Otter ?

Can anyone confirm Otters in Elk Creek? Could have sworn I saw one Friday below Pet Cemetery.

It would be quite a stretch. They did release a few in N.Y. in the 90's near French Creek  but it would be a long travel without any stream to follow to get to Elk.

Could be an otter. I was ice fishing lake Leboef a few years back and watched a otter pop out of open water and then ran across the lake to get to other open water. I asked Larry Smith the game warden obout it he said yes there are otters around here.  And every now and then some do get caught in beaver traps.

Wild Bill a fur trader from Kane for many years, works at the bait shop at east ave. Just about every day and is always checking for bait along the shore line. He insisted that he seen a pair of otters working the rocks along the boat ramp, Of course I told him he was mistaken, probability a couple minks working the rocks for bait fish. Sure enough the next day he drug me out to the rocks to show me two mature otters! This was back in Nov. we have not seen them since. A couple anglers did spot them in the bay later that mouth. Quite possible by now the pair worked west and are romping elk.

How is it that beavers are damaging to the ecosystem?

ORIGINAL: Deadbolt401

ORIGINAL: MuskyMastr

How is it that beavers are damaging to the ecosystem?

Not sure, maybe people think thier dams damage the creeks/rivers and flood the stream basins?

Well, there's that and there's also all that dog food they bring with them.

Probably a Mink I have seen one on 4 mile a few times

otters are fairly long, longer than a rat.  they are now being trapped all over northeast ohio.  guess there has been a number of sighting in the pymatuning area.  i have seen their tracks there, but not the actual thing.

There are otters in the shenango river in lawrence county.  The white thing you saw was probably an ermine,
 
from pgc website
"
The ermine is found in northern regions around the world. In North America, it occurs from Pennsylvania and Maryland north to New England, west across the Great Lakes states and Canada, from western Montana south in the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico, and from northern California north to Alaska. Although present throughout Pennsylvania (except perhaps in the southwestern corner), the ermine is much scarcer here than the closely related long-tailed weasel.
Adults are 9-15 inches in length, including a 1.6-3.2-inch tail; males are larger and heavier than females. Weights are 1.6-3.7 oz. Both sexes are smaller than corresponding sexes of the long-tailed weasel; a large male ermine is about the same size as a small female long-tailed. The ermine's bushy tail is shorter than that of the long-tailed weasel.
An ermine's pelt consists of soft, short underfur and long, coarse, glossy guard hairs. The sexes are colored alike, and immatures are similar to adults. Albinos are rare.
In summer, an ermine's upper-parts are dark brown, slightly darker on the head and legs. The chin and throat are white, and the underparts are white or cream-colored, extending down the insides of the legs and including the feet. The end third of the brown tail is black. In winter an ermine is white, tinged with yellow on the underparts and back. The tail tip remains black.
 
Beavers are the original wetland construction experts....

Actually, it is a mink.  I have seen it a few times as well.  An ermine is about half the size of a mink.  my guess is that it escaped from somewhere.  I have seen white mink before besides that one, however they were all at a friends mink farm.

ORIGINAL: MuskyMastr

How is it that beavers are damaging to the ecosystem?

 
They meant "Donny Beaver", get it?  Spring Ridge Club.  Little J River.
 
It was a joke.

Please don't let her see the OxyBros thread.  She'll commit you.

No dbout T.T.