Otter Report

[laker67]

What happens when they invade small creeks like Crane and all of those creeks that Chief and the others fish in the southwest. I think they could do some serious damage in a hurry.

[brownieman]

Otters have been around for many years and the balance does have a way of working itself out...I feel this was prior to the pressure put on most streams nowadays. Famous words of the MDC, their main diet is crayfish...whatever. Most any species that are not stocked on a regular basis including crayfish are on the decline from my observations...I may be getting older but not blind...maybe dumber but I'm entitled to that, lol.

My only concern with all the pressure on the streams these days the top of the food chain generally prevails and flourishes...besides trappers not much in the ecosystem of a stream feeds on otters...you guys do the math.

I know property owners on the upper streches of the piney and meremac that shoot em on site due to their ponds being cleaned out by what they call 'varments'...to put it nicely.

[Gavin]

Started seeing Otters in abundance on Mill Creek in the late 90's and the fishing went south in a hurry after that...Then we had a long drought with no water in the creek..It wasnt worth fishing for years, but it be on the rebound these days. I think Otters can have an impact on a small creek, but I dont think they can clean it out entirely. Hungry two legged otters are the ones I tend to worry about the most. Cheers.

[troutfitter77]

I agree with you Brownieman. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that these streamlined predators would much rather feed on a tasty trout or bass versus 15 crayfish for the same amount of calories. It most likely takes them the same if not more energy to catch the crayfish. Although I am sure that they are opportunistic feeders I believe that they lean heavily towards fish all year round.

I would like to see the MDC impose an open season on trapping and hunting for otters to get the competitive balance back in check. They are an invasive species in 2009 vs 1909 because we artificially stock streams and ponds today to support more sportfishing.

For those to wish to argue that they add to the whole recreational experience and balance of the ecosystem I urge you to go to a zoo the next time you get the urge for that warm and fuzzy otter porn. Thats right, just get all dressed up in your Bear Grylls attire with survivor knife and fake compass and head on over to the zoo to get your fix of otter. I know of abso*#&kinlutely nothing that they bring to the balance of the Missouri ecosystem. Sorry, just couldn't resist that little Dennis Leary moment.

[zander]

By that "logic" one could ask you to fish at a trout farm the next time you want to catch some fish. A species that was here before we showed up is hardly an invasive species. Herons and otters compete against each other and against recreational fisherman I understand all of that. Fisherman also have to compete against themselves, the weather, other fisherman, poachers, etc. That is what makes it challenging and a sport. If that doesn't suit you, then I don't know what else to say.

The only time I know for a fact I was "wronged" by an otter was when I was in high school in Louisiana. We were camping by a bayou and I had caught three small bass in the evening which I put on a nylon rope stringer for breakfast sticking the metal point deep in the mud. I awoke hungry to find that there were only three bass heads (no bodies) left on my stringer and otter tracks all around. Serves me right.

It is the outdoors people, not a fish factory built just for us.

[brownieman]

Hey Tf77...just a thought, maybe the dept. and all their wealth, compliments of us tax payers, could buy them from live trappers and open a little 'Otter Sanctuary'. They used to have a couple of otters they gave presentations with.

Would be another way with all the high dollar nature centers they have they could please the masses...not that otters don't have their place but it's apparant they are taking their toll. My main gripe with them is they are very playful and even if not hungry will play fish to death in a given strech of water then move to the next hole until they play it to death and so on.

Our rivers that get supplemental stockings which is pretty much trout streams can take the pressure better than species of NATIVE fish that are pretty much on their own. The scale just seems to be tipping in the wrong direction and I realize there are lots of variables. I just think of the smallie trips my father and I have had on streams like the Big Piney...I'm not saying it's otters only but the numbers and quality of fish I catch now...well, it's just disappointing.

[troutfitter77]

By that "logic" one could ask you to fish at a trout farm the next time you want to catch some fish. A species that was here before we showed up is hardly an invasive species. Herons and otters compete against each other and against recreational fisherman I understand all of that. Fisherman also have to compete against themselves, the weather, other fisherman, poachers, etc. That is what makes it challenging and a sport. If that doesn't suit you, then I don't know what else to say.

The only time I know for a fact I was "wronged" by an otter was when I was in high school in Louisiana. We were camping by a bayou and I had caught three small bass in the evening which I put on a nylon rope stringer for breakfast sticking the metal point deep in the mud. I awoke hungry to find that there were only three bass heads (no bodies) left on my stringer and otter tracks all around. Serves me right.

It is the outdoors people, not a fish factory built just for us.

Zander,

Take a chill pill dude and enjoy the snarkiness and sarcasm. Never said I was wronged by an otter. I just have a problem with the major population imbalance that the MDC has created with their science experiment. Same thing could be said for Deer and Turkey as well. They negatively impact farmers, motorists, urban homeowners & landscape artists. But dammit they sure do bring in lots of revenue so we hunters sure dont seem to mind as much when we have the opportunity to harvest 10 deer a year and several turkeys.

[zander]

Must have missed the snarkiness and sarcasm in the message. I've been staring at a huge bright red canvas all afternoon and I think it is making me short tempered, neighbor kid told me I was bossy and don't like children . It woud be interesting though to have a study done looking at disease incidence among fish in otter waterways and non-ottered (I guess that is a word to add to Ozarkipedia) waterways.

[ness]

Sure is easy to blame the MDC and their otters for everything.

Consider these tidbits:

More and more people are fishing.

We've had several years of drought.

There's more and more information readily available on where to fish.

There'd be significantly fewer trout in MO but for MDC stocking.

Man's been tinkering with his environment, and permanently altering things, for centuries.

The scat I've seen has had more crawfish parts than scales in it.

It's easy to complain.

It's easier to blame.

There wouldn't be any trout left if it's as bad as some say.

I'm not thrilled about the otters, but then again, I'm not thrilled about all you humans out in my spots either. . But that's the way it is, and I'm not gonna bust a vessel over it.

A couple years ago I fished a small creek for wild trout and while I was standing there 3-4 otters came bobbing and weaving downstream towards me. I just stood there and watched until they realized I was there. They were actually right on the edge of my comfort zone when they bolted. I didn't have any luck for about 200 yards upstream, but caught fish above that. And have many times since then.

I'm sympathetic to folks who stock a pond and have an otter move in and mess it up. And I'm sympathetic to folks who have bad luck fishing. But the crying and moaning is over the top sometimes.

[jdmidwest]

If otter are not a problem, why does almost 2/3 of the state have a no limit on otters during the trapping season. They are prolific, they have no natural predator other than man, mountain lions, or maybe a wolf. And they will ruin a fish pond if they get into them. And they do keep a close eye on the hatcheries to control otter predation there also. You can't blame the MDC, they just tried to restore a native species and it went over too well.

Groundhogs are fun to watch, but I kill any I find on our farms. The holes are a danger to horses and they will ruin a garden. They dig out foundations.

Coyotes are endangered anytime I see one and get a shot. In hard winters they have ganged up on calves and killed them. They are hard on rabbits also. Pets are at risk also.

Red tail Hawks are hard on quail, but they are a Federal bird so they are protected so we just have to live with that. Improve habitat for the quail to improve them.

As a kid, I killed crows, blackbirds, and starlings. They eat corn from the cribs and carried disease, histoplasmosis. Starlings were an invasive, non native species. Cowbirds laid eggs in the nest of songbirds and made them raise their young instead of their own.

There are many troublesome species in Missouri, feral hogs, feral dogs, and feral cats that should be shot on sight also. They compete with turkeys and deer, attack farm animals, and kill our songbirds in that order.