This bill modifies existing trapping provisions in Minnesota's game and fish laws. It establishes that trapping seasons for fur-bearing animals will begin at sunrise on the designated opening day. The bill amends section 97B.931 to allow individuals to use portable artificial lights to tend traps at any time, removing the previous restriction that prohibited tending traps between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Additionally, it introduces a new subdivision that states snares not capable of drowning captured animals need only be tended once every third calendar day, with the requirement that any captured animal must be removed from the snare.

Furthermore, the bill amends section 97B.945 to clarify restrictions on setting traps near water. It allows for the setting of foot-encapsulating traps within 50 feet of water without a special permit, provided certain criteria are met regarding the trap's design. The bill also repeals a specific Minnesota Rule that mandated snares not capable of drowning animals to be tended daily, thus aligning the regulations with the new provisions established in the bill.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 97B.931, 97B.945