Otters in the Rocky Area

[Don Andersen]

Folks,

This news article arrived in the local paper. The local SRD Wildlife Biologist wishes anglers help to measure the amount of otters seen in the area. I have no idea how or if the trappers have been consulted in the Rocky area. I hope others from the area will pass along the info. If the information shows a bunch of otters, perhaps the season will be opened.
She ID's aerated trout ponds as one gathering spot however I've seen them along some of the streams as well. Many of our trout stream are ice free for some of their lengths all winter. The main Ram, Shunda, Clear Creek, Stauffer Creek, Upper Raven, Prairie Creek and on and on. Each of the open water areas are preferred habitat for fish as well due to water temperatures. Some of these open areas are the primary spawning areas for the stream. Conflicts between fish and otters could certainly exist. In my case, I spend a lot of time around water [ 110>130 days/year fishing in open water]. From 1955>2008 I did not see a single Otter in Alberta. Since then I've seen 17 in various places around Rocky. From 0>>>>> 17 is quite a leap.

Let us help her with the count.

I apologize for the 3 jpg set-up but couldn't do a scan of the whole article at one time.

[diamonddave]

I have seen lots of otters on Prarie creek, enough to think that they were pretty common place out here. Usually 8-10 a year for the last several years, now who knows if they were the same ones, but i'm pretty sure they were breeding pairs.

[roger]

interestingly enough i seen my first one near boyle on an opening in the ice under a beaver dam in early nov.
Im almost 50 years old and never even new a sustainable population in alberta existed, i have always seen them in the Alberta's nature books and such..and now there some at RMH!
thats is amazing.
i gotta get out more!

[Red Bullets]

In times past, Otters along the North Sakatchewan River system ranged far downstream past Edmonton.

[IR_mike]

Seen one on the Elkton river west of hwy 22 across from the Harmatan gas plant this past November.

Very common in the beaver and sandy river drainages in NE Alberta.

Not really a big deal to see one around here.

Cute little buggers, always awesome to see and watch.

[firegod74]

The first time I saw one... or thought I saw one dad told me it had to be a fisher or something because "we don't have otters up here". I'm sure it was, and I've since seen another, and the telltale sign of the belly slide.
So I know we have a population of them up here at Slave.

[catnthehat]

We see them all the time up in the Ft. mac area, they often come through our creek at the range and do a number on the beavers - I LOVE them for that - keeps the dam beavers from flooding out the bridge!

One year there was about 8 of us at the range and an otter came bounding along our drainage ditch at about the 20 yard line, bounced into the bush, but couldn't help himself, ad bounced back out to take another look!

I always thought that there tracks in deep snow looked like someone had ridden a big tired unicycle through the snow!
Cat

[honda450]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

We see them all the time up in the Ft. mac area, they often come through our creek at the range and do a number on the beavers - I LOVE them for that - keeps the dam beavers from flooding out the bridge!

One year there was about 8 of us at the range and an otter came bounding along our drainage ditch at about the 20 yard line, bounced into the bush, but couldn't help himself, ad bounced back out to take another look!

I always thought that there tracks in deep snow looked like someone had ridden a big tired unicycle through the snow!
Cat

Yup I posted pics of a otter tracks in snow on this very thread, that were taken near Fort Mackay.

I see this thread is just like the other one.

[creeky]

Originally Posted by honda450

Yup I posted pics of a otter tracks in snow on this very thread, that were taken near Fort Mackay.

I see this thread is just like the other one.

seen em on the Firebag too

[338Bluff]

There was a group of young ones playing at Fairfax Lake last year. Three for sure, maybe four.

[kaleh01]

Between my Dad, uncle and I we have seen over 15 individual otters in Prairie creek on our 2 quarters. The land lies on each side of Hwy 752 west of Rocky and the sightings were over the last 3 years. Now I'm not saying that some of these animals were not spotted multiple times, but there is definately multiple animals in the area. Last winter Dad saw a group of 7 all at once on the ice near one of our favorite fishing holes. Multiple times I have seen individual otters in December devouring large brown trout on the ice below the house

Hell, around christmas there were slides from 3 individuals for about half a mile along the creek as they travelled looking for open water side x side.

