Indiana Administrative Code
Title 312 - NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION
Article 9 - FISH AND WILDLIFE
Rule 3 - Mammals
Section 3-18.2 - River otters

Universal Citation: 312 IN Admin Code 3-18.2

Current through March 20, 2024

Authority: IC 14-10-2-4; IC 14-22-2-6

Affected: IC 14-22

Sec. 18.2.

(a) An individual may trap a river otter (Lutra canadensis) from November 15 through March 15 of the following year. An individual who sets a trap for a river otter must be at least ten (10) years old, unless the individual has passed a state-certified trapper education course.

(b) In order to trap a river otter, an individual must possess one (1) of the following valid Indiana trapping licenses or be exempt from needing a license as authorized in IC 14-22-11-1:

(1) Resident yearly trapping license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(4).

(2) Nonresident yearly trapping license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(7).

(3) Resident youth consolidated hunting, trapping, and fishing license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(24) or IC 14-22-11-10(b).

(4) Nonresident youth yearly trapping license under IC 14-22-12-1(a)(26).

(5) Lifetime basic trapping license under IC 14-22-12-7(a)(6) before its repeal.

(c) An individual must not take more than two (2) river otters per season. An individual that sets the trap that caught the river otter must count the river otter toward his or her season limit.

(d) An individual that kills a river otter:

(1) during the season after the individual's bag limit has been reached;

(2) after the statewide quota has been reached;

(3) in a county where the season is not open; or

(4) outside the season;

must notify the department within forty-eight (48) hours of killing the otter and make arrangements to give that river otter to the department. An individual who traps a river otter alive and does not include it in that individual's bag limit must release the river otter into the wild in the location in which it was captured immediately upon discovery or notification that a river otter has been caught in the trap.

(e) An individual must not trap river otters except in a county the director designates on an annual basis by temporary rule.

(f) Annually, the director shall establish by temporary rule the statewide quota for river otters that may be taken during a season. The director may close the season established under subsection (a) by temporary rule upon a determination that the allowable harvest of river otters for the year has been reached.

(g) An individual who takes a river otter must report the take or cause the reporting of the take by providing the information required on the department's electronic harvest reporting system within twenty-four (24) hours of the taking of the river otter. The individual who reports the take on the department's electronic harvest reporting system must provide true and accurate information. The confirmation number provided by the electronic harvest reporting system must be maintained with the river otter until the river otter is checked in with a designated department employee or at an official river otter checking station.

(h) An individual who takes a river otter during the trapping season must retain possession of the river otter and cause delivery of the skinned hide and carcass, including the head, of the river otter to a designated department employee or official river otter checking station within fifteen (15) days after the month of harvest. The department employee must:

(1) issue a tag and attach it to each hide in accordance with 50 CFR 23.69; and

(2) maintain possession of the skinned river otter carcass (not the hide).

(i) A river otter, including the hide and any other part or portion, taken during the trapping season must not be:

(1) sold;

(2) traded;

(3) bartered;

(4) gifted;

(5) transferred to a taxidermist or any other person; or

(6) shipped;

until registered through the department's electronic registration system and issued a tag by a department employee in accordance with subsection (h).

(j) After registering the river otter and obtaining the tag from the department in accordance with this section, an individual who takes a river otter may:

(1) sell;

(2) trade;

(3) barter;

(4) ship; or

(5) otherwise transfer;

the hide of a river otter in accordance with this section and 50 CFR 23.69.

(k) An individual may possess the untanned hide of a river otter that was lawfully obtained at any time of year.

(l) An individual must not possess a live river otter except as follows:

(1) With a wild animal rehabilitation permit under 312 IAC 9-10-9.

(2) With a scientific purposes license under 312 IAC 9-10-6.

(3) With a nuisance wild animal control permit under 312 IAC 9-10-11.

(4) By a registered or licensed educational or scientific institution with the United States Department of Agriculture in accordance with 9 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter A, Parts I through IV.

(5) By a breeder, dealer, or exhibitor license issued by the United States Department of Agriculture under 9 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter A, Parts I through IV.

(m) An individual must not sell a live river otter unless that person has a breeder, dealer, or exhibitor license issued by the United States Department of Agriculture under 9 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter A, Parts I through IV.

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