SB 509

This bill authorizes a person under the age of 16 to engage in trapping without

obtaining a trapping license or a trapping education certificate of accomplishment

if the person is trapping under the supervision of a licensed trapper.

Current law generally requires a person engaging in trapping to obtain a

trapping license from the Department of Natural Resources. Current law also

prohibits a person from obtaining a trapping license unless he or she holds a valid

certificate of accomplishment indicating that he or she has successfully completed

a trapper education course.

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.