PIERRE The 2024 river otter season harvest limit of 20 otters was reached on Nov. 12 at 3:30 p.m. central time and the season is now closed.
Harvesting river otters by hunting is illegal now that the harvest limit has been reached.
Now, any harvested river otter is considered an incidental take and must be surrendered to GFP.
If the incidentally trapped river otter is alive, the trapper must immediately release the river otter and should notify a GFP representative.
If the incidentally captured river otter is found dead in a trap, the trapper is required to leave the river otter undisturbed and contact a GFP representative within 12 hours.
All river otter pelts must be tagged through the eyeholes with a CITES tag provided by GFP within five days of harvest and the carcass must be surrendered to GFP.
A person may only possess, purchase, or sell raw river otter pelts tagged by GFP or, if taken from another jurisdiction, properly and securely tagged with a tag supplied by the governmental entity issuing the license. If the governmental entity issuing the license does not issue a tag, other proof that the river otter has been lawfully taken is required.
South Dakotas river otter trapping season began at sunrise on Nov. 1 and marked the fifth season in the state. This trapping season was initiated in 2020 to create a new and exciting opportunity for trappers during the fall.
For more information about the river otter season, visit the GFP website at gfp.sd.gov/river-otter/.
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