Otters

[roddy]

One has to be mindful of resident marina habituated seals, otters and raccoons.
They gradually loose there weariness of humans. River Otters are territorial. Well fed adults can be 40 pounds. Otters are comfortable on land patrolling several blocks on shore as well as marina.
Would not recommend aggressive motions such as shooing.... Otters are intelligent, curious and can be ferocious if threatened. They can recognize humans by smell and sight.

 

[SteveK]

One has to be mindful of resident marina habituated seals, otters and raccoons.
They gradually loose there weariness of humans. River Otters are territorial. Well fed adults can be 40 pounds. Otters are comfortable on land patrolling several blocks on shore as well as marina.
Would not recommend aggressive motions such as shooing.... Otters are intelligent, curious and can be ferocious if threatened. They can recognize humans by smell and sight.

I first read shooting.
On the way to the boat a convention of about 10 otters in front of our boat on the dock. unleashed the dog. Did not see a one for the next few days.
But I will keep in mind your comment on ferocious, they do resemble a mink and it took two of us to kill one in the hen house.

 

[JP2]

Had a friend on vacation with 2 teenaged daughters that were swimming at the opening of small, dead end cove. Two river otters from the head end attacked them both, causing serious injuries requiring numerous stitches. He described it as a huge and messy event. It was a bad memory and they have never been back.
The critters do have teeth!! They have also extensively propogated along with seals, Canada Geese and a few other over-protected species.

 

[roddy]

Seals, Raccoons and Otters are not the problem only the symptom.
We have dramatically altered environment in last 150 years.
Their taking advantage of opportunities humans have created.
Docks, boathouses could be designed to be critter unfriendly, instead of the high end condo's we supply them...
Garbage facilities at most marina's are minimal at best.
Humans are lazy critters, who leave disposal facilities filthy, pile garbage outside containers rather than taking garbage home when its full.
Find if you attend boat frequently otters will bail out when they here you coming. They can differentiate between persons and pets. They know who is who.
Once they start leaving scat regularly were in for bigger problem as their marking territory.
Remedy is to keep coming to boat and regularly removing scat and walking decks docks or if boathouse move stuff around making it clear this is your territory. Don't be overtly aggressive. Like people you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
They are territorial, they just cant go somewhere easily without invading another's territory.
They will get the message.

 

[bfloyd4445]

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.

Ah, probably was just one of them blm protester otters.

 

[OldDan1943]

and then, the critters that hang around Fisherman's Warf. They claim the swim platforms as their own AND if they claim your platform or your cockpit, you cannot shoo them away.

 

[GoldenDawn]

I had a visiting mink. Got a simple, motion-activated door chime and put it down on the floor of the cockpit. Never had the mink visit again. You could try this in the dinghy and cockpit. Cheap - about $10 each.

 

[bfloyd4445]

chuckle.... get in their face and they are likely to shoo you away.

 

[OldDan1943]

chuckle.... get in their face and they are likely to shoo you away.

So true. I think we/they waited too long to make a change in behavior.

 

[Olebird]

Just heist your back leg and start marking your territory - keeps the deer from eating petunias.

 

[menzies]

Don't people have BB guns any more?

 

[koliver]

Back onto the mooring bouy yesterday,so paid close attention looking for otters all day and overnight.
\before doing this I put some chicken wire on the top surface af the swim grid. I also hung fenders strategically to make using the ladder or steps impossible, well, at least more difficult.
In the morning we left. No otters had visited. I don't know that none were interested and deterred, just no evidence of any visits.
I don't like the chicken wire, but for this time of year, cooler temps, so no swimming tin the 16° temp. I take seriously the suggestions provided by many. Next spring, I will try the various smelly options and report back.

 

[ssobol]

Seals, Raccoons and Otters are not the problem only the symptom.
We have dramatically altered environment in last 150 years.
Their taking advantage of opportunities humans have created.
....

Yeah, the coyotes never had it as good as they do now.

 

[High Wire]

A friend in Ft Myers had a problem with the local duck population coming up on his massive swim platform at night. He rigged a motion detector to a lawn sprinkler (the single stream, tic-tic-tic kind) with a live garden hose. When the ducks arrived, the sprinkler would blast them off pronto. They got the message. Otters might like it though.

 

[roddy]

High Wire and koliver are onto a good plan...
They may still thwart you occasionally, but once they figure out its too much effort for no gain they'll bugger off.
Had a fowl tempered otter years ago in Steveston... If he was on the dock and you made any threatening behavior it would lunge at you. They are fast runners on a dock!
Learned to give it its space. When it saw us coming it would dive into water and never bothered us or our dog. Not so with those who sprayed hose or used broom etc. It always gave those people grief and **** on there boats!.
Wierd story below...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/river-otter-attacks-woman-in-b-c-lake-1.1324505

 

[JDCAVE]

They can be nasty! There was a couple of swans nesting on the shore right across from where I tie up. The female was sitting on eggs and the big male was quite aggressive guarding he nest. Several river otters wanted those eggs. The male swan came over to see them off. They attacked him, killed him and ate him. This was witnessed by one of the liveaboards tied up near me. It was apparently quite gruesome to see.

Kevin: my Neighbour has found this stuff effective keeping otters away from his boat in False Creek. I have no experience with it myself. They are all over the place down there.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/sa...3XO3ful-dnk5GkKH-9hoCLH0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[koliver]

Back on the mooring bouy for the past 2 nights.
Chick wire has failed to deter the otters. one fish face left right in the middle of the chicken wire. Those otters want me to know they are not intimidated.
Then they managed to push through the fenders that were in their way and get up the steps to the aft deck, where they left behind their usual calling cards, x 3. Today I bought a bottle of ammonia and stuck a spray pump in its top. I will douse the swim grid now, every time I am leaving the boat, while it remains on the bouy. I will report back.

