Something has been biting my fish.

[HARO]

Bear?
John

 

[Mmathis]

Time to get a trailcam, Mike!

I was thinking that, as well.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

Time to get a trailcam, Mike!

It's looking that way, Mitch. The worst part is, I think I had this trapped the first time. I had the locking mechanism set wrong. So, when the trap closed, the animal could easily push his way out either side. No wonder I've never caught anything with that sucker.

Anyhow, he's been back, and I found a track. It's about 2 1/2 inches across. I'm pretty sure it's not a mink with a track that size. It must be an otter.

My trap was 36 inches. I bought a larger 42 inch trap. That one came in a box with instructions. lol I'm using Addy's suggestion of camo with ferns, and a trail of sardines, leading to the trap.

 

[Tula]

Wow, I'm following this with interest. I didn't know otters have such big feet !

 

[Faebinder]

Use the same trap since it pushed out of may not view it as a trap anymore and will be in for a surprise

 

[Mike in Vermont]

I took a walk around the pond yesterday. It made me sick to see large numbers of fish swimming around with terminal wounds. It's only a matter of time before he jumps in my upper pond. I am going to set up the original trap today. The new one looks just like the old one, except it's a hair taller and 6 inches longer. Maybe i'll use a can of tuna in one, and sardines in the other.

 

[cas]

Good luck Mike,

 

[Mike in Vermont]

Thanks.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

So, there was a critter in the trap this morning. Wasn't exactly what I was expecting but, makes sense. As I stated above, a mink or otter usually bother in early spring or late fall. Also, I see then during the daylight. They don't injure that many, if any of the other fish. This guy is larger than he looks, scrunched up in the corner. He did some serious hissing and snarling, lugging him up from the pond. I had to rest 3 times. I've taken thousands of digital pics. Why are these in black and white?
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I took him about 10 miles from my house, to Lake Carmi. I let him go on the north end, across the road from the lake. There's a brook and pool of water with wetlands and a ton of woods. There's also a large culvert to give him safe access to the lake. You can't see the book but, it's there. He took off like a race horse, when I opened the trap.
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[Mike in Vermont]

I have removed 9 dead fish so far. 7 rainbow trout and 2 brook trout.

 

[cas]

I hope he was the problem and your fish are now safe.

 

[budgenator]

Unfortunately, I don't. The live trap is set. Any suggestions on bait, other than canned sardines?

Racoons will go insane for chocolate or cocoa. They would tear our MREs apart and leave everything except the cocoa, they'd smell it through two layers of hermetically sealed aluminized mylar and a millimeter of polyethylene!

 

[Mike in Vermont]

Thanks for the tip. So, I was walking around my upper pond looking for my giant frog. I saw a small snapping turtle head under the lilies.

 

[budgenator]

Thanks for the tip. So, I was walking around my upper pond looking for my giant frog. I saw a small snapping turtle head under the lilies.

I would say Bingo! Relocate that guy to wild pond.

 

[cas]

I saw a small snapping turtle

So how are you going to catch this one?