River Otter Track?

[Seedy]

I think I know what's been stealing our Crappie...I had thought it was coons. Now I'm not so sure

Late last night sitting on the back porch of the Lake House (been drinking) I heard a commotion and some splashing down on the boat dock on Lake Hudson...I figured there was a coon trying to get into the fish basket. I went down to investigate with only a flashlight as I was not fit to handle a firearm at that moment . As I went down the ramp to the dock I saw something long and slender jump off the dock into the into the water. I caught another glimpse of it on the bank and thought it looked like an otter...

...now I didn't know we had otters in NE Oklahoma, so I was quite surprised! Scanning the bank, I found another 3 pairs of eyes staring back at me from the point. My flashlight was weak, so I couldn't get a good look at them.

Upon further investigation I found the dock covered in splashed water and only a scale left of my crappie

I checked the bank this morning for tracks, but couldn't find any as it is rocky.

I did find this one track on the dock. Does it look like a river otter track?

 

[ldmtulsa]

I think you might be right. I used to fish Hudson a lot and I would see an occasional otter up in Rock Creek.

Also use to see them on the nav channel.

 

[Shadowrider]

Most likely a musk rat....

 

[MyMonkey]

River otters have relatively HUGE feet. I may second the muskrat comment. Maybe eating a floater. Not positive though. Never seen an otter in the wild.

 

[BadgerLB]

I vote nutria.

 

[ldmtulsa]

Use to see lots of Nutria's at Lake Fork in Texas, but have not seen any in Ok.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Mink although 5 toed, often only show a 4 toed track from the front foot. Tracks are usually just over an inch long.

 

[jarhead983]

As you can see, the track you have a photo of is very close to both of these, but I would agree with OKBassin that this is most likely a mink due to its size. And yeah, otter has infiltrated the biggest portion of Eastern OK from a little E of Tulsa up and down the stateline.

We do have nutria, not a lot, but we do have some. I even saw a few on the Lafortune park golf course.

 

[imhntn]

I saw some nutria and otters a buddy caught down in SE OK a few weeks ago. The otter are pretty big animals. I bet they would sure eat your fish.

 

[MyMonkey]

Ahh.. A mink. That's likely what it is. Good call.