We are proposing to our wildlife commission tomorrow to lengthen water trapping season through March in Kentucky. The thrust of it is for beaver but I would like to know what your states law is concerning incidental otter particularly and also mink and rats.
The otter seems to be the concern that may hold it up.
Does your state require otters to be turned in if caught during an open beaver season where they are not? Particularly Tennessee and states that are near Ky.
Would appreciate input in the next few hours. Thanks.

Our beaver and Otter seasons used to be aligned.Both ended May 15.Then they shortened the otter season in some jurisdictions to April 30.We argued that trappers do not target otters in the spring season,as the fur is low to no value.The reason the seasons were aligned was to allow use of and recording of incidental otters caught during the spring beaver season in beaver sets.We were successful in being allowed to posess and record all incidental otters caught during the 2 weeks that the otter season is now closed in May.
We are not however allowed to set specifically for otter during the two weeks in May when Otter season is closed but beaver is opened.

Ours runs concurrent but in the southern part of the state we are only allowed one per season. Incidental tags must be put ON any additional ones caught and turned in to the DNR

I also carry incidental tags while doing ADC works so I can tag any otter and provide them to DNR if caught

I’ve only had to incidental tag one and that was about a month ago

Not close to TN or KY but in NJ...

Beaver and otter permits are by lottery only. Only 200 beaver and 146 otter permits are issued. Beaver permits are issued for use in a specific zone. NJ is divided into 30 zones.

Permit holders may use 5 traps daily for beaver and 3 traps daily for otter. Bag limits: 8 beaver per permit, 1 otter total - per season.

"All otters harvested incidentally by beaver trappers (i.e., trappers possessing a beaver permit but not an otter permit) must be fully surrendered to the Division of Fish and Wildlife. The entire carcass, including the pelt, must be surrendered."

I was thinking something along the lines of being required to turn in the otter jaw at least to get a tag if one is accidentally taken. They say they need more data on otters anyway. Beaver is seemingly no problem in March and mink and rats have never been mentioned. I don’t know if the otter issue is because they’re a CITES animal or if they’re cute sliding around in the snow chittering with the fake animal noises on Disney. They’ve caused many problems here between boat owners at docks, farm pond owners, fish hatcheries and complaints of less fish in the streams.

Trappers here often trap in remote areas and would not travel from camp to town,sometimes a long distance just to turn in an incidental otter.They would be turfed.MNR realizes this and that is why we are allowed to keep/sell incidentals.This way they can be recorded and counted.

Illinois otter season runs through March 31?

I can't even trap beaver here for fear of catching an otter. As far as I know NE hasn't even considered an otter season. There's plenty.

In Wisconsin our otter and beaver seasons run concurrently. Our otter are a lottery system with tags issued by the DNR, with everyone that applies getting at least one, with some getting two. Any others caught out of season or by a trapper without a tag must be turned over to the DNR and can't be kept by the trapper.

Sounds like we will be moving to a bag limit on otter instead of tags and a lottery, but that is still in the works.

Incidental muskrats caught in beaver traps may be kept, but mink must be turned over to the DNR. Figure that one out. There's also a push to allow trappers to keep incidental raccoons caught in beaver traps, but that's still in the works. I don't set for beaver anymore since there aren't many nearby, but I have caught both incidental muskrat and coon in beaver sets.