I've sent our sightings to the biologist in the Mountaineer article. Sure hope they open a season on these little pests before they do more damage than they already have. The difference in large trout numbers around home has definately changed over the last few years.

I also wanted to add that I have seen multiple animals on Cow Creek and Cow Lake as well as the Brazeau Canal. I'd love to hear from others to confirm the story I heard, that these damn things were reintroduced to the rocky area by F & W. Why on earth do we need these critters depleting our trout numbers and habitat? I have personally seen two fresh beaver dams on various sections of Prairie Creek destroyed by otters to lower the water levels and allow for easier "fishing".

Ok..... Breath Kale, our government officials always know best, just keep saying it, and maybe one day you'll believe it.

[cmdalexander]

Michelle and I have seen a good number of Otters on Praire Creek, Raven River and Clear Water River.

[cmdalexander]

Giving us the stink eye

[IR_mike]

Originally Posted by kaleh01

Between my Dad, uncle and I we have seen over 15 individual otters in Prairie creek on our 2 quarters. The land lies on each side of Hwy 752 west of Rocky and the sightings were over the last 3 years. Now I'm not saying that some of these animals were not spotted multiple times, but there is definately multiple animals in the area. Last winter Dad saw a group of 7 all at once on the ice near one of our favorite fishing holes. Multiple times I have seen individual otters in December devouring large brown trout on the ice below the house

Hell, around christmas there were slides from 3 individuals for about half a mile along the creek as they travelled looking for open water side x side.

I've sent our sightings to the biologist in the Mountaineer article. Sure hope they open a season on these little pests before they do more damage than they already have. The difference in large trout numbers around home has definately changed over the last few years.

I also wanted to add that I have seen multiple animals on Cow Creek and Cow Lake as well as the Brazeau Canal. I'd love to hear from others to confirm the story I heard, that these damn things were reintroduced to the rocky area by F & W. Why on earth do we need these critters depleting our trout numbers and habitat? I have personally seen two fresh beaver dams on various sections of Prairie Creek destroyed by otters to lower the water levels and allow for easier "fishing".

Ok..... Breath Kale, our government officials always know best, just keep saying it, and maybe one day you'll believe it.

Wow.........

First off whats your take on like bears, osprey, and bald eagles?

As far as a hunting season I think ones going to be opened in 20never.

As far as F and W "introduceing" them they must be running out of cougars, hence the otters.

Yes otters have evolved to dismantle beaver dams. (You actually believe that?)

For 100$ I know where you can pet a unicorn.

[kaleh01]

Originally Posted by IR_mike

Wow.........

First off whats your take on like bears, osprey, and bald eagles?

As far as a hunting season I think ones going to be opened in 20never.

As far as F and W "introduceing" them they must be running out of cougars, hence the otters.

Yes otters have evolved to dismantle beaver dams. (You actually believe that?)

For 100$ I know where you can pet a unicorn.

I know what your getting at, that these animals have a place in the food chain just like bears, ospreys and Bald Eagles. I do not dispute this, but when you see these critters in an area you haven't seen them in for a very long time, or in my case ever, it's a hard pill to swallow. Seeing your favorite trout stream diminishing in quality because of these animals sucks, cause you have no avenue to manage them. No trapping season is what I am suggesting, just wanted to make sure you could decifer my simple sentences.

Weird how I would want to discuss a season on an animal that is affecting a fish or game animal population on a trapping thread. I mean maybe I am completely out in left field, it's not like there is a single thread about managing wolves in the hunting threads....

My comments about them being introduced to our area could perhaps be edited to say, re-introduced, would that make you, an un-official member of the thread police happy?

Dismantle beaver dams no, but push material and create low spots which lowers the water levels to allow for easier fishing, IMO absolutely!

How much to kill the unicorn? We can add him to the pot your stiring. Having it mounted in my den would help me perhaps remember your post amongst the hundreds of other posts out there, made by an individual with nothing to bring to the table. I provide personal opinions and experiences to a thread, which is what forums are all about, you bring a spoon. Have fun.

