Nutria

[Swamp Pygmy]

despite alot of people saying people in new orleans will eat anything most people wouldn't touch them down here.

For one thing their fur carries some sort of parasite. I forget what it is but it causes a red rash and you need ointment.

There are people here that won't eat white trout. Only speckled. Thats how spoiled we are. The things crawling in our drainage ditches don't look appealing.

On the plus side they are destroying the enviorment so don't feel bad about shooting them. If you get a trappers license they'll pay you for tails.

[Mike Mecredy]

Is that were they get Nutra Sweet from?

[Frenchy]

Originally posted by Steve Kendrot:
Frenchy,

Thanks for posting pictures! I work on a nutria control/eradication program in Maryland USA. Its really neat to see the kinds of habitat they live in around the world.

Steve

My pleasure  

[Frenchy]

Originally posted by Swamp Pygmy:

For one thing their fur carries some sort of parasite. I forget what it is but it causes a red rash and you need ointment.
 

It's amazing.
We haven't got this kind of problems here.
I never heard of that indeed

[Swamp Pygmy]

I believe it. Here in Louisiana our waters (the still ones) are full of parasites. You wouldn't go swimming to say the least. When you catch a bass they usually have a few parasites of one form or another on them. Leeches, or centipede lookin things in their mouth, little clear disk shaped blood suckers.

I remember reading about (I think) ring worm or round worm larvae on the fur and it gets into your skin. Doesn't do anything but does cause a rash though. Where its colder I'm sure there are much less problems with them.

[bbassi]

Originally posted by Swamp Pygmy:
There are people here that won't eat white trout. Only speckled. Thats how spoiled we are. The things crawling in our drainage ditches don't look appealing.

please - you folks eat crayfish and charge a fortune for them!  

Lucky for us in the north, I don't think they'd like our winters. What DO they do in the winter?

[TX Fish Hunter]

I could wear them out here in TX if it weren't illegal to shoot them from a boat.  The swim right up to boat while we are bowfishing. They are considered a fur bearer and protected by those laws despite the damage they do.

[upatree]

Nutra is alright but not my favorite to eat.  They will destroy a levee or bank really quick.  They have to eat because there teeth will continue to grow unless they are grinded down just like a beaver.  I believe the DWF was paying $4.00 per tail.  Shoot them all because there really good for nothing.

[benjiec]

We have a ton of them in NC, they destroy the dikes around our duck impoundments and our field paths.  Carrying a 22 rifle is standard issue for us while working.  As for eating them the best recipe I've heard is to skin the critter, stuff it with horse manure and bake on 350 for four (4) hours.  Then scoop out the horse manure, serve it and throw the nutria away.

[Frenchy]

like our winters. What DO they do in the winter? [/QB]

Hard Winters are deadly for most of them
Nutrias suffer frostbits on their paws and that kills them by infection.
I often saw nutrias’ tail with partial amputation; that's the result of long periods of freezing.

[BobW]

Originally posted by bbassi:

. What DO they do in the winter? [/b]

Make more Nutrias...