DNR comment/hunting rules

[Lee Borgersen]

     DNR accepting comments on hunting rules

(Released April 14, 2014)

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments through 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 12, on a proposal to make permanent a number of temporary hunting rules that have been in place for at least one hunting season.

The rules pertain to registration of game taken by hunting or trapping, hunter selection and descriptions of various hunting area boundaries such as wild turkey permit areas, deer areas and waterfowl hunting zones.

“Hunters have been applying for licenses and registering game under most of these rules for the past several seasons,” said Jason Abraham, DNR season setting specialist. “By making these temporary rules permanent, we provide additional consistency for hunters and streamline the process for managing a sustainable harvest.”

Many of the rule changes are intended to streamline regulations, reduce paperwork and modify zone boundaries to better match habitat conditions. The rules, summarized below:

◾Modify deer tagging provisions.
◾Allow deer hunters to apply for an either-sex permit and a special hunt in the same year.
◾Allow for online and telephone registration of bears and bait stations.
◾Update elk zone boundaries.
◾Provide for site validation coupons for fisher, marten and otter.
◾Modify farmland furbearer zone.
◾Consolidate wild turkey permit areas from 77 smaller areas into nine larger ones.
◾Streamline wild turkey license sales procedures.
◾Modify and consolidate prairie chicken zone boundaries.
◾Moved the prairie chicken license application deadline to the Friday nearest Aug. 17.
◾Correct rail and snipe possession limit for consistency with federal regulations.
◾Provide for three waterfowl zones and standardize waterfowl season definition.
◾Correct Migratory Waterfowl Feeding and Resting Area descriptions and
◾Clarify eligibility of hunters and mentors participating in Youth Waterfowl Day.
The proposed rules are published online in the April 7 edition of the State Register.

They are also is available on the DNR website.

Comments may be submitted to: Jason Abraham, Box 20, DNR, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55115-4020 or by emailing jason.abraham@state.mn.us.