Lets talk Nutria

M

Michael J. McCasland

New member
I know that this is not exactly Presdator hunting, but I don't exactly know where else to place this. These are also concidered to be BIG TIME varmints. From what I understand almost everywhere that they appear they make a mess out of things and in several places they offer a bounty on them. I know that in New Orleans the police are equiped with silenced rifles that they use to take Nutria from the dykes late at night. Soooo whats the scoop. Are these the Prairie Dogs of the future? Does any one hunt them like P.D.s? Are there guide services available? Do you need a guide? Any information?

Michael
 
Nutria are basically a muskrat. They can cause a lot of damage in wetlands. Seems like I heard Florida was having a big problem with them and has allowed them to be harvested and served in restaurants for public consumption. I hear they are very tasty. Here in WA at the moment they fall under the same category as beaver and cannot be taken with a firearm. They are considered a fur bearer and have a trapping season. I guess they are spreading fast and with the new trapping restrictions that have been enacted it is only going to get worse. Might have to start a restaurant. Ha.

Later, Curt
 
Yeah right, Michael. The world's largest rodent, as in "big rat"? Hangs out in jungles, like southern Arizona. Can be called in to the sound of dying broccoli. Bet it tastes like chicken? That right there should disqualify it from being classified as a predator, because predators aren't edible, in the normal sense of the word.

Bulletin: Setting up a ladder in a swamp is sure fire trouble.

Bulletin: main diet of the Brazilian Jaguar; now you're talking (nutria)! Learn the sound of a dying Nutria.....and head south, young man.
(watch your six)

Good hunting. LB
 
Hell, maybe you're right, but they are still big rodents, aren't they. Or is capie...what? is that just Portugese for big rat? As you say, I'm just pulling the man's leg, let's direct the pressure where it is intended. lol
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Good hunting. LB
 
Leonard - Like I said I know that these are not predators, but they are varmints and in Louisiana swamp country, heck anyplace that has water all along the Mississippi and Misouri river systems. They are basicly VERY VERY big semiaquatic rats that were brought here about 100 years ago for the fur and meat trade. Like all things done by man some of them got out. I heard about 18 of them and that number has grown into the millions, yes I said millions. So I am not kidding about the bounty. Game and land management people are haveing a major fit about the spread of these darned things. I heard about this from a friend of mine that had a boy friend (I guess that to be proper he was her signifigant other)who was temporarily teaching college in New Orleans and the nutria problem is well known there. I also was not kidding about the Police Dept. taking an active role in trying to control the population. I guess that these beasts burrow in the river dikes (which dike or is it dyke)weakening them for the next flood. They are also responsible for ruining vast areas of swamp grasses creating what they call nutria flats (big packed mud flats). While visiting her friend they took a guided swamp buggy or is it air boat ride. I guess these guys are regular Austrailian like wildmen and he took them EVERYWHERE and told them everything that they wanted to know. Some of the information was about the nutria problem. I guess that when he isn't taking a client or two out he is fishing, trapping and shooting nutria for their fur, meat and the bounty offered on them. Sounded like fun. Got to making me wonder if there was a possobility to go down there and have some fun hunting nutria.

As far as the calling them remark is concerned, well smart alek I was looking for more of a spot and stalk type of hunt/shoot.
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I was hoping that there might be someone out there in wet country that had some insight about this. And hey what this ladder stuff. I'd bet that a ladder would be better in 3 or 4 feet of water than sitting on the bottom or on a stool. But I could be wrong.
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Michael

Edited for a better more complete story

[This message has been edited by Michael J. McCasland (edited 04-30-2001).]
 
First thing I thought when I saw the title of this thread was that Michael musta got a SHAK-LEE Vitamin distributorship...
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glad to see I was wrong...

However........

I think all you guys are messed up in your nomenclature .....

Youre obvioulsy talking about "Chupacabra"....

http://classes.colgate.edu/GNED339/Chupa/fool.html


Robb

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"Happiness... is a Target-Rich Environment"


[This message has been edited by Robb/Scottsdale/AZ (edited 04-30-2001).]
 
