Some of you may have heard that the first river otter trapping season of modern times in North Dakota closed in early December. The season opened back on November 27 and closed on December 4 when the statewide limit of 15 animals had been taken.
That was a short season!
Most everyone is familiar with beaver and muskrat on North Dakota waters. But I suspect that few among us were aware that there are river otters in the state. Fewer yet have ever seen one. That may soon change.
River otters are native to North Dakota, but little is known about their historical distribution and abundance. Vernon Bailey in his A Biological Survey of North Dakota (1926) noted that Lewis and Clark mentioned them in their journals. Alexander Henry the Younger also traded for otter skins at his trading post on the Park River in the early 1800’s. So, the species likely inhabited at least the upper Missouri River and the Red River and their tributaries.
Bailey also noted that by the late 1800’s otter were observed around the Valley City area, assumedly on the Sheyenne River. They were also observed around Devils Lake, and were reported to be common in the Turtle Mountains. Bailey’s observations, however, end in 1915, and harvesting river otters was prohibited in 1920. Not much had changed until recently.
According to Robert Seabloom’s Mammals of North Dakota (2011) reports of river otter began again in the 1960’s. Most reports, however, were made in the early 2000’s. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department subsequently verified river otters in Grand Forks, Griggs, Nelson, Pembina, Ransom, Steele, Stutsman, Trail, Walsh, and Wells counties. It seemed apparent that the species was making a comeback.
Then in 2016 the Game and Fish Department announced that it was considering a limited trapping season on river otter for 2017. So, on November 27 the first limited trapping season for river otter in over ninety years commenced. And it lasted only eight days!
The river otter is back! With careful management, perhaps the population will continue to increase and expand their range. Then one day soon, we may be able to occasionally watch and enjoy this interesting North Dakota native.
Chuck Lura
Natural North Dakota is supported by NDSU Central Grasslands Research Extension Center and Dakota College at Bottineau, and by the members of Prairie Public. Thanks to Sunny 101.9 in Bottineau for their recording services.
