Minnesota Bill Seeks to Modify Use of Certain Hunting Traps that Could Harm Dogs

[Rick]

Minnesota Bill Seeks to Modify Use of Certain Hunting Traps that Could Harm Dogs, Require Reporting Impacts on Companion Animals

A bill pending in the Minnesota Senate seeks to modify requirements for and uses of certain traps used in hunting, and would require the reporting of pets or companion animals discovered to have been ensnared.

The bill, Senate File 1325, will be considered by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee’s Subcommittee on Fish and Wildlife at 4PM on Monday, March 9. All owners and enthusiasts are encouraged to contact the members of the committee (listed below) and express their thoughts on the legislation.

Outdoor Minnesota encourages and strongly supports the interaction and mutual enjoyment of owners and dogs in sporting activities such as hunting and field trials; in working circumstances such as herding, tracking, and pulling and other performance events and tests.

Outdoor Minnesota believes that dogs should be properly cared for, humanely trained, and not pushed beyond reasonable limits for which they were bred.

Outdoor Minnesota supports measures that help ensure the safety of dogs participating in such activities.

As introduced, SF 1325 would:

• Modify the acceptable uses of body-gripping traps.

• Limit a person from setting or placing a trap or snare on private property, other than property owned or occupied by the person, unless the person has the written permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee of the private property.

• Require a person who finds a pet or companion animal taken in the person’s trap or snare to notify a conservation officer or employee of the Fish and Wildlife Division within 24 hours after the animal is discovered by the person or the taking is reported to the person. Failure to do so would result in a misdemeanor and loss of license.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Concerned Minnesota residents are encouraged to contact the members of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee’s Fish and Wildlife Subcommittee, and let them know your thoughts on SF 1325.

State Senator Matt Schmit, Subcommittee Chair – [email protected]

State Senator David M. Brown – [email protected]

State Senator Chris A. Eaton – [email protected]

State Senator John A. Hoffman – [email protected]

State Senator David J. Osmek – [email protected]

[Snowshoes]

Here in MN we are having a conflict with body grip traps and dogs. Many other states haven proven with safer regulations on restricitive openings, elevation and trap recess distances that the body grip traps and dogs can coexist. We currently have bills that call for safer placement regs and they need to hear support. The AKC supports these bills as well as the Ruffed Grouse Society.

http://www.akc.org/government-relations/legislative-alerts/minnesota-senate-file-1325-update/

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/298486391.html

There's been several high profile deaths of dogs. Hunting dogs, lost dogs, ppl walking in the woods with their dogs unleashed in the Body Grip traps this yr, as well as Kobe who was blinded surviving 2-3 days in one. The only thing that saved his life was the trapper who reported it and the fact that he started wagging his tail when the CO approached him while he was in the trap. He was lucky! The traps are designed to kill quickly and those who were able to release their dogs in a few minutes, still ended up administering CPR.

If these bills fail in this legislative session, we will NEED to have more high profile dog deaths the next hunting/trapping season to gain momentum again on another bill.

SF 1325 and it's Companion Bill HF 1655 are stalled. The legislative session ends May 18th.

Nothing is going to happen unless PF comes out in support like RGS did and ppl contact their district's reps. You can keep it simple and short. And also contact the ppl listed below.

http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/

Non Residents and residents should send letters to the following ppl. I've had many of my out of state friends write them and state that they will choose to hunt WI and MI over MN because they have safer regs to minimize the risk to bird dogs.

HF 1655

House Rep Tom Hackbarth. Chairman of the Mining and Outdoor Recreation Policy committee, has refused to hear HF 1655

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sendmail/mailtomember.aspx…

House Representative Dave Dill

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sendmail/mailtomember.aspx…

House Rep Denny McNamara. He took part in the "awning" regulation. A reg that no other state tried----South Dakota Regs on Body Grips specifically state trap recess distance CANNOT be measured from the awning, ours are.

Here's McNamara's quote in 2012 on the ineffective "awning" reg that he played a huge part in putting in place

"We've got to be honest: We don't know how it's going to work," said state Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, who chaired the House committee that held hearings on the issue and who supported the restrictions proposed by the trappers. "We're going have to see if they provide adequate protection. I don't know how we define that, but we're going to have to figure it out. We'll re-evaluate if need be."

