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Otter in Northern NJ?

2K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  foxtrapperwoman 
#1 ·
The tracks on the left are red fox, the tracks on the right?



About three inches long, full of short, dark, possibly muskrat fur, and fish scales.



Otter?
 
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#3 ·
At first I thought they were mink but they seem way too big and so does the turd. I know what mink poop looks like. It looks exactly like the turd I found except about 1/3 that size.

The tracks in the pic are on a frozen lake as were most of the tracks found. I didn't trust the ice so I didn't follow them very far.

Never considered the sliding thing...
 
#6 ·
John-PA said:
I think they are mink tracks.

pics are always hard to tell track but i'm with john. i caught an otter in a beaver trap this year and they dont go far without sliding or leaving a tail drag. pretty big feet too. i never saw rat hair in otter poo but thats not saying they dont eat them. around here its mostly fish scale and that slimy mucous stuff from the fresh water muscles.
 
#7 ·
doug , i've caught many otters . like was said , pics of tracks are tough ,but that dung don't look like otter . all otter toilets i've ever seen were mushy and full of scales . i also followed tracks of otter across open ground 5-6 hundred yards right into my dirthole . so to see them on ground isn't that uncommon . could it possibly be a fisher ? looks like a hopping critter with a tail drag .
 
#9 ·
dietsch said:
doug , i've caught many otters . like was said , pics of tracks are tough ,but that dung don't look like otter . all otter toilets i've ever seen were mushy and full of scales . i also followed tracks of otter across open ground 5-6 hundred yards right into my dirthole . so to see them on ground isn't that uncommon . could it possibly be a fisher ? looks like a hopping critter with a tail drag .
It's definitely a hopping critter and there is a slight tail drag. I'll go with your experience on the poo and rule out otter.

I suppose it could be a mink but it would have to be a big one. Tracks aren't melted out at all and they were bigger than any mink tracks I've seen. About 18-20" between hops so a mink could do that.

dietsch said:
could it possibly be a fisher ?
I looked up fisher scat and it matches but I don't think the tracks are big enough for that?

I guess I'll have to go with minkzilla lol.

Thanks for the input everybody.
 
#13 ·
We have our share around, more in some spots than others...Just tagged out with one yesterday in my area..strictly a lottery drawing and I had the only tag in my zone..

as for the tracks, not an otter...usually much more pronounced tail drag in snow..
 
#14 ·
The mystery deepens...

Like the mink to otter to OMG is it a fisher? tracks that I saw back in 09.

The tracks/stride were too big to be mink, but seemed kinda small for an otter, and they lead up into the woods and a steep hill instead of going back to the creeks.

The otter poop I've seen was all greyish, slimey, had fish scales in it, and were deposited on top of balled up grass. It was a toilet used year after year by just a few otters, and had a well worn slide down the steep bank side to the water.
 
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