a set not intended to catch otter. Most of my trapping friends had the same experiences so I'm really curious how all these otter are being trapped here in Iowa.
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Post by coontrapper on Apr 1, 2008 21:37:06 GMT -6
All of the otters I've caught we in coon pockets/blind sets or beaver sets.
I agree that we should have an unlimited season. They have killed the fishing in the small rivers aroung here.
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I got to agree with Dave though, I can't see anyone hitting them hard for the current prices.
