First time ever on a tree cam....

[BAK]

This was taken on the edge of the timber.  The nearest water is 1/4 mile away in a deep valley.  Have never seen these in this area in 70 years.

[arrow30]

cool

[varmint101]

That otter keep you entertained! seriously though pretty neat unless it’s leaving your pond.


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[rjackson]

Is that a second one following on the right side of the pic ?
Looks like another one.

Randy

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Yep, definitely 2 otters there. Cool as long as not coming from yer pond as previously mentioned

[BAK]

No ponds anywhere in the area, just an occasional spring fed creek.

[Terry Green]

Those critters are hysterical....man can they put on a show.

[Yellow Dog]

Years ago I was chasing winter Steelhead on the Pere Marquette river in Michigan. My buddy was a bend downstream from me and he came wading back upstream in a panic to get me. He said “get down here right now”. Had no idea what was up until I came around the bend and there were a pair of otters sliding down the highback on their belly’s in the January snow into the river. They’d pop back out of the river, scamper back up the bank and do it again. The coolest thing I’ve ever seen, they were having a grand old time and were completely oblivious to us being there. It was like watching a Walt Disney movie, them little guys were just having a blast.

[Jerry Russell]

I have them on trail cameras far from water at night.  Not sure what they are hunting in the uplands. 

[BAK]

I was wondering that too, however I assume that leopard frogs would be part of their normal diet.  We've had a very wet year and the grass everywhere is full of them.  Maybe their just out snacking on frog legs.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Jerry, we had one on our property who would show up one day per week.  I followed his tracks in the snow and found the loop he was making was about 10 miles.  He would do this weekly and at times cover great distance between water.  He cleaned the frogs out of our ponds.  After 2 years patterned him well enough to get him in a conibear trap.

Rebuilding the frog population for my nephew to practice on now.

[TIM B]

When the price of otter pelts was 100+ I was trapping them hard and studied them hard.  They reportedly have a 45 mile home range but I’m not sure I believe that.  They do make loops like said above and 10-14 days is when they seem to come through.  They often travel in groups so multiple catches are common.  They will travel far from water as well.  And they eat whatever they want....they are killers.
Tim B

[Soonerlongbow]

A pond on public lands near my house has a small family of them. Was in disbelief the first time I saw one. I had seen something in the water making a wake earlier just before season started and it obviously wasn’t a beaver. There’s been reports of gators nearby and had been worried it was a baby one. Then during deer season I saw the adults swimming and playing shortly after sunup.

Fun critters to watch.