[IR_mike]

Well I live in a area that has a large population of otters and have trapped them when it was legal to trap them under a resident trappers liscence.

(I have not trapped for quite a while so I am not up to speed on current regulations)

Im very sure that prior to european settlement and the overharvesting and elimination of certain species of furbearers that the trout in prairie creek managed to live to present day with otter predation.

Just as beaver, muskrat, clams, frogs, waterfowl, and crayfish have.

As far as otters draining dams never seen it....otters seem to like water and beavers seem to hate flowing water.


Im sure the main goal of SRD's survey is to determine #s as to decide to allow a fur harvest.

Which I am all for.

As far as SRD reintroduceing them......cmon, thats adding fantasy.

Not pot stirring, provideing fact not assumptions.

[kaleh01]

IR and I have cleared the air sometime ago, but I just found this, thought it was worth posting.

http://www.albertafishinginsights.co...ver-Otters.pdf

Otters have been brought back to the Rocky area by F&W. Can't wait for a season in the near future.

[jonnyfever]

Seen a couple on the Owl River East of Lac la Biche last fall. They were playing aroung the open water on the edge of the ice.

[pickrel pat]

Otters are all over every part of albertas boreal region.

[heat seeker]

otters are pretty cool , dont worry about fish , everything has a cycle. fish are up / so otters are up ....pretty simple , oh ya the draining water thing true, not to fish easier , but to get the beavers going , when beavers fix the leaking dam, in goes mama or papa into the beaver house and where there was 5 baby beavers, now there is none ....get it...seen it done.on the little smokey ,,,, one parent took on 2 beavers, and the other grabbed a quick lunch,, called to the other otter scraping and then each grabbed the little beavers and off for a picnic, beavers fixed the dam, then went inside and no babies left.

[moosehunter3-0]

I saw 5 or 6 in the Clear Water River around 5 years ago. Only otters I've ever seen.

[Bigmountainrider]

Saw half a dozen together one morning while fishing perch on Burnstick

[Nait Hadya]

one in 332 near medicine lake and one in 516 north of the pelycans.

[B_Type13X2]

Had one gank a fish from my line by the water treatment plant in Fort McMurray..... Was pretty shocking and funny now that I think about it.

[Don Andersen]

After reading a 100 years or so of Rocky Mountain House Historic Site records from the original fur trading posts of the Hudson's Bay & Northerwest Company, I found ONE record of a single otter mentioned in all the records. Otters are not native is the sub-alpine or alpine regions of Alberta. The Rocky trading post served the Stoney who ranged along the eastern slopes from the 49th to <> Grande Cache area.
Fort Edmonton served the Crees who trapped the boreal forest. The Crees traded a lot of otters.

Regards,


Don

[ROAD HAMMER]

As of yesterday their is one less in the Rocky area !

[kaleh01]

Nice! Do you get to keep it as an incidental catch?

[braggadoe]

Now that the Dali Lama isn't putting the pressure on the chinese. Otter pelts will hopefully continue to increase in value. They have beautiful fur, and they are getting plentiful.

[crabtree]

Can't help but put in my 2 cents worth - If you are seeing a great increase in the otter populations in your fishing streams you had better start talking to F & W -

It may take a while but otter will hit your fish population hard . Get rid of some of them before they deplete your fish stock. Get your fishermen in touch with your trappers - the trappers may be trying to get a quota to capture otter, but are unable to get a quota from F&W. In this area we had to provide documentation on sightings before the trappers were able to get a quota, which in some areas is still too small - there are no beaver- no beaver dams - no fish - very few in larger lakes - small lakes nothing - but lots of otter.

Otter have been on a population upswing for the last 5 years and are spreading south and east. F&W seems to want them everywhere in large numbers - don't seem to care about the fish.

Just a word for heads up if you love to fish

[Nait Hadya]

evidence of otter yesterday along prairie creek. quite possibly the same critter but sign was also found several miles further west and along the south fork branch.