# River Otter



## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

I've been either trapping or hounding in northern Utah since the early 70's and figured I've seen about every animal there is to see, but I seen my first otter in Utah Sunday on a river here in Cache County. I watched it for about twenty minutes as it dove, fished, and played on the bank. I know that otter were here historically, and I personally welcome them back. 

I don't know how many there are in the state, but who else is seeing otter here in Utah and where are you seeing them at??


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I see one every day at my house!!! :shock: 


I got one mounted when I was a kid. 8) 

Might as well share the story behind it. I grew up down in AR where they are commonly seen. I was deer hunting in the river bottoms down in south Arkansas from a stand overlooking a small creek. I saw them pretty much every day and I decided since season was in on them I was gonna shot myself oneone afternoon. I shot one that swam directly below my stand. Normally 7mm Mags are not the preferred weapon for fur harvest but its what I had with me. It didn't tear it up much either. When I took it to the taxidermist and he skinned it, it didn’t have a single hole in it, other than a crushed skull it did not have any other injuries. All we could figure was that since it was swimming in less than a foot of water that was rocky bottomed when I shot it, that either the concussion of the bullet hitting the water, or a rock ricochet hit it and crushed the skull. Strangest shot I have ever made.


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## Oldtimehtr (Sep 27, 2007)

Saw one this Spring while hunting bears on the La Sal mountain unit.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

The Provo River has a little batch of otters.


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## 10yearquest (Oct 15, 2009)

I have seen them in the summertime while floating (and fishing) the Green below the dam.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

10yearquest said:


> I have seen them in the summertime while floating (and fishing) the Green below the dam.


+1, me too


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

They are a cool little animal. I used to see them all the time in Louisiana, one time I had one swim under my canoe and roll upside down right in front of the boat and swim backwards while looking at me. He was no more than 6 feet in front the bow. He checked me out for about 5 seconds and then rolled back over and swam under the boat and I have no idea where he went, fast little buggers when they want to be!!


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## duneman101 (Nov 6, 2009)

There are quite a few on the provo...

One time while reeling in a big steelhead on the Klickitat river i saw about a half dozen of them come running up the river bank towards us, i though nothing of it when they all dove into the water, a minute later i feel my line jerky more aggressively than before and one of the frickin otters comes out of the water with a steel head in his mouth, i was so confused at first and then my friend rowing the drift boat starts yelling... i was like calm down dude, and i realized that the otter had my steelhead in his mouth. GRRR!!!


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