# Lake Conroe otters raid crappie hole



## Spooley (Feb 24, 2013)

Every year that I am here at the lake house and not working overseas, I usually put out a brushpile or two on each side of my pier to draw in some spawner crappies. Did this several weeks ago and now the crappie are in those areas....or were. 

Wednesday morning just after first light, I spotted at least a dozen otters in the yard near the pier steps and they were all munching on crappies after having potlicked my brushpiles. Now I have this gut feeling that they will return to raid the brushpiles all during the spawn. 

Does anyone know of anything that I can do to deter the otters from this area?


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

I would recommend not messing with them. Federally protected as I remember.


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## Major29 (Jun 19, 2011)

They can be trapped as a nuisance fur bearer, just have to get the proper tags from the state. I can probably help you out with this problem at the price of a few crappie from said brush piles! Just have to get with the state about making sure it's done legally. I have a buddy that's a professional trapper that I could call and get the ins and outs...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk


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## cjweber09 (Mar 8, 2013)

That is a pretty cool problem to have. take some pictures next time you see them. I have seen otters out there twice while fishing.. never that many of them in one place though. when I have seen them, they seem to be pretty skittish. depending on the quality of crappie holes, you might just need to make a bunch of noise, and give them a good scare... Unless they are causing damage to your property (and brush piles in next to your dock isnt really your property).. I just let the little fellas be.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Those guys are fish eating machines. I often hear people saying how "cute" they are and how wonderful it is to be able to see them....those same people have never had a fish pond with thousands of $$$ worth of trophy fish cleaned out by the little lovable fuzzy critters. 

I wish you luck...but doubt you will be able to do anything on a public reservoir about them.


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## Spooley (Feb 24, 2013)

My next door neighbor's full-time yardboy just reported to me today that some aguasperos (translation:waterdogs) had raided his open-topped fish basket and left it devoid of the 18 crappie he caught last night that he was going to clean this morning. My guess is that it is the same group of wild, rogue, fish-stealing, opportunistic, potlicking, water-rodent vermin that I posted this thread about (same pack of otters). 

Between the likes of the cormorants and otters, a fisherman will suffer.


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## slabseeker (Mar 11, 2006)

*crappie*

wow. then that explains where all the crappie went to....I just posted the other Day for Conroe about lack of crappie the last few years. that's funny that you mention that. I did see one a few years back in one of the creeks next to Cagle when I was crappie fishing. never really thought about it...but it was an Otter now that's I think about it. thought it was a beaver.... I guess I never realized we had them in our lakes down here. thought it was a Northern thing....I know we have beaver....to funny.


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## slabseeker (Mar 11, 2006)

*Otter*

I guess we can trap them and take them up to Kickapoo ...lol


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## slabseeker (Mar 11, 2006)

Spooley said:


> Every year that I am here at the lake house and not working overseas, I usually put out a brushpile or two on each side of my pier to draw in some spawner crappies. Did this several weeks ago and now the crappie are in those areas....or were.
> 
> Wednesday morning just after first light, I spotted at least a dozen otters in the yard near the pier steps and they were all munching on crappies after having potlicked my brushpiles. Now I have this gut feeling that they will return to raid the brushpiles all during the spawn.
> 
> Does anyone know of anything that I can do to deter the otters from this area?


 Hey Spooley, what about one of those sound devices that scare away deer I have seen on TV in the past? just curious....


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## CrappyFisher (Mar 11, 2013)

Spooley said:


> Every year that I am here at the lake house and not working overseas, I usually put out a brushpile or two on each side of my pier to draw in some spawner crappies. Did this several weeks ago and now the crappie are in those areas....or were.
> 
> Wednesday morning just after first light, I spotted at least a dozen otters in the yard near the pier steps and they were all munching on crappies after having potlicked my brushpiles. Now I have this gut feeling that they will return to raid the brushpiles all during the spawn.
> 
> Does anyone know of anything that I can do to deter the otters from this area?


 I see them critters in Caney Creek all the time. They are braver than you think. I was fishing in Caney Creek and 3 of them came right next to my boat, that's how I noticed them.


