New rules in state budget deals...

[lichen fox]

Here are a few snibits from the Enviroment section of the bills being voted on this afternoon and into the night at the state legislature...you can check out all the bills wording at www.house.leg.state.mn.us/ss2011

So far they have posted 6 of the 9 bills that need to be passed...here are a few highlights that may interest some on this page...

Small game. Amends § 97A.015, subd. 45. Adds gray wolves to the list of small game

animals.

Open season. Adds § 97B.645, subd. 9. Removes a five year waiting period that exists before a gray wolf season may be establish after the gray wolf is delisted from the federal endangered species list.

Baiting bears; use of drum. Amends § 97B.425. Permits a private landowner, or a person authorized by the landowner, to hunt bear on the person’s land using a drum with bait and provides criteria for drums that may be used for this purpose.

Coyote conflict management option. Adds § 348.125. Allows a county or town board, by resolution, to offer a bounty for coyotes. Allows the resolution to apply to the whole or a portion of the county or town, specify the months the bounty is in place, and the amount of the bounty.

Deer hunting rules. Requires rules imposing antler point restrictions (other than the legal buck restriction requiring at least one antler of three inches or more) for the series 300 deer permit areas in southeastern Minnesota (formerly zone 3) to expire after the 2012 deer hunting season. Requires legislative approval to reinstate an antler point restriction after that. Requires the commissioner to amend rules to allow a nine-day (rather than a seven-day)season option A in series 300 permit areas.

[mrklean]

+1 love the gray wolf one in there

[lichen fox]

Actually, I believe that 6 of the 9 bills that have to be passed were already passed before the shutdown...they only have 6 posted so far and I'm thinking they are the ones passed...they will post more as the support workers get back to work this afternoon.

[Boar]

pass the drumms, please please please please. A gray wolf is a small game animal. Weired.

[jerkbait]

I wonder if they put them on the small game like other fur bearers. I like the barrel thing too. Geussing that will take affect next year? Or will it be this season?

[jay83196]

Grey wolf...timber wolf Shame thing?

[jkcmj]

Whatever they are doing I like it! Just picked up our bear hunting tags this evening, now that the ELS system is back up and running!