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sendmail/mailtomember.aspx…

SF 1325

Senate Majority Leader Senator Tom Bakk. Longtime MN Trappers Association member, has stalled the bill in the Senate.

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1003&ls=

Thank you for anything that you can do.

[Snowshoes]

Sorry. I see not all the links copied fully.

Here in MN we are having a conflict with body grip traps and dogs. Many other states haven proven with safer regulations on restricitive openings, elevation and trap recess distances that the body grip traps and dogs can coexist. We currently have bills that call for safer placement regs and they need to hear support. The AKC supports these bills as well as the Ruffed Grouse Society.

http://www.akc.org/government-relations/legislative-alerts/minnesota-senate-file-1325-update/

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/298486391.html

There's been several high profile deaths of dogs. Hunting dogs, lost dogs, ppl walking in the woods with their dogs unleashed in the Body Grip traps this yr, as well as Kobe who was blinded surviving 2-3 days in one. The only thing that saved his life was the trapper who reported it and the fact that he started wagging his tail when the CO approached him while he was in the trap. He was lucky! The traps are designed to kill quickly and those who were able to release their dogs in a few minutes, still ended up administering CPR.

If these bills fail in this legislative session, we will NEED to have more high profile dog deaths the next hunting/trapping season to gain momentum again on another bill.

SF 1325 and it's Companion Bill HF 1655 are stalled. The legislative session ends May 18th.

Nothing is going to happen unless PF comes out in support like RGS did and ppl contact their district's reps. You can keep it simple and short. And also contact the ppl listed below.

http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/

Non Residents and residents should send letters to the following ppl. I've had many of my out of state friends write them and state that they will choose to hunt WI and MI over MN because they have safer regs to minimize the risk to bird dogs.

HF 1655

House Rep Tom Hackbarth. Chairman of the Mining and Outdoor Recreation Policy committee, has refused to hear HF 1655

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sendmail/mailtomember.aspx?id=10229

House Representative Dave Dill

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sendmail/mailtomember.aspx?id=10761

House Rep Denny McNamara. He took part in the "awning" regulation. A reg that no other state tried----South Dakota Regs on Body Grips specifically state trap recess distance CANNOT be measured from the awning, ours are.

Here's McNamara's quote in 2012 on the ineffective "awning" reg that he played a huge part in putting in place

"We've got to be honest: We don't know how it's going to work," said state Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, who chaired the House committee that held hearings on the issue and who supported the restrictions proposed by the trappers. "We're going have to see if they provide adequate protection. I don't know how we define that, but we're going to have to figure it out. We'll re-evaluate if need be."

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sendmail/mailtomember.aspx?id=10776

SF 1325

Senate Majority Leader Senator Tom Bakk. Longtime MN Trappers Association member, has stalled the bill in the Senate.

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1003&ls=

Thank you for anything that you can do.

[delcecchi]

Rick, what you posted sounds reasonable but could you summarize the proposed modifications to the use of traps?

[Kyhl]

I used to hunt public land but don't any more. My wife would not let me through the door if I returned without a dog.

Pheasant season is long. Has anyone floated the idea adjusting the seasons so that traps and dogs are not occupying the same grounds at the same time? Maybe close birds sooner and open trapping later?

Or maybe limit the use of body grip while the seasons overlap?

Seems like a simpler solution to me.

[delcecchi]

Looks like the bill now applies on private land as well as public land.

here is the text....

Quote:

1.1 A bill for an act

1.2 relating to game and fish; modifying requirements for certain traps; requiring

1.3 certain permission for traps and snares set; requiring reporting; requiring

1.4 license forfeiture for certain violations; providing criminal penalties; amending

1.5 Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 97A.421, subdivision 1; 97B.903; proposing

1.6 coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 97B.

