Otter Latrines
 

Yes, otter latrines.

That's not something I came up with, but rather the given term for a spot where an otter poops and leaves others "signs" (namely, slimy mucous-laden discharge). It's actually more that a bathroom, it's a way they mark their territory.

Well, our boathouse has been designated a latrine for the past four or five years. I first noticed it one fall when I arrived to find a bunch of scat, which had been purposely deposited on an 8x8 beam I use to support a small boat over the slip during the winter. Although I didn't know what had left it, I assumed it was some kind of mink/weasel-type character, as it had a lot of fish scales. I cleaned it up and forgot about it.

Come spring, there was more. Quite a bit of it, too. And smelly -- kind of musky and fishy. Muskrat? Perhaps -- I've seen them around the area. Mink? I'm skeptical -- they've always been along our shore, and we've never seen them in the boathouse. And, besides, some of these poops were way too large for a little weasel.

Anyway, it's continued over the years, and not only during the fall and winter. Over the past two years, the frequency has increased. In September, as I was "closing up," I mentioned to my dad that we hadn't been visited in a month or two...which he confirmed. The next morning, there was the biggest "display" ever -- and I must've just missed the critter, because there were fresh, wet footprint all over the inside of the boathouse, and lots of fresh signs.

So I did a little more online research and found that this is quite typical of otters. There was even one site that mentioned boathouses being used as latrines in Michigan or Minnesota.

Okay -- now I'll cut to the chase. When closing up in September, I purposely left one life jacket in the boathouse for those times I swing by and want to take a paddle in the canoe. Last Saturday, my daughter and I made a little detour on our way back from Montreal, and stopped by to check on the place and take a paddle on the quiet Lake.

Well, we found that my mischievous, scat-happy pal had found a new "latrine" -- the lifejacket, which had been removed from a hook (I have no idea how he/she got it down) was covered with scat.

Does anyone else have such fun with otters? Have you ever seen them? He's like a phantom at our place -- comes in the night and leaves before we ever catch him in the act.

Same problem, but with beavers
 

Our friends had the same problem with a beaver using their boathouse as a latrine in the offseason as well as trying to build a dam in the boatslip. They solved the problem by putting a radio on a timer and having it blare loud music during the day. The beaver obviously didn't like the station they selected and the problem went away.

Same problem
 

Our offender is a mink. Makes a disgusting mess of the boathouse!

That's what I was thinking at first, but the size of some of these droppings, coupled with the wet footprints (larger than a mink) lead me to think otter -- even though I've never seen one on the Lake.

Then again, most people have never seen a rock bass in the Lake. (Bonus points requested for referencing dated, tired, old-school forum controversy...)

Chipmunks and the like seem to enjoy making home under the hood of my son's summer only vehicle. Solution was to put moth balls in a can at a few places and the problem was solved.

Perhaps this is an inexpensive solution?

There are no rock bass in the lake! Especially there are no rock bass near the Lady of the Lake.

Rock Bass
 

Next year I guess we're just going to have to "fish" one of those guys off of the Lady of the Lake and have it positively identified. Specifically, where would one take "the fish" to be positively identified?

Take it to me. I'll positively ID the fish, and then feed it to my otter.

Fish
 

I believe that huge school of fish around the "Lady" are white perch.