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Outdoors with Tom Venesky: Better late than early with stocked trout

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Names and Faces

<p>Howard Tews had a hunch.</p><p>A bit of research and scouting had told him where there were beavers, otters would likely be in the area as well.</p><p>Two days into the state&#8217;s first otter trapping season in more than 50 years, Tews&#8217; hunch paid off. While trapping in Nescopeck State Park, Tews, who was running a trapline with two friends, caught a 20-plus pound river otter. The otter was caught in a 330 bodygrip trap in a run where there was plenty of beaver signs.</p><p>&#8220;We trapped a beaver from the same spot the day before and knew there might be otters with the beavers,&#8221; Tews said. &#8220;We were hopeful, but we never trapped otters before and didn&#8217;t think we&#8217;d get one. But this reinforced what our research told us - otters love to hang out in the same areas as beavers.&#8221;</p><p>Initially set as a 3-day season with a harvest quota of 85 in Wildlife Management Units 3C and 3D, the otter season was established with a conservative approach. After the three days had passed, the harvest stood at 20 and the Pennsylvania Game Commission extended the season daily. The agency had the option to extend the season until Feb. 28 or when the quota was reached.</p><p>The PGC sold over 1,000 permits for the otter season, and furbearer biologist Tom Hardisky said the low harvest to start the season may be attributable to a restriction limiting trappers to two bodygrip traps and the possibility that many who bought otter trapping permits didn&#8217;t trap.</p><p>&#8220;A majority who bought permits did not trap otters. The bought them to collect or support the program,&#8221; Hardisky said, adding future surveys will determine participation of permit holders.</p><p>Another aspect working against trappers is time. Even with the extensions, several days isn&#8217;t much time to trap otters, Hardisky said, because like all members of the weasel family they travel frequently.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a waiting game and they can be gone from an area for days or weeks,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That&#8217;s affecting success.&#8221;</p><p>If anything, Hardisky believes otter numbers aren&#8217;t impacting the low initial harvest. He said otter populations are strong in the northeast, particularly in the Poconos, and the season will give the agency and idea of just how well they&#8217;re doing. When a trapper catches an otter, Game Commission employees collect the skinned carcass and Hardisky will analyze them to determine age and reproductive status.</p><p>Spleens will also be examined, Hardisky said, to determine exposure to certain diseases.</p><p>When the data is collected and analyzed - which will take a few months, the otter season will provide the PGC with valuable information pertaining to population distribution and density, reproductive age and litter sizes.</p><p>So far, the otters that have been harvested indicate the population is doing well.</p><p>&#8220;They are in fantastic condition,&#8221; Hardisky said. &#8220;I saw one that weighed 24 pounds and it was young based on the really sharp canine teeth. I do anticipate seeing more older age classes, but as the harvest goes on in future seasons we&#8217;ll see that age distribution change.&#8221;</p><p>Tews would support a few changes, mainly to the length of the season and increasing the number of bodygrip traps that could be used.</p><p>He said a longer season would allow more time for the trapping locations to settle down and otters to return.</p><p>&#8220;Three days is rough. It&#8217;s kind of like a needle in a haystack,&#8221; Tews said.</p><p>While most of the trappers that did participate in the season have never trapped otters before, Hardisky said some had prior experience after encountering them while beaver trapping.</p><p>For his part, Tews and his friends had never trapped otters before but they became students of the species.</p><p>&#8220;The three of us worked together researching, scouting and putting our heads together. It was a team effort and we&#8217;ll do it again for sure,&#8221; Tews said, adding he will have the otter he trapped mounted.</p><p>After the data is collected in a few months Hardisky said a decision will be made whether or not to recommend changes for next season to the PGC board.</p><p>Whatever the results, Hardisky said there&#8217;s one determination made long ago.</p><p>&#8220;The fact we can bring a season a species back, it&#8217;s a credit to everyone,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The return of the river otter means we&#8217;ve cleaned up our streams, improved habitat and the food base and now we have otters again.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Howard Tews with the otter he trapped in Nescopeck State Park on Monday during the state&#8217;s first otter trapping season in 1951. Game Commission officials say river otter populations have grown and are able to sustain a limited harvest that will provide valuable data on the species. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_Ottertrapper.jpeg</photo0><caption0>Howard Tews with the otter he trapped in Nescopeck State Park on Monday during the state&#8217;s first otter trapping season in 1951. Game Commission officials say river otter populations have grown and are able to sustain a limited harvest that will provide valuable data on the species. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Otter outlook&#8230;</strong></p><p>- Most of the otters trapped during the season were males, Hardisky said, which was expected because pregnant females are less active during this time of year.</p><p>- The first otter reported by a trapper came in at 8:13 a.m. on Monday morning.</p><p>- Hardisky said even if the harvest quota of 85 was met, it wouldn&#8217;t hurt the population based on data from other states where otter trapping is allowed.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Otter season in the books