1.7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 97A.421, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

1.9 Subdivision 1. General. (a) The annual license of a person convicted of a violation

1.10 of the game and fish laws relating to the license or wild animals covered by the license

1.11 is void when:

1.12 (1) a second conviction occurs within three years under a license to trap fur-bearing

1.13 animals, take small game, or to take fish by angling or spearing;

1.14 (2) a third conviction occurs within one year under a minnow dealer's license;

1.15 (3) a second conviction occurs within three years for violations of section 97A.425

1.16 that do not involve falsifications or intentional omissions of information required to be

1.17 recorded, or attempts to conceal unlawful acts within the records;

1.18 (4) two or more misdemeanor convictions occur within a three-year period under a

1.19 private fish hatchery license;

1.20 (5) the conviction occurs under a license not described in clause (1), (2), or (4) or is

1.21 for a violation of section 97A.425 not described in clause (3); or

1.22 (6) the conviction is related to assisting a person in the illegal taking, transportation,

1.23 or possession of wild animals, when acting as a hunting or angling guide; or

1.24 (7) the conviction occurs for not reporting a taking under section 97B.930, paragraph

1.25 (a).

Section 1. 1

2.1 ( Except for big game licenses and as otherwise provided in this section, for one

2.2 year after the conviction the person may not obtain the kind of license or take wild

2.3 animals under a lifetime license, issued under section 97A.473 or 97A.474, relating to

2.4 the game and fish law violation.

2.5 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 97B.903, is amended to read:

2.6 97B.903 USE OF BODY-GRIPPING TRAPS.

2.7 A person may not set, place, or operate, except as a waterset that is completely

2.8 submerged, a body-gripping or conibear-type trap on public lands and waters that has a

2.9 maximum jaw opening when set greater than 6-1/2 5-1/2 inches and less than 7-1/2 inches

2.10 or less measured from the inside edges of the body-gripping portions of the jaws, unless:

2.11 (1) the trap is in a baited or unbaited enclosure securely fastened in an upright

2.12 position with an opening on top that is 50 square inches or less, and the top of the

2.13 enclosure a minimum of four feet above the ground or ice, and the trap trigger is recessed

2.14 seven into enclosure 12 inches or more from below the top and frontmost portion of the

2.15 open end of the enclosure;

2.16 (2) the trap is in a baited or unbaited enclosure with an opening that is 25 square

2.17 inches or less, the trap trigger is recessed 12 inches or more from the closest edge of the

2.18 opening of the enclosure, and the opening is placed on the top or side of the enclosure;

2.19 (2) (3) no bait, lure, or other attractant is placed within 20 feet of the trap, and the

2.20 trap is placed in an enclosure no larger than eight inches wide and eight inches tall with

2.21 openings restricted to no higher than four inches from the ground and the trap is no closer

2.22 than 18 inches from any opening and the enclosure is securely fastened or weighted to

2.23 the ground; or

2.24 (3) (4) the trap is elevated at least three five feet above the surface of the ground

2.25 or snowpack.

2.26 Sec. 3. [97B.929] PLACING TRAPS OR SNARES ON PRIVATE LAND;

2.27 WRITTEN PERMISSION REQUIRED.

2.28 A person may not set or place a trap or snare on private property, other than property

2.29 owned or occupied by the person, unless the person has the written permission of the

2.30 owner, occupant, or lessee of the private property. This section includes, but is not limited

2.31 to, written permission to access private property from waters of the state when the trap

2.32 or snare is placed or staked in the water.

Sec. 3. 2

SF1325 REVISOR CKM S1325-2 2nd Engrossment

3.1 Sec. 4. [97B.930] REPORTING DOG OR COLLARED ANIMALS TAKEN;

3.2 ANNUAL REPORT; LICENSE REVOCATION.

3.3 (a) A person who finds a dog or collared animal taken in the person's trap or snare

3.4 must notify a conservation officer or employee of the Fish and Wildlife Division within

3.5 24 hours after the animal is discovered by the person or the taking is reported to the

3.6 person. A person who violates this paragraph is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject

3.7 to section 97A.421.

3.8 ( By March 1 each year, the commissionershall report to the legislature, as provided

3.9 in section 3.195, on the takings reported under paragraph (a) for the previous calendar year.

3.10 © A person who kills a dog or collared animal and is convicted of setting an illegal

3.11 body grip trap or snare, shall lose their annual trapping license and lose the ability to

3.12 obtain a license to trap for a minimum of five years.

[Rick]

I would not be a happy camper if one of my dogs were caught in one of those traps. That being said, I wholeheartedly support trapping. I hope they find a way to make it safer for our dogs in the field.