Nutria Sighting

[racfish]

Yesterday while on my walk along the lake we saw it up close.Down near the Lakewood boathouse I saw what I thought was a beaver.The only thing was it didnt have a paddle tail like beavers have.It had a thick tail like a dog or cat.It didnt spook easy.It seemed to have no fear of us. We threw a few rocks near it to see it dive.It just stared at us .Im reporting it to the city health dept today.There were 3 other people who were watching it with us.I bet it went 10-17 lbs.This sucka was big.

[kzoo]

Wow, didn't think they we here in the Northwest, I use to see those all the time in the South. Yeah, they're not afraid of people, we use to fish really close to those things.

[fishaholictaz]

My lake has a huge family of otter and they will come up and eat any fish you have on your stringer hanging in the water.
10-17 pounds is huge for a nutria are you sure it wasn't an otter?

[shawn]

I honestly didn't know what a Nutria was so I googled it.Kinda intresrting.Ill throw the link up here for yall who are interested.http://www.nationaltrappers.com/nutria.html

[Gisteppo]

In my hometown (Salem, Or) we had THOUSANDS of nutrea. They infested golf courses and backwater sloughs on the Willamette, and were generally just a mild nuisance. They are pretty easy to spot due to their size, tail, and the generally odd orange color of their teeth. Other than shoreline damage, they are pretty easy to deal with, though they do have just a hint of badger in them if you get close and piss them off.

E

[chironomid_guy]

Interesting article..... From what I read, they are in the same family as Otters. We have lots of river otters here, see them all the time. I have never seen a Nutria.

Cheers

[dilbert]

Aye-yee!! When does Nurtia season open? :chef:
http://www.nutria.com/site14.php

I've only seen Nutria in Louisana. But I have heard that they are around in this area again.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=jun0605a

[racfish]

Thanks Shawn for the article.Its what we saw.I sent the url to my walking friend.He said thats it.Same thick tail.I've seen otters and sea-lions in the lake before.This was definately not a Muskrat nor a Otter.Tonite on my walk I'm gonna shoot it .....with my camera.Im a gonna hope its there again.I've seen otters up close in the kelp beds and they are kinda cute.This thing wasnt even kinda cute.I might have been off in my weight guess but I got that from fishing too much.When I catch a 1 1/2 pound trout it usually becomes a 6 pounder by the time I get home.By the time I'get to work it grew 4 more pounds.Hahaha..

[shawn]

Thanks Shawn for the article.Its what we saw.I sent the url to my walking friend.He said thats it.Same thick tail.I've seen otters and sea-lions in the lake before.This was definately not a Muskrat nor a Otter.Tonite on my walk I'm gonna shoot it .....with my camera.Im a gonna hope its there again.I've seen otters up close in the kelp beds and they are kinda cute.This thing wasnt even kinda cute.I might have been off in my weight guess but I got that from fishing too much.When I catch a 1 1/2 pound trout it usually becomes a 6 pounder by the time I get home.By the time I'get to work it grew 4 more pounds.Hahaha..

Aint that the truth things always end bigger each time you tell a fish story.Like I tell my girlfriend I never lied until I started fishing.

[Awoods]

which lake is it?

[bpm2000]

ive seen a couple on my time on lake wa as well.

[racfish]

Lake Wa. Awoods....The first time I saw them here was at the Arboretum while fishing for Catfish.That was in may of last year.

[EastsideRedneck]

These buggers caused a lot of concern about a year or so ago over on the Kitsap Penninsula when they started showing up in the shipyard. Looks like they managed to make their way around the sound.

When ever I see one I always think of the movie "Ben." Just don't make one angry...

[Awoods]

Lake Wa. Awoods....The first time I saw them here was at the Arboretum while fishing for Catfish.That was in may of last year.

Ohh ok. I thought you meant you were walking around a lake in lakewood, which is where i fish(american lake) all the time.

[skimpy]

I found this about Sammamish.

http://www.scn.org/savelake/NL.Spr.Sum. ... m.2006.htm

[Bannock11]

Those critters have been on the lower Chehalis River for at least 10 years.

[fishman123]

I'm very supprised to see that so many people havent seen nutria around. Ive seen alot more nutria around than beavers and otters combined.

Thought:

To say nutria in plural form is it Nutria or Nutrias? I was wondering if it is a word like "deer" in which the word form doesnt change even though you are talking about more than one.

[crappiemaster]

Marmots kinda look like a big nutria, don't they? Could it have been a marmot? I know we have tons of those here in Washington.

[Fisherman_max]

we have had nutrias in lacamas and round lake. i have had a real distaste for them ever since i was standing on a log fishing for crappie and the darn thing got on the log and was growling at me. luckily i had a stick handy and.....lets just say that nutria will never hurt another living soul.

[Dave]

Ok, I've lived here in WA all of my 42 years and have never heard of a Nutria or a Pickerel. I have received an education today thanks to all of you and Google. Thanks.