1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to game and fish; modifying muzzleloader provisions; permanently 
1.3 	allowing portable stands in certain wildlife management areas; modifying Cervidae 
1.4 	carcass transportation restrictions; eliminating the shotgun only zone for deer;
1.5 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, sections 97A.015, subdivision 51; 97A.137, 
1.6 	subdivision 5; 97A.505, subdivision 8; 97B.031, subdivision 1, by adding a 
1.7 	subdivision; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 97B.318.
1.8 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.9 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 97A.015, subdivision 51, is amended to read:
1.10 		Subd. 51.Unloaded. "Unloaded" means, with reference to a firearm, without ammunition 
1.11 	in the barrels and magazine, if the magazine is in the firearm. A muzzle-loading firearm 
1.12 	with is unloaded if:
1.13 	(1) for a flintlock ignition is unloaded if, it does not have priming powder in a pan. A 
1.14 	muzzle-loading firearm with;
1.15 	(2) for a percussion ignition is unloaded if, it does not have a percussion cap on a nipple.;
1.16 	(3) for an electronic ignition system, the battery is removed and is disconnected from 
1.17 	the firearm; and
1.18 	(4) for an encapsulated powder charge ignition system, the primer and powder charge 
1.19 	are removed from the firearm.

1.20 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.1 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 97A.137, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
2.2 		Subd. 5.Portable stands. (a) Prior to the Saturday on or nearest September 16, a portable 
2.3 	stand may be left overnight in a wildlife management area by a person with a valid bear 
2.4 	license who is hunting within 100 yards of a bear bait site that is legally tagged and registered 
2.5 	as prescribed under section 97B.425. Any person leaving a portable stand overnight under 
2.6 	this subdivision must affix a tag with: (1) the person's name and address; (2) the licensee's 
2.7 	driver's license number; or (3) the "MDNR#" license identification number issued to the 
2.8 	licensee. The tag must be affixed to the stand in a manner that it can be read from the ground.
2.9 	(b) From November 1 through December 31, a portable stand may be left overnight by 
2.10 	a person possessing a license to take deer in a wildlife management area located in whole 
2.11 	or in part north and west of a line described as follows:
2.12 	State Trunk Highway 1 from the west boundary of the state to State Trunk Highway 89; 
2.13 	then north along State Trunk Highway 89 to Fourtown; then north on County State-Aid 
2.14 	Highway 44, Beltrami County, to County Road 704, Beltrami County; then north on County 
2.15 	Road 704 to Dick's Parkway State Forest Road; then north on Dick's Parkway to County 
2.16 	State-Aid Highway 5, Roseau County; then north on County State-Aid Highway 5 to 
2.17 	Warroad; then north on State Trunk Highway 11 to State Trunk Highway 313; then north 
2.18 	on State Trunk Highway 313 to the north boundary of the state.
2.19 	A person leaving a portable stand overnight under this paragraph must affix a tag with: (1) 
2.20 	the person's name and address; (2) the licensee's driver's license number; or (3) the "MDNR#" 
2.21 	license identification number issued to the licensee. The tag must be affixed to the stand so 
2.22 	that it can be read from the ground and must be made of a material sufficient to withstand 
2.23 	weather conditions. A person leaving a portable stand overnight in a wildlife management 
2.24 	area under this paragraph may not leave more than two portable stands in any one wildlife 
2.25 	management area. Unoccupied portable stands left overnight under this paragraph may be 
2.26 	used by any member of the public. This paragraph expires December 31, 2019.

2.27 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective retroactively from July 1, 2019.

2.28 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 97A.505, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
2.29 		Subd. 8.Importing hunter-harvested Cervidae carcasses. (a) Importing 
2.30 	hunter-harvested Cervidae carcasses procured by any means into Minnesota is prohibited 
2.31 	except for cut and wrapped meat, quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the 
2.32 	spinal column or head attached, antlers, hides, teeth, finished taxidermy mounts, and antlers 
2.33 	attached to skull caps that are cleaned of all brain tissue. Hunter-harvested
3.1 	(b) Cervidae carcasses taken originating from outside of Minnesota may be transported 
3.2 	on a direct route through the state by nonresidents.

3.3 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

3.4 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 97B.031, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
3.5 		Subdivision 1.Permissible firearms and ammunition; big game and wolves. A person 
3.6 	may take big game and wolves with a firearm only if:
3.7 	(1) the any rifle, shotgun, and or handgun used is a caliber of at least .22 inches and with
3.8 	has centerfire ignition;
3.9 	(2) the firearm is loaded only with single projectile ammunition;
3.10 	(3) a projectile used is a caliber of at least .22 inches and has a soft point or is an 
3.11 	expanding bullet type;
3.12 	(4) the any muzzleloader used is incapable of being has the projectile loaded only at the 
3.13 	breech muzzle;
3.14 	(5) the any smooth-bore muzzleloader used is a caliber of at least .45 inches; and
3.15 	(6) the any rifled muzzleloader used is a caliber of at least .40 inches.

3.16 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

3.17 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 97B.031, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
3.18 	read:
3.19 		Subd. 7.Regular firearms deer season. During the regular firearms deer season, all 
3.20 	legal firearms may be used statewide.

3.21 	Sec. 6. REPEALER.
 3.22 	Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 97B.318, is repealed.

APPENDIX 

Repealed Minnesota Statutes: S0483-1 

97B.318 ARMS USE AREAS AND RESTRICTIONS; REGULAR FIREARMS SEASON.Subdivision 1.Shotgun use area. 
During the regular firearms season in the shotgun use area, only legal shotguns loaded with single-slug shotgun shells, legal muzzle-loading long guns, and legal handguns may be used for taking deer. Legal shotguns include those with rifled barrels. The shotgun use area is that portion of the state lying within the following described boundary: Beginning on the west boundary of the state at the northern boundary of Clay County; thence along the northern boundary of Clay County to State Trunk Highway (STH) 32; thence along STH 32 to STH 34; thence along STH 34 to Interstate Highway 94 (I-94); thence along I-94 to County State-Aid Highway (CSAH) 40, Douglas County; thence along CSAH 40 to CSAH 82, Douglas County; thence along CSAH 82 to CSAH 22, Douglas County; thence along CSAH 22 to CSAH 6, Douglas County; thence along CSAH 6 to CSAH 14, Douglas County; thence along CSAH 14 to STH 29; thence along STH 29 to CSAH 46, Otter Tail County; thence along CSAH 46, Otter Tail County, to CSAH 22, Todd County; thence along CSAH 22 to U.S. Highway 71; thence along U.S. Highway 71 to STH 27; thence along STH 27 to the Mississippi River; thence along the east bank of the Mississippi River to STH 23; thence along STH 23 to STH 95; thence along STH 95 to U.S. Highway 8; thence along U.S. Highway 8 to the eastern boundary of the state; thence along the east, south, and west boundaries of the state to the point of beginning. 

Subd. 2.All legal firearms use area. 
The all legal firearms use area is that part of the state lying outside of the shotgun use area.