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## bearintex (Feb 7, 2006)

Not protected at all. Shoot er' one of them fish eatin' bastages. Just don't do anything with them other than dispose of the carcasses.


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## Bass-Tracker (Dec 23, 2013)

bearintex said:


> Not protected at all. Shoot er' one of them fish eatin' bastages. Just don't do anything with them other than dispose of the carcasses.


Might want to read up on that.
Fur bearer regulatons say otherwise.

Call your local game warden & be sure to have a license in hand.
Regulations at the link.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_br_w7000_0065.pdf

.


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## bearintex (Feb 7, 2006)

nuisance critter causing depredation.


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## Spooley (Feb 24, 2013)

*Here is one dispatched*

This one will not eat anymore pet fish.


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## bearintex (Feb 7, 2006)

Spooley said:


> This one will not eat anymore pet fish.


Dat's a good one.....


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## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

Looks like a river bank to me, with a dead otter pelted with a shotgun, brilliant post if you ask me.


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## teamfirstcast (Aug 23, 2006)

Since the crappie are gone you might as well fish for those big ole flat heads that hang out around your pier too. Maybe bait it up with a big live perch, 7/0 hook and a nice strong length on monel. They run at nite, so set the lines at dusk.... might have a good one on in the morning. Good eating too...


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

One down, 11 more to go! They're smart and they've learned your stretch of bulkhead is a virtual buffet. Make it a bad place to be an Otter or they'll set up camp nearby until they deplete the fish population around your place. Those rats are about to really start hurting lake wide fish populations in Livingston and Conroe if left unchecked. 

I could go into deep detail about this, but short story is shoreline development is great for the Otters. Basically it eliminates predation and makes food easier to find. 

We need to replace the predation that's been taken out of the system but nobody, including outdoorsmen, shoots them! Either they believe they're harmless because of the cute-cuddlie effect, or that they're projected in some way. 

They're not- that's sea Otters. 

River Otters are voracious predators, and wreak havoc on fish populations if unchecked. There may be protected species or populations of river Otters in other states, but that's their problem. 

Shoot them. 

A lot of them. 

In Texas they're a high population animal and a nuisance that's being dangerously undermanaged. They'll be okay. 

If you take the opportunity to do a little pest control, no fur tag needed unless you want to sell pelts, but you probably need a hunting license, ask your local warden. Be sure to obey all harvest laws, and practice not only safety, but courtesy and commonsense, ESPECIALLY, on Conroe. It's a busy lake and tree huggers are always looking for ways to take away our access to public areas. 

Tight lines and straight shooting!


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## roadhammer (Jun 21, 2013)

if someone can point me in the right direction i would be happy to remove them.with in the law of course..found this(
* Nuisance Fur-bearing Animals *

Landowners or their agents may take nuisance fur-bearing animals in any number by any means at any time on that person's land without the need for a hunting or trapping license. However, fur-bearing animals or their pelts taken for these purposes *may not be retained or possessed by anyone at any time* except licensed trappers during the lawful open season and possession periods.
Nuisance fur-bearing animals may be captured and relocated if the person has received authorization from the department and the owner of the property where the release will occur. A monthly report is required and must be submitted to the department on number and kind of fur-bearers captured, location of release site, name and address of person authorized to release.and this.....
*Otter Tags*

*All otters* *taken in Texas, except nuisance otters, shall be permanently tagged with a department issued federal Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) tag valid for the year in which the otter was taken within 90 days of take. All otter pelts imported into Texas must be accompanied by evidence of lawful take or possession.*


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## Bass-Tracker (Dec 23, 2013)

roadhammer said:


> Landowners or their agents may take nuisance fur-bearing animals in any number by any means at any time on that person's land without the need for a hunting or trapping license.


There's the problem.
The lake & the water is owned by the state.
Shooting Otters in the water requires a license & permission.
I wouldn't try baiting them to get them on land either as that causes other problems.

Contacting the local game warden will solve so many problems if people will do the right thing.
Anyone who breaks the law deserves what they get & sets a bad example for others.

Personally, I don't see the problem as the fish don't belong to anyone.
Killing an animal just because you can, is a waste of resources regardless the reason & a poor expression of character.