 

[SteveK]

Back on the mooring bouy for the past 2 nights.
Chick wire has failed to deter the otters. one fish face left right in the middle of the chicken wire. Those otters want me to know they are not intimidated.
Then they managed to push through the fenders that were in their way and get up the steps to the aft deck, where they left behind their usual calling cards, x 3. Today I bought a bottle of ammonia and stuck a spray pump in its top. I will douse the swim grid now, every time I am leaving the boat, while it remains on the bouy. I will report back.

IF you find the ammonia works to deter, perhaps a fresh air fragrance dispenser that is used as a timed spray can be filled with ammonia.
Like this

 

[koliver]

IF you find the ammonia works to deter, perhaps a fresh air fragrance dispenser that is used as a timed spray can be filled with ammonia.
Like this

That looks like it would suit the location!

 

[koliver]

Failyre, again.
Ammonia, fenders in the way, chicken wire on the swim grid, all together, a total failure.
This morning, a fresh fish face on the chicken wire and fresh Otter poop on the aft deck.

I have given the mooring bouy back to the otter family and moved Retreat off to the YC outstation, where no otters have been a problem in recent memory. The next move, if we don't go out again, will be back to the shelter in Coal Harbour. My neighbour has had an otter problem there, but I have not. Will see what this winter brings.

 

[ghost]

I just bought a slip in my marina. Arguably, the best view in the place. It’s also out on the very end and THE favorite spot for Otters.

Let the games begin.

 

[OldDan1943]

Failyre, again.
Ammonia, fenders in the way, chicken wire on the swim grid, all together, a total failure.
This morning, a fresh fish face on the chicken wire and fresh Otter poop on the aft deck.

I have given the mooring bouy back to the otter family and moved Retreat off to the YC outstation, where no otters have been a problem in recent memory. The next move, if we don't go out again, will be back to the shelter in Coal Harbour. My neighbour has had an otter problem there, but I have not. Will see what this winter brings.

There are spike strips used to keep pigeons off of build ledges.
Also electric fences around the edges of the swim platform.

 

[MurrayM]

Okay. Time to get serious.

My wife used to breed Bengals, a part wild/domesticated breed of cat that, especially early in their development, were crazy energetic. The only way we could have a Christmas tree and its ornaments survive was to put a ScatMat around the base.

It's a battery operated rubber mat that sends electrical pulses through it. Worked like a hot damn. A friend of ours put his hand on it one day as he said, Does this thing work? and was so surprised by the shock he got that his hand ended up past his ear in a microsecond.

Maybe there's an outdoor version?

 

[OldDan1943]

Okay. Time to get serious.

Went walking with my Lab. He saw a single wire running below the normal strands of a neighbor's fence.
Well, he got curious ..... walked up to the wire..... I yelled out NO, his nose touched the wire. A lesson learned for the Lab..... He learned what NO meant. LOL

 

[koliver]

Okay. Time to get serious.

It is worse than I thought. After my last report, I was cleaning up on the top deck, where I have a tonneau cover over the seats and dash area. That cover now sports an area about the size of a couple of otters that has a goodly amount of fur on it. Otter copulation zone?
Now I really need to get serious.
I am thinking the dinghy battery can be the power for an electrical deterrent such as Murray suggests, or a cattle fence around the swimgrid, or?
In any event, I will not likely have a result this year, so return to this channel when I have further efforts in place and can report on their success or failure.

 

[SteveK]

I have yet to notice otters on the boat, though they are on the nearby dock, except some crab shells on swim grid. It occurred to me I have a solar powered motion light that is handy at night when going around and up to CB. Now I am wondering if that is keeping them off the boat.

 

[slowgoesit]

Okay. Time to get serious.

My wife used to breed Bengals, a part wild/domesticated breed of cat that, especially early in their development, were crazy energetic. The only way we could have a Christmas tree and its ornaments survive was to put a ScatMat around the base.

It's a battery operated rubber mat that sends electrical pulses through it. Worked like a hot damn. A friend of ours put his hand on it one day as he said, Does this thing work? and was so surprised by the shock he got that his hand ended up past his ear in a microsecond.

Maybe there's an outdoor version?

Scat mats would probably work in a fresh water environment, but if salt water, any spray would probably build up, and form a slightly conductive surface which would quickly deplete your battery in the scat mat. We have two of them that were gifted to us by a neighbor. They had a leather couch and loveseat that they dog loved to lay on. So they purchased the scat mats, powered with a 9v battery. Dog jumped up, started to settle in . . . ZAP, the dog's anal glands expressed, . . . . all over the leather couch. . . . he gave us the scat mats, and 3 years later, his swears his couch STILL smells! We've used successfully on the kitchen cupboards/island for our cats. The mat even has a counter that shows how many times it has "zapped"! . . .

 

[Gilraine]

I've seen two boats in our harbour on Lake Ontario, have weasels climb up the exhaust, chew through the rubber 90 degree and nest nicely in the engine room..... definitely need exhaust grills for preventive measure.

 

[trawlercap]

I'm just learning how to set up Youtube, but in this series of short vids are two pretty wild otter situations. I would not want to be the guy who's boat they decided to make a house of. Click here.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-pHCNJheWfSyHM_AU278Sdu13nwzIKbA

 

[Lou_tribal]

Maybe one solution would be to borrow a pepper gun ( apparently one of our fellow TFer has a friend who own one) and use it to spice up the areas otters like. If not working, the same has a potatoes cannon that may be used to get a otter stew with smash potatoes.

L