What do you carry when hunting in otter habitat?

[theat]

Hi,

I'm going to be hunting this fall in some prime otter habitat and with recent events I'm very concerned with my self defense. I'm thinking I'll need at least a 10mm or 44 mag. Or is otter spray good enough?

Jefferson River otter attack sends woman to hospital

On Wednesday evening, three women were reportedly attacked by otters while floating the Jefferson River.

www.kbzk.com

(No disrespect intended to those that were injured and I hope that they have a quick and complete recovery)

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

I've seen an otter drag a 6 lb catfish up on shore and crunch into that bony head like it was butter.

 

[Beignet]

.454 Casull or better.

Might want to hand load some sardines in there and blast it off in another direction to distract them while you flee.

 

[GrantK]

I'd think a .500 S&W would be the minimum for such a hazard? .454 is really borderline...

 

[Ben Lamb]

 

[longbow51]

Harold, is that you?

 

[FreezerHunter]

You don’t have to swim faster than the otter, just faster than the person you are with.

 

[Doublecluck]

My youngest (5) loves otters, she could sit at the Billings zoo for hours just watching em. My wife showed me this story this morning and we both agreed to keep it hush. Lol. I’ll be keeping an eye out though. 9mm.. Supressed

 

[seeth07]

Honestly if you put me in a situation where I had to either fight an otter or a griz I think I'd take my chances with the griz

 

[geewhiz]

Only the hardest of core dare to float the Jeff without their otter repellant...

 

[HighDesertSage]

Otters are badass. It would an honor to engage ONE in hand to paw combat.

 

[Nameless Range]

Did you guys ever read Bryan Jacques’ Redwall books? Loved those as a kid.

In those stories, Otters were some of the most fierce warriors out there. Here’s to Finnbarr Galedeep!

 

[squirrel]

I released one unharmed from a #3 4-coil last year. Fortunately for me he was almost dead from exhaustion cause his eyes said he wanted to tear me up. He was as long as my leg and just as fat only with no cellulite that I could see, so he could have likely done it.

 

[Dougfirtree]

I haven't offended an otter yet, but yesterday I got a little too close to a mama loon and her chick. I'm not ashamed to admit that I paddled away pretty quickly. She was pissed. She'd rear up out of the water, splash, yell a single loud squawk at me, then dive back and forth under my kayak, popping up just behind me to repeat the process. She kept that up for a few hundred yards. It was the first time I've ever been able to see a loon swimming under water. The lake was very clear and let me tell you, those things move fast under water!

 

[Gellar]

I just figure it’s my own dam fault and I otter be somewhere else.

 

[kansasdad]

^^^^^^ ba-dum-tiss!!

 

[Southern Elk]

I prefer to carry otter spray.

 

[seeth07]

If you take all the precautions and just be otter smart you got nothing to worry about. Keep your catch well away from the bank so a cruising otter down the river won't catch thr scent of your trout. Always fish in pairs. Otters are mostly active in twilight hours and over night so avoid fishing those times if you can. Most importantly don't get between a kit and mom.

 

[Dakota79]

I bet my rifle with my special scope that can see them charging underwater towards me will kill them faster and better than your pistol well.

 

[appaloosa]