.


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

Just because nobody owns the fish doesn't mean it's not everyone's responsibly to help protect the population. Can you imagine what kind of havoc just one pod like that could wreak in a spawning area on any species during this time of year? It'd be a massacre!

Culling of animals that are overpopulated to the point of being a nuisance, especially when they're predatory, isn't about "killing because you can;" it's as much a part of conservation management as restocking or habitat refurbishment efforts, but without the perk of getting the warm and fuzzies after.

Nobody enjoys killing anything, and any hunter does so with respect and ethics; but modern outdoor society has preached that ethics incites only killing what you'll eat too stop the over harvest of game animals, that most hunters or fishermen get hung up about culling something that's not going on the table, or worse, they publicly shame it. Meanwhile the problems just grow.

Varmint hunters get labeled (to borrow words from above me) as "wasteful and of poor character." Why? Because it's illegal to keep furs and the meat is dangerous for consumption? We should just let varmint run rampant because you leave the carcass in the field? Ridiculous and naive. Being labeled a nuisance species is along the same line as getting designated feral, they're just native to the ecosystem.

The reason we all enjoy such healthy populations of game animals is because of predator reduction. Don't want to shoot varmint? That's fine- don't, but don't villainize those of us who do, or try to find reasons why it's not allowed without a compete knowledge and understanding of the state and local regulations.

The landowner/agent clause just permits landowners, personally or through contract, to trap or kill any nuisance animal fur bearing or not, on private land/water, without having worry about getting popped for having carcasses on their property (constitutes possession); this stops the state from having any authority over what you do with what you own. It affirms the right to protect personal property free of government interference; it does not take away anything.

The recreational season for varmint, fur bearing or not, is September 1-August 31 (that's year round), and it is legal to harvest on any accessible public holding which allows hunters access, with your valid state license


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## Bass-Tracker (Dec 23, 2013)

Lakeside_TXN said:


> Just because nobody owns the fish doesn't mean it's not everyone's responsibly to help protect the population. Can you imagine what kind of havoc just one pod like that could wreak in a spawning area on any species during this time of year? It'd be a massacre!
> 
> Culling of animals that are overpopulated to the point of being a nuisance, especially when they're predatory, isn't about "killing because you can;" it's as much a part of conservation management as restocking or habitat refurbishment efforts, but without the perk of getting the warm and fuzzies after.
> 
> ...


 It has nothing to do with protecting the population, over population or being a nuisance.
If they're not causing damage to the OP's property, he has no leg to stand on.

The only problems people have have are the problems "*they" *create.
The OP sunk some trees to attract some Crappies that also attracted some Otters & now the OP sees the error of his actions.

Killing or trapping them will take so much time & effort that the OP will be dreaming about them for a long time.
More will come & the problem will not go away.
Just remove the trees & the problem is solved.

.


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## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

Lakeside_TXN said:


> Just because nobody owns the fish doesn't mean it's not everyone's responsibly to help protect the population. Can you imagine what kind of havoc just one pod like that could wreak in a spawning area on any species during this time of year? It'd be a massacre!
> 
> Culling of animals that are overpopulated to the point of being a nuisance, especially when they're predatory, isn't about "killing because you can;" it's as much a part of conservation management as restocking or habitat refurbishment efforts, but without the perk of getting the warm and fuzzies after.
> 
> ...


Please fix your font size.


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

330 conibear. Find where those fools come out of the water to take a dump and put the body trap in line were they slde back in the water.


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## KASH (Oct 6, 2009)

That's a mean trap, my cousin use to use them for *****.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

Gator gar said:


> 330 conibear. Find where those fools come out of the water to take a dump and place a body trap in line were they slde back in the water.


One after another.

Seems we have some infiltration of some tree huggers. If I put the effort forth to build a habitat and spawning area, Id get rid pf them as well. As long as he isn't breaking the law then so be it! Leaving crappie carcasses where his dog could choke on a bone seems like legitamate cause.


