Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Trapping Big river otters........

I'm seeing more otter sign on the Missouri River this year than ever before but have never trapped them. Under water pocket sets are no good because the water is way to deep in most places. Thinking I'm gonna have to trap them on dry ground. Any suggestions?


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I have no idea either, but knowing weasals and having trapped mink, I would try digging an otter sized hole in the bank, deep enough that you can't see the end of it,and put a trap at the entrance.
Most simply cannot resist a peek inside...

Try to locate latrines and set with weights and slide wires or in the trail of a cross over,maybe someplace they're going over a levee. If you can find cross overs,otters will use them year after year.

Find their toilets and set them up, or make a pocket set on the back and throw some castor in there.

x3 on finding their toilets. Look for their terds filled with remains of fish - bones, scales, crawdad and snail shells, etc...

They will frequent abandoned beaver huts too, and sometimes live in them for a while. Many a toilet will be nearby these huts too. Check your regs for setting on these, some states have setback from beaver huts as far as trap placement.


Otters are very curious. I have heard from some old timers that they wrap a brick in aluminum foil, shiny side out and it grabs their attention, maybe that sort of thing up on the bank could draw them? Of course it will attract curious people too if they happen to be around.

If you have backwaters and beaver ponds, just target the beavers and eventually you will be happily surprised with a bonus otter, focus especially on channel sets and spillways

Ok, was on the river today. It appears they are using the tops of the wing dams as toilet areas. Not sure if you guys are familiar but a wing dam is just a bunch of rip rap stacked up. Not really any place to bed a trap. Thinking maybe I can haul a couple buckets of sand up there and make a pad that they would use to get up on top of their favorite shi+tin' rock and bed a #4 coil spring (big enough?).

This a big river! There are no beaver huts, beavers den in the mud banks and the levee is usually at least a hundred yard away with nothing but cop fields beyond that. Classic crossovers are non-existent as far as I can tell.

That being said, I did find two spots where they are topping a mud bank to get to a small slough. I'll be placing a couple of 220's here....

Am I overlooking anything?


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A #4 should be plenty big enough. I have also caught them in cubby sets baited with fish. What is the biggest bodygrip you can set on land? We are lucky enough to be able to set 330's on land here in Alaska. 220's work pretty well, if you are able to set 280's I would look at those instead. You can fence otters in pretty hard, they tend not to shy away from it. I have had decent luck setting the trap upside down also on trail sets, so the trigger is on the bottom. I have found that it allows me to spread the trigger wires a bit wider creating a bigger opening but they still get caught. If you use a foothold either put it on a slide wire or make sure there are plenty of swivels, they will fight pretty hard.

I've had good luck with snares at their crossings.

330 Conibears are too big for otters and they can get out of them! 220s are just the ticket...

330's work fine if your using them on dry land and putting the trigger down. For water sets I'd stay away from them if possible. I prefer 280's.

I remember way back in the old days that I had a few of the Newhouse Otter special traps. They were a single spring trap, about 2.5 or 3 in size. That one spring was very powerful. If I remember correctly they had teeth as well. Wish they made them today. I also liked the Victor 14 Jump for beaver and otter.

Otters love to slide. If you can find any steep banks on the river look to see if they are sliding anywhere. If you can find their slide you have a perfect spot for a foot trap in a few inches of water in front of the slide. Make sure to use a drowning rig.

After trapping huge numbers of otters with 220s and 330s, I respectfully submit the 330 is too big and otters get out of them every once in a while and the 220 is far, far more reliable.

A significant part of my otter experience is in tidal saltwater areas, but I have caught a bunch in a lot of different situations.

How do you suppose they are able to wiggle out of a 330?

The jaws do not close as tightly as the 220s is the only way I ever figured they could get out. Where I often had so many otters around that we checked traps two or more times a day we had more than a bunch in 330s still alive. In 220s they die right now.

Had a bunch of 210s a long time ago and they were not up to the task, at all, as the otters would warp them.

They don't get out of belisles ;-)

They addressed all the issues the Conibears forgot...

220s are good enough, but Belisles are obviously the way to go if buying new.

I'm mostly using Belisles and some other "magnum" type body grips so I don't have escapes.I do get more hip catches with the 330's which is why I prefer 280's. If buying new just for otter I'd go 280. I trap tidal saltwater areas too, so mostly dry land at toilets.

I dont currently own a conibear trap of any kind, but been using some 220's that a friend has, and thinking about getting some conibears of my own. So, I've been doing a lot of reading about the sizes and styles.

One article said that the 'Canadian' style conibear closes all the way, thus less likely of anything getting away. Duke 330 Mags are 'Canadian' style and I'm sure there are others. I think I read where the Belisle traps were 'Canadian' style.

Another article said that if your getting lots of hip catches in the 330's, look at the trigger travel. The otter may have to push the trigger several inches before the trap releases. This article also showed, with pics, what modifications were made to the trap so the trigger travel was only about an inch.


Just suggestions.

I suggest not snapping your hand in either.
Seriously Tx.TrappersAssn. rendevous is at Jacksonville
Tx this April. If you are anywhere near, there will be La.
guys there also. Hope you could make it.

Funny you should mention that... I had a 220 'get' me yesterday. Luckly, I had on some heavy gloves and it didnt hurt too bad. Knuckles are sore this morning.