The Western SD Fur Harvesters Association is requesting that all SD resident and any non resident trappers please support the delisting of River otters in SD. This is the first item that our game commission needs to approve to eventually establish a River Otter season in SD. This will be discussed and voted on next week as their meeting is May 7th and 8th.
Game and fish has been monitoring river otter populations in eastern SD and they are doing quite well.
Submitting your opinion is very easy on SD Game, Fish and parks web site.
Once you are on their home page you need to click on "Commission" which is at the very top of the page.
On the next page in the very left column click on "Submit Public Comment".
Next will be a request of your name, address etc.
Next you will be ask to choose the topic which you will select "River Otter Delisting".
Next you will need to click on "Support" for the delisting.
Its pretty self explanatory and not difficult to complete.
It will ask "if you are a robot" before you click on "Submit" and you are done!
You will need to do this before Monday morning. All public comments have to be submitted a minimum of 72 hours before the commissioners meet to be included in the meeting. I assume that the GF&P staff needs that amount of time to prepare for the meeting.
Thank you in advance for supporting trapping in SD.
Larry Bowden
Western SD Fur Harvesters Association
SD GF&P Coordinator

I can't even trap beaver here on the Niobrara as there are more otters than beaver. Gubmint knows best though.

Larry: Thanks for the post, all of us SD need to get on this ASAP! Anytime we have a chance to extend trapping we need to jump on the opportunity!

You are welcome Bison 88 and I agree 100% with your comment about possibly increasing trapping opportunities.
I recommend reading the proposal that GF&P has presented to the commission. Under "supportive information" there is some really good information. Also some very good literature on verified sightings and reproduction. Plus detailed information on the 5 year plan written in 2012. I had never heard about the Santee Sioux tribe releasing 35 river otters along the Big Sioux river in 1998 or 99.
SD GF&P staff did a good job and should be acknowledged for their research and this proposal.

ours here are devastating our rivers and can't trap them either.feel for ya's

PRC2, Why won't they allow you to trap them? They need to be managed.

done!

Here is the link.
https://gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions/

Time is getting short if you haven't entered your comment to the SD GF&P commissioners about the river otter delisting. Please consider doing it by this evening so the commissioner will get your opinion for this weeks meeting.
Thanks,
Larry

Done! Thanks for the heads up.

Done yesterday.

Does SD allow non res to trap?

Yes