We have a creek that stays full but is overcome with cat tails and they are starting to turn most of it into marsh and will soon take completely over and the creek will be no more. We are desperate. The creek is only on our land and no other water source is any where around. We are VERY Desperate and wondering where a guy can get a male and female Nutria. I know what damage they have done in other places but there is a lot here and know they wont go anywhere else because more than likely they wont make the coyotes and bobcats on their travel anyway. Please advise me where I might buy or get some.

SE Texas waterways are full of 'em ... go trap a few outta Taylors Bayou just outta Port Arthur. Just outside the JD Murpree Wildlife Refuge would be a good place to start. Might call some of the local hunting guides there too.

Bad thing about nutria, is that they typically don't eat what you want them to. They eat what they want to! If you have levees/dams on local ponds or streams, these destructive little fellers will weaken them. But if your set on gettin you sum, contact any county ag agent down here in southeast TX, and ask them about how to go about getting them. You'll be better off with 2 adults also, 'cause the little ones are too easily domesticated, which would make em easy pickens for your coyotes and bobcats. My brother had a girlfriend in high school had 2 of em for pets.

I see them on conroe all the time.... destructive rats.... I got a coon-[censored] friend here in oilfield work and he says they taste good... I will pass....

Come on down to San Angelo and set a couple of live traps in any puddle of water around. We'll give all the water rats you want.

Follow some as mentioned, they are very destructive.

Saw one on Lavon yesterday.

Saw a guy skin one once, when I asked what it tasted like he just shrugged and said..."bout like owl".

We got some pretty good sized ones here on G-Vine

I know Fork used to have alot of em. Used to see em on Amistad a few years ago but not so much anymore

Have you tried spraying a herbicide?

Heck theres so many that the best way to spray them would be from the air

sent
you a PM. Looks like physical removal of the rhizomes(roots) or chemical treatments are the best options.

Kyle

Thanks Kyle.

I have one in the pond behind my house, and sometimes he comes up in the back porch. They are everywhere over here.

Any chineese BUFFETT will feature them !!!!!!! hahahaahahahaaha

Martin Creek used to have a lot of nutria around. I don't know about now. As far as Cat Tails...they are edible. Maybe you can get some people interested in wild plants to give them a try for cooking, and eating, thus taking care of the problem. Just a thought...

http://www.edibleplants.com/month/cattail.htm

I've got a few Hippos for sale.

Lake Fork!!! White oak creek is full of them. Just bump any stump and they will fall out. Have you a dip net ready and there you go!!

I've seen beavers and some sort of slender otter on the rocks.

this is a nutria. Are you sure it was one?

If so that's interesting. i love seeing the wildlife while out fishing.

Nothing but big rats!

Sorry, but you are nuts if you move nutria onto your place. I don't shoot many animals, but nutria are toast if I see them.

Basically an overgrown steroid rat.

Won't spread to new area? Coyotes keep them in check?
Try to sell that story in Lousianna

My first up close encounter with a nutria occured below Lake Winnsboro dam many years ago while duck hunting. Pre-dawn, waste deep, waiting for first light. Saw a wake in the water heading straight for me. First thought through my mind, 'gator! Needless to say I emptied my shotgun only to find out at light that it was a big rat. Needless to say nutria's are high on my mortality list.

Use to, before the tree huggers ran the world so much (30+ years ago), we'd hunt em at night with .22's. Head shot would get you $3-$5 a pelt and you didn't have to skin them. Sold 67 one morning after a night cruisin in a 15' Alumaweld flatbottom with a 25hp Evinrude. I knew a guy who killed over 300 one night(airboat). If these numbers tell you anything it should be that these rodents are hugely prolific.

BTW, the furrier we sold our rats to would turn around and sell their skinned carcasses to alligator farms for feed for the reptiles. Then, for some reason, the fur market collapsed!

They provide me with some good old fashioned fun in between hunting seasons. When I'm stuck in Houston, there's a few local golf courses that have tons of them. Sneak on at night with a high-powered pellet gun, and shoot them in the head! On a clear night with a full or half moon, you don't even need a light. Lots of fun. Scratches the itch.

Incidentally, there's a little community pond on the side of 59 in Sugarland that has more nutria per square foot of water than I have ever seen. Was fishing the pond once when some old timer in a beat up pickup pulled up and started heaving bread and tortiallas out on to the bank. Before I knew it, hundreds of nutria of all sizes were appearing out of nowhere and swarming the offerings. I shuddered, packed up, and went home. Nasty creatures...

Better check with TPWD before going ahead with that one. You could possibly be in big trouble and a big fine.

Not 100% on that but anytime one starts messing with exotics it's best to check the law first.

Now that's funny right there!

Not in Vegas !!!

some sort of slender otter on the rocks.

probably a mink.

Back in the late 70's we did the same thing, like the above post behind the dam of Lake Winnsboro there were ton's
of those critters. The northern end had a bunch too, I've shot some bigg'uns up wards to 40-lbs back in the day. Skinned all mine,
just like a beaver actually, not much difference in the pelts. I had it down to around 10-12 mins a hide at one time, that's eyebrows,ears,and whiskers.
They made some really kewl hats for winter.. Now I have a place in Penson on Lake Fork, there used to be a lot in there, not any more between myself and few neighbors we culled out over 70 in last 2-years. They will dig up under your bank and create huge cave-ins and holes at the water line..

Defoliation thru better chemicals is what I say... Get some agent orange