1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to game and fish; providing for hunting and trapping wolves;amending 
1.3 	Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 97A.451, subdivision 3; 97A.475, subdivisions 
1.4 	2, 3, 20; 97B.601, subdivision 4; Minnesota Statutes 2011 Supplement, section 
1.5 	97B.645, subdivision 9; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.6 	chapter 97B.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 97A.451, subdivision 3, is amended to 
1.9 	read:
1.10 		Subd. 3.Residents under age 16; small game. (a) A resident under age 16 must 
1.11 	obtain a small game license in order to take small game by firearms or bow and arrow 
1.12 	without paying the applicable fees under section 97A.475, subdivisions 2, 4, and 5, if 
1.13 	the resident is:
1.14 	(1) age 14 or 15 and possesses a firearms safety certificate;
1.15 	(2) age 13, possesses a firearms safety certificate, and is accompanied by a parent or 
1.16 	guardian;
1.17 	(3) age 13, 14, or 15, possesses an apprentice hunter validation, and is accompanied 
1.18 	by a parent or guardian who possesses a small game license that was not obtained using an 
1.19 	apprentice hunter validation; or
1.20 	(4) age 12 or under and is accompanied by a parent or guardian.
1.21 	(b) A resident under age 16 may take small game by trapping without a small game 
1.22 	license, but a resident 13 years of age or older must have a trapping license. A resident 
1.23 	under age 13 may trap animals other than wolves without a trapping license, but may not 
1.24 	register fisher, otter, bobcat, or pine marten unless the resident is at least age five. Any 
2.1 	fisher, otter, bobcat, or pine marten taken by a resident under age five must be included in 
2.2 	the limit of the accompanying parent or guardian.
2.3 	(c) A resident under age 12 may apply for a turkey license and may take a turkey 
2.4 	without a firearms safety certificate if the resident is accompanied by an adult parent or 
2.5 	guardian who has a firearms safety certificate.
2.6 	(d) A resident under age 12 may apply for a prairie chicken license and may take a 
2.7 	prairie chicken without a firearms safety certificate if the resident is accompanied by an 
2.8 	adult parent or guardian who has a firearms safety certificate.

2.9 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 97A.475, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.10 		Subd. 2.Resident hunting. Fees for the following licenses, to be issued to residents 
2.11 	only, are:
2.12 	(1) for persons age 18 or over and under age 65 to take small game, $12.50;
2.13 	(2) for persons ages 16 and 17 and age 65 or over, $6 to take small game;
2.14 	(3) for persons age 18 or over to take turkey, $23;
2.15 	(4) for persons under age 18 to take turkey, $12;
2.16 	(5) for persons age 18 or over to take deer with firearms during the regular firearms 
2.17 	season, $26;
2.18 	(6) for persons age 18 or over to take deer by archery, $26;
2.19 	(7) for persons age 18 or over to take deer by muzzleloader during the muzzleloader 
2.20 	season, $26;
2.21 	(8) to take moose, for a party of not more than six persons, $310;
2.22 	(9) to take bear, $38;
2.23 	(10) to take elk, for a party of not more than two persons, $250;
2.24 	(11) to take Canada geese during a special season, $4;
2.25 	(12) to take prairie chickens, $20;
2.26 	(13) for persons under age 18 to take deer with firearms during the regular firearms 
2.27 	season, $13;
2.28 	(14) for persons under age 18 to take deer by archery, $13; and
2.29 	(15) for persons under age 18 to take deer by muzzleloader during the muzzleloader 
2.30 	season, $13; and
2.31 	(16) to take wolf, $38.

