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Old 09-05-2020, 12:13 PM   #41
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Gallons of otter poop

Our boat was not on a mooring but in a slip. Otters are a constant problem. If they can get on a boat they will. They seem to especially like boats covered in canvas. I cleaned up (literally) over three gallons of poop out of the cockpit one day. And a gallon another day. Fish and crab parts (which smell really nice left out for a while). They also left hair on every thing, which, after it dried in poop was like trying to remove epoxy.



They are athletic and can jump pretty high. They would have no problem climbing up fenders. We had high freeboard. I moved the boat away from the slip as far as I could and still get on (with long arms and legs) so they couldn't jump from the slip floats. I pulled up the fenders as high as possible. They never got back on.



They can get under canvas if any loose holes between fasteners are to be had and they can get to them. A swim step is an otter's dream. You might consider having a very tight cover put on over the swim step at a steepish angle so they can't get a purchase. And they love dinghys too so they have to be high or tightly covered.



They are fun to watch but varmints when on boats.
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Old 09-05-2020, 12:20 PM   #42
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We even have them on our private 23-acre lake in North MS - but they are so damn cute to watch. But if they were messing with our big boat on the TennTom, I think the pad with screws sticking up on the swim deck would be the answer.
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Old 09-05-2020, 12:29 PM   #43
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I haven't read all the responses but how about those motion detectors that sprays water. I know Otters are water bound but the force of the spray may be a deterrent especially for your swim grid. We have harbour seals at the Comox marinas and they will leave presents.
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Old 09-05-2020, 01:08 PM   #44
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Handel's Water Music?
Take Me To the River.
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Old 09-05-2020, 02:00 PM   #45
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They mostly come at night. Mostly.

LOL. Aliens!
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Old 09-05-2020, 02:25 PM   #46
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I wonder if a mesh bag ( or nylon or sock ) with one of those little pucks you put in your toilet tank would work ? They are strong and last weeks in water so they slowly leech out their chemical every time it rained or water washed over your swim platform.
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Old 09-05-2020, 04:49 PM   #47
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Handel's Water Music?

If that deters them just imagine what a little five finger death punch would do! ( but personally the Handel would get me out of there in a hurry)
HOLLYWOOD
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Old 09-05-2020, 04:50 PM   #48
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statically placed lengths of barbed wire.
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Old 09-05-2020, 04:58 PM   #49
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monofilament netting is deadly to many marine animals and otters will surely tear it up they are obligate carnivores not herbivores like deer.
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Old 09-06-2020, 03:15 PM   #50
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Otters don’t like bleach

Keith.

I have a jar style, plastic crab bait container with a perforated, screw-on, lid, and I just put a couple of cups of bleach in it and strap the container to the dock beside the boat. You could use any kind of container like an old yogurt container with holes drilled in the top. As long as they can smell the bleach it seems they stay away. If you tie it to the dock or the boat deck it won’t get knocked over.

If you have a covered area you can just use laundry detergent powder, which I’ve used in the boathouse. That combined with a radio going 24/7 seems to deter them. I’m not sure which is most effective; the soap or the noise, but in any case they never came back in the boathouse.
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Old 09-06-2020, 03:43 PM   #51
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https://www.bama-bucks.com/steakhous...ame-restaurant -- Possum maybe - Armadilo (Possum on the half shell)!! Scottsboro's five star restaurant is BK! LOL
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Old 09-06-2020, 08:11 PM   #52
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The Psych Ops guys use heavy metal to disturb the bad guys. You could try this music out and it should drive the otters away, or your neighbours away, or a lynching, whichever comes first.
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Old 09-06-2020, 08:13 PM   #53
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The Psych Ops guys use heavy metal to disturb the bad guys. You could try this music out and it should drive the otters away, or your neighbours away, or a lynching, whichever comes first.
A lynching?
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Old 09-06-2020, 08:48 PM   #54
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A lynching?
Music in the cockpit while tied to the dock, in my mind, is a NO-NO. We do not have the same taste in music, hence the "lynching".
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Old 09-06-2020, 10:42 PM   #55
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Music in the cockpit while tied to the dock, in my mind, is a NO-NO. We do not have the same taste in music, hence the "lynching".

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Old 09-07-2020, 03:38 AM   #56
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I would think that given an otter’s diet of fish that they wouldn’t taste very good. After all, diving ducks such as scaup, canvas backs, and redheads aren’t nearly so palatable as puddle ducks such as mallards.
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Old 09-07-2020, 02:16 PM   #57
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I would think that given an otter’s diet of fish that they wouldn’t taste very good. After all, diving ducks such as scaup, canvas backs, and redheads aren’t nearly so palatable as puddle ducks such as mallards.

chuckle...I've yet ti find any waterfoul palatable...maybe thats why the name, water-FOUL
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Old 09-16-2020, 10:39 PM   #58
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An otter likes nothing better to leave a deposit on than a coiled up dock line.

I had problems with them on my dock and in addition to their scat, found the same evidence as you did with "fish faces" everywhere.

Read on a critter site that a slurry of citronella and cayenne pepper is a good deterrent for them. I poured that mixture on some old dock lines and a small towel and put those out on the dock.

Worked for me for almost a year. Noticed the other day that it looks like I need to re-dose.

I haven't tried the Tide option mentioned above. That may be a better option if you're putting it on your boat but could get slippery.
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Old 09-17-2020, 09:12 AM   #59
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Yesterday, I had interesting encounter while at the docks. One of these brazen little devils, jumped into the water and swam directly at me (I was standing on my swim grid watching them) to within a couple of feet, actually snarled and hissed at me before diving underwater!
I have never seen one of them act so aggressively. I do often "shoo" them off the dock when I see them, but did not do so yesterday. This behaviour is a bit concerning, as often there are as many as 7 of them (larger adults) on the dock in a group. Interesting, and I will definitely "keep an eye" on them and their behaviour.
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Old 09-17-2020, 09:54 AM   #60
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Yesterday, I had interesting encounter while at the docks. One of these brazen little devils, jumped into the water and swam directly at me (I was standing on my swim grid watching them) to within a couple of feet, actually snarled and hissed at me before diving underwater!
I have never seen one of them act so aggressively. I do often "shoo" them off the dock when I see them, but did not do so yesterday. This behaviour is a bit concerning, as often there are as many as 7 of them (larger adults) on the dock in a group. Interesting, and I will definitely "keep an eye" on them and their behaviour.
You have met the leader. He is tasked with clearing the place where they plan to meet for lunch, but you were in the way.
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