Removing otters from the protected species list in Wyoming doesn’t mean that hunters and trappers can start killing them anytime soon, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
House Bill 45, repealing otters’ protected species status, passed the Legislatureand was signed into law by Gov. Mark Gordon on Feb. 24.
That means otters are classified as nongame animals – a status they share with such species as black-footed ferrets and swift foxes, according to Game and Fish.
Despite the reclassification, otters still can’t be hunted or trapped by the public in Wyoming.
At one time, otters had been nearly killed off in the Lower 48. They had been classified as a protected species in Wyoming since 1943. That meant Game and Fish couldn’t manage them.
Their reclassification as a nongame animals gives the agency more options.
“The new designation allows the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to use strategies such as deterrence, mitigation and relocation to benefit otter populations. It also allows lethal removal as a last resort,” according to a statement from the agency.
Otter Trapping Might Eventually Happen
The door might eventually open for otters to be legally trapped here, as they are in other states.
But that probably won’t be for a long time, and it should be strictly regulated, avid trapper John Eckman of Greybull told Cowboy State Daily.
“As they gain in population, they (Game and Fish) will probably have to implement a trapping season at some time,” said Eckman, who is vice president of the Wyoming Trapper’s Association.
“They can’t just do a knee-jerk reaction and say, ‘We need to knock the otter number back right now.’ That’s not in line with the North American model of game management,” he added.
Rep. Mike Schmid, R-La Barge, who is also a trapper, said he doesn’t plan on trapping otters for a long while.
“I don’t see trapping otters happening anytime soon. I think now that the Game and Fish can manage them, they will have the ability to really study and research them, which should give them a better idea of population numbers,” he said.
If and when an otter trapping season opens, it shouldn’t be a free-for-all, Schmid added.
“I think it will take them quite some time before they could ever recommend a trapping season. Then if they ever do I think it would be a very controlled and permitted season, similar to how the Game and Fish manages beaver trapping today,” he said.
Water Wolves
One reason to trap otters is that that they gorge on fish, Eckman said.
So when the otter population gets high enough, it can really put a dent in prize fisheries, he said.
“One of their biggest prey species is trout. Not just trout, but fish in general. They can really decimate a fish population if they’re left unchecked,” he said.
For instance, trapping is allowed in some Southern States, where otters are notorious for raiding fish farms, Eckman said.
“The call them the ‘water wolf’ for a reason,” he said.
Otter pelts are also valuable.
“It’s a very strong, tough fur. Very durable,” Eckman said, so it’s good for making items such as hats and gloves.
Eckman said otters are still rare where he lives. He’s seen only one so far in the Greybull area.
But he’s glad that they’re bouncing back back in Wyoming.
“It’s another success story in conservation. The species has come back and might reach manageable numbers someday,” he said.
When Otters Attack
Otters are generally regarded as adorable, but they can also be fierce. Attacks on humans are rare, but not unheard of.
In August of 2023, an otter attacked three women floating on inner tubes on the Jefferson River in Montana. One was bitten so badly, she had to be hospitalized.
An otter attack was reported in 2021 on the Big Hole River in Montana and in 2013 near West Yellowstone, Montana, on the Madison River.
And about 12 years ago, there was a report of an otter attacking boys who were floating on a river near La Barge.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