2.32 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 97A.475, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
2.33 		Subd. 3.Nonresident hunting. (a) Fees for the following licenses, to be issued 
2.34 	to nonresidents, are:
3.1 	(1) for persons age 18 or over to take small game, $73;
3.2 	(2) for persons age 18 or over to take deer with firearms during the regular firearms 
3.3 	season, $135;
3.4 	(3) for persons age 18 or over to take deer by archery, $135;
3.5 	(4) for persons age 18 or over to take deer by muzzleloader during the muzzleloader 
3.6 	season, $135;
3.7 	(5) to take bear, $195;
3.8 	(6) for persons age 18 and older to take turkey, $78;
3.9 	(7) for persons under age 18 to take turkey, $12;
3.10 	(8) to take raccoon or bobcat, $155;
3.11 	(9) to take Canada geese during a special season, $4;
3.12 	(10) for persons under age 18 to take deer with firearms during the regular firearms 
3.13 	season in any open season option or time period, $13;
3.14 	(11) for persons under age 18 to take deer by archery, $13; and
3.15 	(12) for persons under age 18 to take deer during the muzzleloader season, $13; and
3.16 	(13) to take wolf, $195.
3.17 	(b) A $5 surcharge shall be added to nonresident hunting licenses issued under 
3.18 	paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (8). An additional commission may not be assessed on this 
3.19 	surcharge.

3.20 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 97A.475, subdivision 20, is amended to read:
3.21 		Subd. 20.Trapping license. (a) The fee for a license to trap fur-bearing animals, 
3.22 	other than wolves, is:
3.23 	(1) for residents over age 13 and under age 18, $6;
3.24 	(2) for residents age 18 or over and under age 65, $20;
3.25 	(3) for residents age 65 or over, $10; and
3.26 	(4) for nonresidents, $73.
3.27 	(b) The fee for a license to trap wolves is:
3.28 	(1) for residents, $50; and
3.29 	(2) for nonresidents, $100.

3.30 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 97B.601, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
3.31 		Subd. 4.Exception to license requirements. (a) A resident under age 16 may 
3.32 	take small game without a small game license, and a resident under age 13 may trap
3.33 	animals other than wolves without a trapping license, as provided in section 97A.451, 
3.34 	subdivision 3.
4.1 	(b) A person may take small game without a small game license on land occupied by 
4.2 	the person as a principal residence.
4.3 	(c) An owner or occupant may take certain small game causing damage without a 
4.4 	small game or trapping license as provided in section 97B.655.
4.5 	(d) A person may use dogs to pursue and tree raccoons under section 97B.621, 
4.6 	subdivision 2, during the closed season without a license.
4.7 	(e) A person may take a turkey or a prairie chicken without a small game license.

4.8 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2011 Supplement, section 97B.645, subdivision 9, is 
4.9 	amended to read:
4.10 		Subd. 9.Open season. There shall be no open season for gray wolves until after the 
4.11 	gray wolf is delisted under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. After that time, 
4.12 	the commissioner may shall prescribe open seasons and restrictions for taking hunting by 
4.13 	firearms and trapping gray wolves but must provide opportunity for public comment, in 
4.14 	consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

4.15 	Sec. 7. [97B.647] TAKING WOLVES; LICENSE.
4.16 		Subdivision 1.License, tagging, and registration requirements. Except as 
4.17 	provided under section 97B.645, a person may not take a wolf without possessing the 
4.18 	applicable wolf firearms hunting or trapping license. The commissioner may prescribe 
4.19 	by rule requirements for tagging and registering wolves.
4.20 		Subd. 2.Season and restrictions. (a) The commissioner may establish by rule the 
4.21 	open seasons, areas, and conditions for taking wolves by firearms hunting and trapping.
4.22 	(b) The commissioner may limit by rule the number of wolves taken or the number 
4.23 	of persons that may take wolves in an area, if it is necessary to prevent an overharvest. 
4.24 	The commissioner may establish, by rule, a method, including a drawing, to impartially 
4.25 	select the licensees for an area. The commissioner shall give preference to licensees that 
4.26 	have previously applied and have not been selected.

4.27 	Sec. 8. 2012 AND 2013 WOLF SEASONS.
 4.28 	The commissioner of natural resources shall establish the first firearms wolf hunting 
4.29 	season to open no later than the first day of the 2012 firearms deer hunting season. The 
4.30 	commissioner shall establish the first wolf trapping season to begin January 1, 2013.