# River Otters



## MuscleWhitefish (Jan 13, 2015)

Ever have one of those thoughts that are completely ridiculous, but you think it is the truth until you have a paradigm shift. 

Yesterday, after work I hit the Wyoming side of the green river to do a little high water murky bobber fly fishing. 

I look across the river and see a family of what looks like beavers. I start to watch them for a bit and one sticks his head and chest out of the water and I immediately think seal. 

I spend the next few minutes trying to figure out how seals got released into the green river. 

Finally, one gets out of the opposite bank and I can see that it isn't a seal. It is a river otter. I start thinking about how stupid the thought of seals was. 

I had never seen a river otter before and assumed they were the size of a fox. I did not realize that they were so big. More of the size of a coyote with short feet and round like a basset hound.

They were cool to see, because I haven't seen them before. Sorry, about the picture quality I did not want to get too close (for all that I know they could be faster on land than me and viscous) and only had a cell phone camera.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Begs the question, whatever happened to the otters released on the Provo River?


-DallanC


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Begs the question, whatever happened to the otters released on the Provo River?
> 
> -DallanC


I've wanted to know as well, since it would be cool to go get some pics. I believe they put some below the Flaming Gorge dam, but did any get transplanted to the lower/middle areas of the Provo?


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

I have seen river otters on the lower provo at the sundance turnoff about a dozen times. Haven't seen them in a couple years, but probably because I haven't been there in a couple years. They used to make me nervous when they did the swim by and would often get within 5-10' of my legs.


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

They are on the green and the provo. They were actually transplanted from the green to the provo.

here is an old article

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1288&sid=36352953


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

You think seeing river otters on the Green River is cool....well, we saw one at Lake Powell near Hite last fall! That was really cool! I never associated river otters in the desert...


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

DallanC said:


> Begs the question, whatever happened to the otters released on the Provo River?
> 
> -DallanC


A few years ago, I got to help prepare an otter for release and made a post here about the experience.

http://utahwildlife.net/forum/6-general-fishing-questions/26446-more-provo-river-otters.html

I keep in touch with one of the workers on the project and unfortunately, the otters on the Lower Provo didn't thrive. Almost all of them got hit by cars. A few met their end by traps. (legally set for muskrats) Some were also released on the Middle as well. I personally saw a mom with two youngsters in Jordanelle reservoir (Rock Cliffs) while bassin in 2012. It is hoped that some of the otters moved upstream and are thriving in the upper Provo drainage somewhere. Due to the high automobile mortality on the Lower, I doubt that more will be released there in the future.


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## swampfox (Dec 30, 2014)

I saw a pair of river otters on the Logan river in 2006 or 2007. I know they aren't well established there, but as of a decade ago there were at least a few on the river. I've seen them on the Green, but never the Provo. Would love to see them there someday.


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

Lots of them up here in Idaho. At Warm River, a whole family of 2 adults and 3 pups den up right between the campground and the bridge. Watched them while fishing up there last year. Also had one hanging around the boat ramp below the Island Park dam when we were fishing there on the 4th of July. That thing was the biggest dang otter I've ever seen - body the size of a black lab. Huge thing. Very cool animals though. Love seeing otters.


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## Azar (Oct 21, 2014)

The only wild river otters I recall seeing have been below the spillway of Otter Creek res. as a kid. It was a super cool sight to see.


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