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

Just let them be, they are only doing what comes natural. It amazes me how people think they should blast and kill animals, just because they are better fisherman than them. If the grass carp had not eaten all the vegetation out of the lake they would have plenty of places to hid from the otters. The otters are a native animal the grass carp are not.


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## Spooley (Feb 24, 2013)

Like I reported originally, the otter population seems to have exploded here in Weir Creek Cove, Lake Conroe as I spotted more than I could count (lost count after a dozen) as they climbed up my pier steps into the backyard to relax while they dined on crappies. In accordance with TPW code, all that is needed to take them is a valid hunting license if you do not sell the pelts and open season year round. I called the Game warden to verify.


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

Spooley said:


> Like I reported originally, the otter population seems to have exploded here in Weir Creek Cove, Lake Conroe as I spotted more than I could count (lost count after a dozen) as they climbed up my pier steps into the backyard to relax while they dined on crappies. In accordance with TPW code, all that is needed to take them is a valid hunting license if you do not sell the pelts and open season year round. I called the Game warden to verify.


Thats really smart to kill a animal that you are not going to eat and let it rot. Just because it ate some crappie, I hope no one does that to you next time you eat a crappie.


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## Sawemoff258 (Jun 18, 2006)

*Ridiculous*

To say its his fault for having the brush there is ignorant. I have raccoons that destroy my garden, so should I get rid of my garden??? Heck no I trap and kill those suckers. I spend over $120 a year on hunting and fishing license alone so I can have that right. I say that we should do our part as sportsman or outdoorsman and control the otter population, or any problem species. If killing them is the way then so be it. No one is going and killing them just to see them die. If they are a problem, and this sounds like a valid problem, then they should be able to be killed as long as you follow the law. No body's saying get 4 of your buddies and a case of beer, AR 15s and go massacre them. **** tree huggers

Mmm all this crappie talk. Thank god these rouge otters haven't found my conroe crappie hole.


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## Spooley (Feb 24, 2013)

*Things I kill and don't eat*



FISHROADIE said:


> Thats really smart to kill a animal that you are not going to eat and let it rot. Just because it ate some crappie, I hope no one does that to you next time you eat a crappie.


 Also kill tens of pocket gophers every year, armadillos, opossoms, dozens of squirrels, poisonous snakes, feral cats, raccoons, and foxes and feed them all to the buzzards and crows.


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## 09 ag fan (Apr 19, 2013)

Neibor kid of my parents feeds about 30 ducks on lake Houston every day. Few days ago one was toasted in no time by a big otter. Kid was losing it. Otters are like dolphins in a bay. Fish will leave or be eaten.


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

Just ignore problem animals. Everything will work out and they'll go away on their own. If they continue to damage property, overconsume resources, or threaten people's health or safety, it's because you're doing something wrong and deserve it.

Sawemoff, obviously you should get rid of your garden and let those furry little raccoons be! Shame on you for abducting all those crappie too!

Everything should just be left alone and nothing bad will ever happen to anything or anybody if we stick our fingers in our ears, close our eyes, and sing kumbaya loudly in our circle of peace.

(Read with an undertone of *seething* sarcasm)


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## txtrotliner88 (Mar 3, 2013)

This has been quite an interesting thread. It's very amusing how some "sportsmen" are staying more on the bunny hugging side of the fence rather than the game management side where protecting our precious crappie is the main goal. Not to mention the crappie numbers have severely dropped off due to several years of bad lake conditions. At this point anything we can do to help the crappie population will benefit fellow fishermen for years to come. Otters are not endangered, but, specific to Lake Conroe, crappie are getting pretty close.


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## TxDispatcher (Nov 29, 2011)

Sawemoff258 said:


> To say its his fault for having the brush there is ignorant. I have raccoons that destroy my garden, so should I get rid of my garden??? Heck no I trap and kill those suckers.


 I sure hope you're eating those poor little *****! It's not right to kill something you're not gonna eat! That's why I let these precious little coyotes live here at the farm...although they'll kill our calves, we won't eat the meat, so we dare not kill the little darlings. We'll just eat thousands of $$$ in losses each year so that we don't waste poor precious coyote meat


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## 66superduty (Oct 26, 2011)

do you think c p r ing all those big catfish has any thing to do with the crappie are whitebass count? a 20 lb cat can eat a lot of small fish.


