Youth trapping, creating a mentored trapping license, restrictions on taking or appropriating a trap or its contents, and requirements for tagging traps

This bill creates a mentored trapping license, which authorizes the holder to engage in trapping while in contact with a qualified mentor. Under the bill, “contact” means visual or voice contact without the aid of any mechanical or electronic amplifying device other than a hearing aid. To qualify as a trapping mentor, a person must 1) be at least 18 years of age, 2) be the parent or guardian or authorized by the parent or guardian of the person being mentored, 3) be in contact with the person being mentored at all times, and 4) hold a current valid trapping license or be authorized to trap without holding a trapping license.

Current law generally prohibits a person from taking another person's trap or its contents. The bill creates exceptions to this prohibition for persons under the supervision of a licensed trapper or receiving instruction from a mentor.

Current law requires each trap used under a trapping license to be tagged with a metal stamp containing certain identifying information. The bill allows more than one licensed trapper to operate a trap and requires the trap to be tagged with the metal stamp of each trap operator. The bill also provides that a trap being used by a mentor and a person being mentored may be tagged by either or both persons. A trap tagged only by a person being mentored may be operated by that person and his or her mentor, but only if both persons are present.