Lay off of Michael. He's taking this (survey) much too seriously.
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I just looked up Nutria in my Random House Dictionary; and it is a large South American aquatic rodent.
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Good hunting. LB
 
Trust me,

Chupacabra is much more interesting...

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Robb

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"Happiness... is a Target-Rich Environment"
(edited for smiley)


[This message has been edited by Robb/Scottsdale/AZ (edited 04-30-2001).]
 
Robb has a good point. Nutria are 8-18 lbs. and are beaver-like. Capybara's weigh up to 100 lbs and look like giant guinea pigs. But no one knows for sure what the Chupacabra looks like. And they're mean too. They like to kill sheep, goats, and sometimes horses. Much more of a challange than giant rats, don't you think?
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Oh, man, when i saw the title, i was thinking vitamins and weight loss, too! There go my dreams of seeing Michael and Fergi together in a TV commercial.

Maybe Michael and Ron Popeil introducing the Ronco Nutria Juicer! Mmmm-MMM!


Robb, this goatsucker thing is absolutely fascinating. Imagine actually bagging one of those beasts! (i've heard of them on the Arizona-Mexico border)
 
OK for a serious answer....
Michael,
Nutria are pretty much a beaver without the paddle tail.They eat trees and clog up drainage pipes just like beavers.The look like a giant rat and get up to about 30lbs.
I have trapped and shot truckloads of them.I have never tried eatin them, and I'm not gonna start unless I'm REAL hungry,sure as heck ain't gonna pay for one at a resturant.

I saw a Marty Stroffer special on ecological mistakes we've made and they were in the same list with rats,starlings,grass carp,and fire ants and a few other critters man has introduced to this part of the country and shouldnt have.
They started out on a fur farm in New Orleans, that got recked by a hurricane and they spread into the swamps.I'm not sure how far they range now, but I know we have alot of them around Dallas.And if you really wanna kill a few your more than welcome to head out here and shoot them till your blue in the face.

Later,
Justin

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http://www.predatormasters.com
 
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Hey Guys,

Here is some info from Texas on Nutria and their history:

"These aquatic rodents are Nutria (Spanish for Otter). Weighing in at 15 to 20 pounds, the Nutria has the head and coat of a beaver, the tail of a rat, webbed hind feet and yellow teeth. It is equally at home in salt water and clear water.

Originally from South America, Nutria were imported from Argentina to Louisiana in 1938. They were brought in by Tabasco tycoon E. A. McIlhenny who maintained them in a fenced enclosure on his Avery Island estate in southern Louisiana. However, in 1941, rising waters from a gulf coast hurricane enabled the nutria to swim out of their compound. Feeding on the abundant plant life in the Louisiana swamps and waterways, they quickly reproduced. They have since spread to many southern states, including Texas. The Woodlands Nutria are believed to have descended from McIllhenny's original imports."


Good Hunting,

Bob C.

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“No man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms, is as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”
Thomas Jefferson, June 1776

[This message has been edited by Calypso (edited 05-06-2001).]
 
OK are you all ready for a laugh. Nutria were brought to Oregon's Willamette Valley and sold for big dollars as the fur animal to replace the mink. Huge pelt prices were quoted and many families were suckered into investing. To make a long and sad story short, they are now all over the place. I have walked small river banks and shot them in the evenings and I have shot them out of canoes. My trapping friend tells me they are up to $8.00 on the fur market now so it may be time to shoot a few more.

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In HIS Service
Scott
 
Some serious movement on this issue. Some questions. Ar there bounties in your necks of the woods yet? Do the habits of the Nutria allow for daytime hunting? This kind of sounds like fun, is it?

Michael
 
I know I've seen them out during daylight and shot them day and night on tanks and creeks.
Sniper, I don't know if you can shoot on the Trinity, but parts of it are loaded with them. They will have a burrow or hole just at the water line. Watch for little ripples in the water along the line. Also check for saplings gnawed on like beavers do. Then you know they are there.They really explode when hit with BT's doing 3600 from the ol' .243!

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B.Pierce
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