I have been on my friends pond for 8 weeks now and until today I had caught nothing but a muskrat. Most of the beaver here are relocated and they are weary of traps to say the least. they will have nothing to do with a 330 or foothold so far this year. So I built a popal snare and put 4 snares on it and put it in friday. I also had to move one of my 330's and frame because they built a wall of sticks behind it and it would not of been able to close. So I moved it right beside the food!!!

First off I had to chip 5 holes with the chisel and that just about killed me! I had already walked a half mile to a pond I set on monday to check a trap and back. I got all the holes chipped and the glasses were pretty well fogged so I had to put them on the packbasket.

I then went around with the spoon and cleaned them all up, then started checking. I checked my first snare which had two snares and nothing, so I pulled it because they had the pole all chewed up. I then looked at the foothold and it was empty. I then went over to my "quad snare" and I could not see any of the snares but could see a beaver down in the water. So I got to chipping a hole big enough to get him out, not a bad beaver.


So I then went over to the trap I put beside the cache, this trap has been there for two weeks. I got down and looked and could tell the trap had been set off because I seen the spring was open, but that was about as much as I could make out without glasses. I then got a bigger hole cleared out to get the frame out. This my friends took a lot of work with the chisel, it had been frozen in for two weeks. when you check them you get lazy and make a hole big enough to see through and the rest freezes in pretty good.

I got more ice cleared away and cleared the hole with the spoon and what was in the trap looked really thin. I had a good feeling but wanted to get the trap out of the water to make sure. once I got out, my suspicions were confirmed, an otter.


I was an hour and half messing around to get these animals out and back to the truck, but I am a happy camper!!!! here is a pic of them together.


Great day on the line:grin: God Bless.

"Great day on teh line"

Amen to that!

Paul

Good job. What is an otter pelt worth?

QuoteWhat is an otter pelt worth?

I had one auctioned off last year which was an extra large with no defects and it went for 132.00. I don't know what the prices are like this year but cannot see it going for less than 100.00. Of course I know a "man" who has been looking to attain one, if he does not ask for it, I will keep this one for myself!!!! God Bless.

You keep it, David. Just keep me at the top of the list for the next one.
 
 Paul

QuoteYou keep it, David. Just keep me at the top of the list for the next one.

you got it!!!

I got the beaver and the otter skun today. tomorrow the beaver will go in the freezer until the end of the month and the otter will go on the board. beaver came in at 44lbs and the otter 19.



this was the first otter I have ever skinned so I believe it went really well. I did make one small hole early on. You also cannot pull the tail of an otter like you can with a lot of other animal, it has to to be skinned out. This was very easy to do!!! Will get a picture once it is on the board. God Bless.

Got the otter fleshed and boarded, not a bad experience for my first time. Hardest part is definitely the tail!!!! It certainly is prime though!!! can't wait to get this back from the tanning factory!!! It was 36.5" from the nose to base of tail with an 18 tail! God Bless.

Man you have all the fun.....Ron