Where and when to shoot river otters

[soxfan356]

I live in Chicago and was wondering where a good place to shoot river otters?

[Tom Reichner]

Wish I knew your area so I could help you. It's a shame you posted this 3 days ago and no one's been able to help you out. Maybe the people in your area who know all about the local river otters are Cub's fans.

[advaitin]

Probably not in your immediate area, but many scenic rivers have otters in them. We certainly have then here in the south in areas that haven't maxed out with development. I found these, however, on a walk by a drainage ditch right on the edge of the city of New Smyrna Beach

[soxfan356]

I am in the located in the west suburbs of Chicago.

[BradM]

Just about any water, fresh or saltwater (not that Chicago has a lot of saltwater) will have river otters if the water is reasonably clean. Rivers, creeks, lakes and ponds can all support otters if there is a food source. I have captured shots of these from salt water in the wild or in a marina and rivers lakes and sloughs. Literally hundreds if not thousands of shots of these little clowns from all over the US and Canada.

The food can be fish, shellfish, crayfish, frogs, salamanders, ducks, coots, etc., and the easiest method to find if otters are in an area is by their droppings. There are the size and look similar to a small dogs, except there are often evidence of shells and/or fish bones in them. Otters will often defecate in a few points along the water source whether on a dock or a rock or earth bank. They will do so near the water but elevated away from it and often reuse the same site. Look fortheir scat and you have otters in the area and they will be back.

Like this guy I shot on Thursday in SW Washington, this yearling is actually finishing up his business.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/Bradklr/otterpoo.jpg

On the following day and 350 miles further south in northern California (Tule Lake area) I got shots of this guy.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/Bradklr/Kfallsotter1.jpg

Both shots were taken in the mid day time period, otters will be active all day and night long. If in a tidal area checking the shore lines near the low tide period will find them working the shoreline. Elsewhere one needs to a bit luckier in where they will be at a specific time but Otters wil have a typical route that they follow for feeding. They will repeat this route alomst every day, if they are feeding on fish they (rarely will there be a single otter they travel and hunt in family units) will try to force fish into slack waters or areas where the can school them up and take them.

Catching them on the bank is less often than in the water but it is easier to find them while in the water. Hunting otters will scare ducks, coots and others out of the water or up onto the banks. They also create quite the ripples on the water when hunting, watch for large ripples or wavelets and nothing immediately obvious creating it it may well be otters porpoising along hunting and feeding. Small fish and prey they will eat as swimming, larger they will often pull out on to a log or bank to finish it up.

Otters have very poor eyesight above the water, they will see movement but rarely can identify a threat from more than a dozen feet or so, they can certainly see movement but are often curious and will look straight into the lens trying to figre what the photographer is. They do have excellent hearing and sense of smell though so be quiet as possible while shooting to not scare them on their way. Upwind or downwind is rarely not an issue, they may well know you are there or were there and are not startled by just the odor of a human in the area.

Hope this helps, Good luck!