Otter in valley forge ?!

[Jay_H]

While fishing in the Smokies a few years back I had an otter swim up to me. Popped his head up over a rock, then swam back upstream and took cover in some boulders. One of the neatest wildlife encounters I’ve had while fishing.

Additionally, had an enormous snapping turtle swim within 10 feet of me while wading the Yellow Breeches a few years back. About a year or so later I was walking in and saw a very similar sized snapper dead on the bank a few miles upstream.

 

[Bamboozle]

I once had a naked homeless guy swimming in McMichael's Creek approach me while fishing under the Park Avenue Bridge in Stroudsburg...

I didn't feel threatened until he snapped when I asked him where all the naked homeless women were hiding.

Both events were pretty dang scary...

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

PA started reintroducing otters several years ago. One of my boys saw one in the Loyalhanna Creek, and Blairsville added a picture of an otter to their sign, since a couple were stocked in the Conemaugh (of all unlikely places to stock anything). MD recently had a couple otter threats. The first one was assumed to be a territorial. Not so for the second one as the animal was trapped and tested positive for rabies.

 

[tomgamber]

I'll take an otter on the river over some Bubba, head to toe in Mossy Oak with an Ugly Stick, any day.

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

I encountered an otter over 20 years ago on Tulpehocken Creek, so I am not surprised that one has shown up on Valley Creek. Wildlife are making a comeback. I don't think there is near as much trapping for pelts as there was a generation or two ago, so in some ways, no surprise that more of these critters are showing up. Encountered mink on Pine Creek (Berks County) over 15 years ago.

 

[Cougarbaby]

There is a whole family of Otters on Buffalo creek above the town of Sarver in Butler County Pa the whole family was swimming around the day of a trout stocking witnessed by dozens of people eating the fish that didn’t respond to well from being stocked

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

There is a whole family of Otters on Buffalo creek above the town of Sarver in Butler County Pa the whole family was swimming around the day of a trout stocking witnessed by dozens of people eating the fish that didn’t respond to well from being stocked

My fishing mentor will now want to add an otter hide to the blue heron hide that every trout fisherman should have tacked up on the barn door.

 

[Cougarbaby]

The blue Herron on deer creeks DHALO AREA cleaned up 100 trout this year there was none left come the Saturday you could start keeping them really didn’t matter there all going to die from lack of oxygen anyway,I walk every night along that stretch and couldn’t keep track of all the fish I seen in his mouth,LOL,I guess the Fish Comm likes feeding wildlife, one thing for sure that particular DHALO area hasn’t had a trout in come June 15 th or whatever the day is can harvest them in years

 

[tomgamber]

There is a whole family of Otters on Buffalo creek above the town of Sarver in Butler County Pa the whole family was swimming around the day of a trout stocking witnessed by dozens of people eating the fish that didn’t respond to well from being stocked

Monkey see, monkey do...

 

[troutbert]

I encountered an otter over 20 years ago on Tulpehocken Creek, so I am not surprised that one has shown up on Valley Creek. Wildlife are making a comeback. I don't think there is near as much trapping for pelts as there was a generation or two ago, so in some ways, no surprise that more of these critters are showing up. Encountered mink on Pine Creek (Berks County) over 15 years ago.

Otters are protected in PA. That may change when populations get higher.

There are still people trapping a lot of beaver in PA. I've seen them posts photos of their catches and some of them are taking big numbers. I suspect that beaver numbers in "Big Woods Country" is suppressed well below their normal level because of over-harvest, and that this suppresses brook trout populations.

 

[Millsertime]

likely an adolescent Sasquatch.

 

[Duriensbane]

Great...

First I saw my life flash before my eyes when I saw a snapping turtle the size of a VW Beetle while float tubing at Hopewell Lake and now I have to worry about otters???

I think it's time to sell the float tube...

Had something similiar happen 2 months ago on the yellow breeches, was leaving a deep slow pool where the only area shallow enough to wade was almost completely under the over hanging bushes, went to step on a rock and noticed it had a head, which was bigger then my wading boot. When i stopped my friend asked me why im not going up and i just pointed. We estimate it was around 40 or so lbs.

Also, ive seen atleast one mink on every stream ive been on. Biggest one was on Big Spring, right at the bridge at the end of the FFO section.

 

[Cougarbaby]

I’ve seen otter beaver and lots of mink on the main branch of clarion river plus beaver and mink on East branch clarion probably see one or the other every 3-4th trip quite common

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

Otters are protected in PA. That may change when populations get higher.

There are still people trapping a lot of beaver in PA. I've seen them posts photos of their catches and some of them are taking big numbers. I suspect that beaver numbers in "Big Woods Country" is suppressed well below their normal level because of over-harvest, and that this suppresses brook trout populations.

Are people still buying beaver coats (and hats)? I thought you got blood thrown at you for that kind of fashion statement.

 

[troutbert]

Are people still buying beaver coats (and hats)? I thought you got blood thrown at you for that kind of fashion statement.

2023-2024 Fur Prices: Trapping Today's Fur Market Forecast - Trapping Today

In recent years, uncertainty has been the name of the game in the fur market. While uncertainty will always be a factor in a dynamic and changing market, enough events have unfolded over the past year to give us a decent level of predictability for prices this season. With the exception of...

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[hemlock]

Otters are protected in PA. That may change when populations get higher.

There are still people trapping a lot of beaver in PA. I've seen them posts photos of their catches and some of them are taking big numbers. I suspect that beaver numbers in "Big Woods Country" is suppressed well below their normal level because of over-harvest, and that this suppresses brook trout populations.

You can trap otters in PA.

 

[Wrestlecoach3]

Beaver prices were higher this year due to felt demand for the hatter market. The Yellowstone show has all of the yuppies wanting beaver felt cowboy hats. None of those PETA people probably realize they are wearing a dead beaver on their head. I love it! Otters are expanding everywhere. Pretty good population on Penns Creek and the Susquehanna. Snyder county portion of Penns Creek has an otter trapping season. Lots of people in the watershed complaining of otter wiping out the fish in their ponds.

 

[Javelin389t]

You can trap otters in PA.

Yes you can with a permit. Unless it’s causing problems. Why would anyone want to ? I’m sure they eat plenty of rough fish. Suckers , carp.

 

[hemlock]

Yes you can with a permit. Unless it’s causing problems. Why would anyone want to ? I’m sure they eat plenty of rough fish. Suckers , carp.

For their hide, the challenge, to uphold the trapping tradition, etc.

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

2023-2024 Fur Prices: Trapping Today's Fur Market Forecast - Trapping Today

In recent years, uncertainty has been the name of the game in the fur market. While uncertainty will always be a factor in a dynamic and changing market, enough events have unfolded over the past year to give us a decent level of predictability for prices this season. With the exception of...

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Oh my, I haven't thought about trapping since I was a kid. I followed my neighborhood friend around to all the traps he set in the dead of winter. Nothing to be had. It seemed like a lot of effort for little gain. In the freezing cold to boot.