River Otters Overview

River otters are one of the most elusive furbearer species in Pennsylvania.

• They get most of their food from the water, relying on their acute senses and a set of long, stiff, sensitive whiskers just behind and below the nose. These whiskers serve as sense organs when the animal is searching for food in murky or turbid water.
• They are fast swimmers, having the ability to travel long distances underwater without coming up for air, and they can stay submerged for many minutes, if necessary. Underwater locomotion is mainly by body movement. The feet and tail are used for steering, and propulsion comes from up-and-down body flexing as opposed to the side-to-side movement of a swimming fish.
• Otters have their dens on the edges of lakes, rivers, or streams; in muskrat or woodchuck burrows; or in unused or abandoned beaver lodges. Typical dens have an underwater entrance hole, a living space above water level, and several air or exit-entry holes to dry ground.
• Snares for capturing river otters are similar to those set for beavers and must be either partially or fully submerged in water.
  • Partially submerged sets are typically placed where most or all of the snare is below the water’s surface.
  • Fully submerged sets are typically placed directly in a channel constriction, or swim-through, with the loop submerged completely below the water’s surface.

Harvesting River Otters in Pennsylvania

The harvest of river otters is currently extremely limited in both season and geography in Pennsylvania.

• It is important to take care to make aquatic sets that minimize their capture in units where their take is prohibited.
• Trappers should carefully review the current Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest to determine where and when river otters may be legally taken.