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97B.645 GRAY WOLVES.

Subdivision 1.Use of dogs and horses prohibited; use of guard animals.

Except as provided in this subdivision, a person may not use a dog or horse to take a gray wolf. A person may use a guard animal to harass, repel, or destroy wolves to protect a person's livestock, domestic animals, or pets. A person whose guard animal destroys a gray wolf under this subdivision must protect all evidence and report the taking to a conservation officer as soon as practicable but no later than 48 hours after the gray wolf is destroyed.

Subd. 2.Permit required to snare.

A person may not use a snare to take a wolf except under a permit from the commissioner.

Subd. 3.Destroying gray wolves in defense of human life.

A person may, at any time and without a permit, take a gray wolf in defense of the person's own life or the life of another. A person who destroys a gray wolf under this subdivision must protect all evidence and report the taking to a conservation officer as soon as practicable but no later than 48 hours after the gray wolf is destroyed.

Subd. 4.Harassment of gray wolves.

To discourage gray wolves from contact or association with people and domestic animals, a person may, at any time and without a permit, harass a gray wolf that is within 500 yards of people, buildings, dogs, livestock, or other domestic pets and animals. A gray wolf may not be purposely attracted, tracked, or searched out for the purpose of harassment. Harassment that results in physical injury to a gray wolf is prohibited.

Subd. 5.Destroying gray wolves threatening livestock, guard animals, or domestic animals.

An owner of livestock, guard animals, or domestic animals, and the owner's agents may, at any time and without a permit, shoot or destroy a gray wolf when the gray wolf is posing an immediate threat to livestock, a guard animal, or a domestic animal located on property owned, leased, or occupied by the owner of the livestock, guard animal, or domestic animal. A person who destroys a gray wolf under this subdivision must protect all evidence and report the taking to a conservation officer as soon as practicable but no later than 48 hours after the gray wolf is destroyed.

Subd. 6.Destroying gray wolves threatening domestic pets.

An owner of a domestic pet may, at any time and without a permit, shoot or destroy a gray wolf when the gray wolf is posing an immediate threat to a domestic pet under the supervision of the owner. A person who destroys a gray wolf under this subdivision must protect all evidence and report the taking to a conservation officer as soon as practicable but no later than 48 hours after the gray wolf is destroyed.

Subd. 7.Investigation of reported gray wolf takings.

(a) In response to a reported gray wolf taking under subdivision 3, 5, or 6, the commissioner shall:

(1) investigate the reported taking;

(2) collect appropriate written and photographic documentation of the circumstances and site of the taking, including, but not limited to, documentation of animal husbandry practices;

(3) confiscate salvageable remains of the gray wolf killed; and

(4) dispose of any salvageable gray wolf remains confiscated under this subdivision by sale or donation for educational purposes.

(b) The commissioner shall produce monthly reports of activities under this subdivision.

(c) In response to a reported gray wolf taking under subdivision 5, the commissioner must notify the county extension agent. The county extension agent must recommend what, if any, cost-conscious livestock best management practices and nonlethal wolf depredation controls are needed to prevent future wolf depredation. Any best management practices recommended by the county extension agent must be consistent with the best management practices developed by the commissioner of agriculture under section 3.737, subdivision 5.

Subd. 8.Shooting or trapping gray wolves to protect livestock, domestic animals, or pets in zone B.

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions 1 and 4 to 7, and season and time of day restrictions in the game and fish laws, but subject to the remaining provisions of the game and fish laws, in zone B, a person may:

(1) shoot a gray wolf on land owned, leased, or managed by the person at any time to protect the person's livestock, domestic animals, or pets; or

(2) employ a predator controller certified under section 97B.671 to trap a gray wolf on land owned, leased, or managed by the person or on land within one mile of the land owned, leased, or managed by the person to protect the person's livestock, domestic animals, or pets.

(b) The person must report the gray wolf shot or trapped under this subdivision to a conservation officer as soon as practicable but no later than 48 hours after the gray wolf was shot or trapped. The gray wolf must be disposed of as prescribed by the commissioner.

Subd. 9.Open season.

There shall be no open season for gray wolves for five years after the gray wolf is delisted under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. After that time, the commissioner may prescribe open seasons and restrictions for taking gray wolves but must provide opportunity for public comment.

Subd. 10.Release of wolf-dog hybrids and captive gray wolves.

A person may not release a wolf-dog hybrid. A person may not release a captive gray wolf without a permit from the commissioner.

Subd. 11.Federal law.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a person may not take, harass, buy, sell, possess, transport, or ship gray wolves in violation of federal law.

Subd. 12.Definitions.

(a) For purposes of this section, the terms used have the meanings given.

(b) "Guard animal" means a donkey, llama, dog, or other domestic animal specifically bred, trained, and used to protect livestock, domestic animals, or pets from gray wolf depredation.

(c) "Immediate threat" means the observed behavior of a gray wolf in the act of stalking, attacking, or killing livestock, a guard animal, or a domestic pet under the supervision of the owner. If a gray wolf is not observed stalking or attacking, the presence of a gray wolf feeding on an already dead animal whose death was not caused by gray wolves is not an immediate threat.

(d) "Zone B" means all that part of Minnesota south and west of a line beginning on state Trunk Highway No. 48 at the eastern boundary of the state; thence westerly along state Trunk Highway No. 48 to Interstate Highway No. 35; thence northerly on Interstate Highway No. 35 to state Highway No. 23; thence west one-half mile on state Highway No. 23 to state Trunk Highway No. 18; thence westerly along state Trunk Highway No. 18 to state Trunk Highway No. 65; thence northerly on state Trunk Highway No. 65 to state Trunk Highway No. 210; thence westerly along state Trunk Highway No. 210 to state Trunk Highway No. 6; thence northerly on state Trunk Highway No. 6 to Emily; thence westerly along County State-Aid Highway No. 1, Crow Wing County, to County State-Aid Highway No. 2, Cass County; thence westerly along County State-Aid Highway No. 2 to Pine River; thence northwesterly along state Trunk Highway No. 371 to Backus; thence westerly along state Trunk Highway No. 87 to U.S. Highway No. 71; thence northerly along U.S. Highway No. 71 to state Trunk Highway No. 200; thence northwesterly along state Trunk Highway No. 200 to County State-Aid Highway No. 2, Clearwater County; thence northerly along County State-Aid Highway No. 2 to Shevlin; thence along U.S. Highway No. 2 to Bagley; thence northerly along state Trunk Highway No. 92 to Gully; thence northerly along County State-Aid Highway No. 2, Polk County, to County State-Aid Highway No. 27, Pennington County; thence along County State-Aid Highway No. 27 to state Trunk Highway No. 1; thence easterly along state Trunk Highway No. 1 to County State-Aid Highway No. 28, Pennington County; thence northerly along County State-Aid Highway No. 28 to County State-Aid Highway No. 54, Marshall County; thence northerly along County State-Aid Highway No. 54 to Grygla; thence west and northerly along state Highway No. 89 to Roseau; thence northerly along state Trunk Highway No. 310 to the Canadian border.

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Revisor of Statutes