Beavers and River Otters

Beavers

These laws and regulations apply to beavers.

It is unlawful to destroy, disturb, or interfere with a beaver dam or house. It is also unlawful to place, check, rest, or tend a snare on or within 15 feet of an established beaver dam or house.
Trappers may use only raw, native wood or stone material to direct the travel of beavers.
Persons trapping beavers may set, tend, or operate a maximum combined total of 20 traps or snares combined statewide, no more than 10 of which may be traps, and only two traps may be body-gripping traps except in designated wildlife management units.

These laws and regulations apply to river otters.

A river otter permit is required to trap this species in Pennsylvania.
Trappers may use only raw, native wood or stone material to direct the travel of river otters.
When a river otter is harvested:
- Trappers must complete and attach the carcass tag supplied with the permit before moving the animal and must report the harvest to the Game Commission within 24 hours.
- The carcass tag must remain in place until a Convention of the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) tag is attached, or until the animal is mounted, tanned, made into commercial fur, or prepared for consumption.
It is unlawful for persons trapping river otters to set, tend, or operate more than a combined total of five traps and snares, no more than two of which may be body-gripping traps.