Minnesota Session Laws - 1989, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1989 

                        CHAPTER 153-S.F.No. 297 
           An act relating to game and fish; regulating 
          ammunition that may be used to take big game; 
          authorizing party hunting for small game; authorizing 
          party fishing by angling; amending Minnesota Statutes 
          1988, section 97B.031, subdivision 1; proposing coding 
          for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 97B and 
          97C. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1988, section 97B.031, 
subdivision 1, is amended to read:  
    Subdivision 1.  [FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION THAT MAY BE USED 
TO TAKE BIG GAME.] (a) A person may take big game with a firearm 
only if:  
    (1) the rifle, shotgun, and handgun used is a caliber of at 
least .23 inches; 
    (2) the firearm is loaded only with single projectile 
ammunition; 
    (3) a projectile used is a caliber of at least .23 inches 
and has a soft point or is an expanding bullet type; 
    (4) the ammunition has a case length of at least 1.285 
inches; 
    (5) the muzzle-loader used is incapable of being loaded at 
the breech; 
    (6) the smooth-bore muzzle-loader used is a caliber of at 
least .45 inches; and 
    (7) the rifled muzzle-loader used is a caliber of at least 
.40 inches. 
    (b) A person may not take big game with a .30 caliber M-1 
carbine cartridge.  
    (c) A person may take big game with a ten millimeter 
cartridge. 
    Sec. 2.  [97B.603] [SMALL GAME PARTY HUNTING.] 
    While two or more persons are hunting small game as a party 
and maintaining unaided visual and vocal contact, a member of 
the party may take and possess more than one limit of small 
game, but the total number of small game taken and possessed by 
the party may not exceed the limit of the number of persons in 
the party that may take and possess small game. 
    Sec. 3.  [97C.317] [FISHING AS A PARTY.] 
    While two or more persons are taking fish by angling as a 
party, the total number of fish taken and the total number of 
fish possessed by the party may not exceed the limit of the 
number of persons in the party that may take and possess fish by 
angling.  For the purpose of this section a party means, for 
persons who are not on the water that the persons are 
maintaining unaided visual and vocal contact, and for persons 
who are on the water that the persons are angling from a single 
watercraft. 
    Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
    Sections 2 and 3 are effective the day following final 
enactment. 
    Presented to the governor May 18, 1989 
    Signed by the governor May 19, 1989, 12:07 a.m.