SB 359

This bill creates a trapping mentorship program and creates exceptions to the

general prohibition against taking or appropriating a trap belonging to another

person.

Under current law, with certain exceptions, no person may obtain a hunting or

trapping license, permit, or other approval (approval) from the Department of

Natural Resources (DNR) unless the person first completes a relevant hunter

education or trapper education program. Upon successful completion of the hunter

education program, DNR issues a hunter education certificate of accomplishment

(hunting education certificate) and upon successful completion of the trapper

education program, DNR issues a trapper education certificate of accomplishment

(trapper education certificate).

Current law exempts a hunter who is participating in an authorized hunting

mentorship program from the general requirement to obtain a hunter education

certificate. No hunter education certificate is required if the hunter is hunting with

a qualified mentor, the hunter is at least ten years old, the hunter holds a valid

hunting approval, and the hunter remains within arm's reach of the qualified mentor

at all times when hunting.

This bill creates a trapping mentorship program that is similar to the hunting

mentorship program. Under the bill, a person may trap an animal other than a

bobcat, fisher, otter, or wolf without obtaining a trapper education certificate if the

person is trapping with a qualified mentor, the trapper holds a valid trapping

approval, and the trapper is accompanied by the qualified mentor at all times when

trapping. The bill allows a qualified mentor to take more than one person trapping

at a time if the mentor determines that he or she can adequately and safely serve as

a mentor for all of the persons he or she takes trapping at one time. The bill also

specifies that a person trapping with a mentor may assist the mentor in trapping any

animal for which the mentor holds the appropriate trapping approval. The bill does

not establish a minimum age requirement for a trapper to be mentored under the

trapping mentorship program.

Current law generally prohibits a person from taking or appropriating a trap

belonging to another person or the contents of that trap. This bill creates exceptions

to this general prohibition by providing that a person may take a trap belonging to

another person or the contents of that trap if the person placing the trap gives

permission to the other person to take that action and the person placing the trap is

not trapping a bobcat, fisher, otter, or wolf. The exception also applies to persons

trapping bobcat, fisher, otter, or wolf in the course of participation in the trapping

mentorship program.

Current law requires each trap used under a trapping license to be tagged with

a metal stamp containing certain identifying information. This bill allows more than

one licensed trapper to operate a trap. The bill provides that, if the trap is operated