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

66superduty said:


> do you think c p r ing all those big catfish has any thing to do with the crappie are whitebass count? a 20 lb cat can eat a lot of small fish.


Not likely, big fish actually don't eat as often or as much as you might think. They'll eat a large prey item, or a few moderate size ones, then (depending on water temp) sit on that and digest for a few days maybe even a week.


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## FISHROADIE (Apr 2, 2010)

TxDispatcher said:


> I sure hope you're eating those poor little *****! It's not right to kill something you're not gonna eat! That's why I let these precious little coyotes live here at the farm...although they'll kill our calves, we won't eat the meat, so we dare not kill the little darlings. We'll just eat thousands of $$$ in losses each year so that we don't waste poor precious coyote meat


So some otters ate some crappie in public waters big deal. I live out in the country of course I dispose of poisonous snakes and coyotes if they are harming any of my animals. My neighbor had a 6 acre lake behind my house I was the only person she let fish it. I stocked it with crappie and LMBs it was a good LMB lake already and had caught some nice crappie out of it to . 6 river otters came in the lake and started eating fish. I first contacted TPW to see if I could find some one to relocate them. They told me I could just shoot them but could not take the fur and had to leave them to rot. So I just decided that I would share the fish in the lake with the otters. I had a horse back then and would walk it down to the lake and stood on one side of it and watched them. They thought it was just a horse otters don't know how many feet a horse has. The more I watched them the more I enjoyed seeing them catch fish, they are great fisherman. They eventually moved on and did not come back. I could always put more fish in the lake. I am not a tree hunger, there were 2 beavers in the lake and had they not dug big holes in the dam in 4 places and made the lake leak I would have not shot them. I enjoyed watching them to. But I had no choice, dam repair is expensive. I think lake Conroe has many other problems than a few river otters. If every one starts shooting them because they eat fish it would not take long before there are none. Otters were a endangered at one time. The way look at it is that the river and lake is returning to the way it was before they were almost hunted into extinction. There is room enough and fish on the lake for a few otters. And yes I feed ***** that come on our back patio I like watching then. We had one we fed for 5 years it got so friendly I could pet it and it wanted to come in our house. I have a fondness for ***** and otters they are very smart animals. I hate to see them just shot for surviving and yes I felt bad about shooting the beavers I would have loved skin them out and eaten them. They are great if you bake them in a glass dish and make gravy out of the fat, a friend of mines mom would cook them for us up in Tyler. My neighbor could not afford the dam repair and asked me to take care of the problem so I did. If the lake Conroe was over run with otters then there would be a problem but its not. I have fished lake Conroe for years and have not seen one yet. Sorry if I upset some one with my opinion. I hope I get a chance to see them out on the lake before they get shot.


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## Spooley (Feb 24, 2013)

The otters are well established here on Lake Conroe and I do hope that you get to see them Fishroadie. It is not my intention to slaughter them all and actually do not like killing anything that I do not eat, but at times a pest needs to be put down as God did make us caretakers of the animal kingdom and this also means controlling them to what ever degree is necessary. I have also had to shoot beavers here on the lake that took out seven trees in my backyard and started eating the wooden bulkhead and my pier.


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

Fishroadie, I would be shocked if the otter were ever pressured like they once were because of the commercial fur regulations set in place now. My big speech is that there's no population control at all anymore; More hunters practicing responsible harvest are needed now to keep fur bearing varmint populations from exploding, not mass exterminations. I wholeheartedly agree it's unfortunate that in order to keep the bad people honest no one is allowed to posess the animals without CITES and they have to be left in the field.

Poke around some of the backwater sloughs further to the north (or just in the more remote areas), you'll find a big pod or two up that way just about every day of the week.

We had beavers damaging our tank dams too. When I looked into it back then, it was actually against the law in Texas, and a number of other states, to sell a property that has a known beaver problem because of the damage they cause. Not sure if that's still a law but it opened my eyes to how costly varmint can really be and changed my opinions about varmint hunting entirely.


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