Registered: Oct 2006
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1014

Last i knew and i haven't trapped since i was 16 or so but here in iowa connibears are not aloud on dry land anymore. They have to be a water set. Now snares i wish they'd do away with period. I know the law says they can't set one wide enough a dog can slip his head into but people still do and i have pulled a many dogs out of them and in return they get cut. I'll be be first the to admit i cut any snare i come across and they soon get the hint to pull up and move out. I'm not against trappers either just the ones that don't go by the law. When i lived in the country i had a guy that would set snares and leg holds along my driveway and he was a sheriff and he thought just because he had a badge he could do as he wanted. It didn't go over the way he planned in the end.

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I contacted my local reps today and asked for they're support. I also contact Rep. John Ward who is the legislator working on the behalf of John Reynolds who is pushing these changes.

I hope everyone in MN does the same.

In the amount of time it takes to read this thread, you can drop these legislators a line to thank them or ask for they're support on this issue.

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Registered: Aug 2003
Location: North Iowa
Posts: 84

quote:

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Originally posted by brogy
Cowboyred, MN has the most relaxed conibear regulations of any state in the upper midwest when compared to WI, IA, MO, & etc.
If MTA was concerned about its image or relationships with outdoorsmen, they would have made the move themself and put they're regulations closer in line with the surrounding states.
Seeker is correct, I'm met with different reps from MTA... there is no compromise with them.

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My mistake James. A few years back, I looked at the surrounding states and they're regulations. I walked away looking it that MN had the loosest regulations of all.
Considering your season opens a few weeks later than ours might have been the difference.
I can remember a few years back heading down to Shell Rock IA for a UKC hunt on MN opening day of harvest season. Along the way I seen a guy setting road ditch conibear sets along County Road 1 north of Spring Valley. It was in the mid 70's and lows in the high 40's at night, I figured the coon weren't prime enough to bother taking yet so I might as well go to a hunt. Some slob was out there stringing a line to catch $2 coon. This is why MTA pushed to put a structured season on us to begin with. Because they were flooding the market with unprime coon.
The difference between houndsmen and conibear trappers, is that on years like that, we can be selective in our harvest.

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Registered: Aug 2003
Location: North Iowa
Posts: 84

Mark the only restrictions that I know of is a 330 must be set under water and a body grip trap cannot be set within 200 yards of a house or farm place whitout permition. So we have bucket sets and 220's on stabelisers all over the place. a 220 on a stabeliser 4" off the ground is hard on dogs!

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Registered: Oct 2006
Location: Iowa
Posts: 1014

quote:

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Originally posted by james huebsch
Mark IA, has no more regulations on conibear traps than MN, If you want your dog killed the first week or two of season bring it on down! I dont care how fast you can get one out of the trap! If it gets cought it's pretty much a over. I had one that I got out within a few seconds it knocked him out cold 2 days later he was dead. A 220 is a death sentence for a dog and should not be set on dry land. Hope you guys can get something done! Good luck.

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Jason Davis
641 751 7545
Home of the Iowa River Blueticks
NT CH Bullets Iowa River Squirt
Five star state hunt championship 2nd place
Five star qualifier 1st place win.
Bbcha sectional high scoring male
World hunt qualified 2009
9th place open bluetick reunion
Davis's Iowa River Striker ( Squirt X J and N's Blue Night Sky)

BnJs Sugar Babe.
Hitting the comp hunts 2015

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Registered: Nov 2005
Location: minnesota
Posts: 3660

Hey guys, can you put in writing just what we are asking for? I do not know my language when it comes to traps. If I understand it we do not want conibear sets except those 5 feet above ground or underwater? And no trapping on public land doesn't just mean state lands but right away to roads? Just making sure I understand the issue before contacting my legislators.
Thanks

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The wording on the petition simply states to restrict 220's on public land. I do not believe that includes road right of ways, but possibly. I believe the intention is to simply not allow 220's on public ground, period. Where it goes from there we'll have to see.

I've emailed the individual pushing the issue, John Reynolds, and have asked him what we (as houndsmen in favor of conibear restrictions) can do to help. I think his ultimate goal is to have them removed from public ground, and have them underwater or elevated on private ground. Until I hear something from him, all I can do is ask folks to sign the petition and contact they're legislators and ask them to support Rep John Ward on the issue.

From what I was told, John Reynolds is a trapper and MTA member who is well spoken, computer saavy, and determined to get some changes to the current conibear regulations. I was informed of this from a beagler who contacted me last fall after his beagle was caught in a 220 on public ground. He spoke to John Reynolds directly.

Last edited by on 01-29-2012 at 11:24 PM

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: off the res.
Posts: 3416

So far e-mailed my reps. Haven't heard back yet. Will do follow up phone calls this week. Keep putting pressure on them.

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: off the res.
Posts: 3416

A bill is to be introduced in the MN. Legislature on Feb. 8. E-mail, call do what you can to have this bill passed . Sounds what the bill will encompass is all body grip traps will have to be at least 5ft. off the ground if dry ground sets, or completely submerged if water sets. Sounds like the trappers will oppose this so it's not going to be as easy as some people may think to get it passed. So everyone will have to do their part to make sure we can get it passed Statewide. Tell all hunters and dog people to call and get this passed.

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Thanks for the update Bob.

I have not gotten a response from any of the legislators I emailed.

Lets keep this post up top until Feb 8th!

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Registered: Sep 2006
Location: MN
Posts: 11

http://signon.org/sign/safe-public-...mp;r_by=1905165

Hound Hunter, Bird Hunters and Pet Owners:
Get behind this it is a good cause for the saftey of our dogs your votes are needed. Follow this link to sign the petition.
Ron Walz

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Registered: Jul 2005
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 491

I agree that 220's need to be off the ground but you guys need to be careful what you wish for. The petition site is hosted by the far left group moveon.org. This group is in bed with the animal rights groups through leftist agenda. The goal of animal-rights groups is to drive a wedge between trappers and hunters so they will tear themselves down from the inside out. Make no mistake about it, if they could ban fur harvesting altogether with the stroke of a pen they would. Instead they do it a little bit at a time.


When hunters and trappers are divided it only suits the needs of anti-hunters.

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quote:

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Originally posted by BLCKRIVREDBONES
When hunters and trappers are divided it only suits the needs of anti-hunters.

---

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Here is a recent article with some statements from the opposition....

http://www.startribune.com/sports/o.../138685894.html

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Registered: Sep 2008
Location: iowa
Posts: 13

instead of trying to regulate how the traps are to be set, it might be easier to pass legislation on making the person setting the traps liable for what he or she catches in the traps. they might stop using conibears altogether if they have to pay for a good hound or bird dog. just my thoughts. thanks scott.

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Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Kilkenny, MN
Posts: 893

Anybody have an update? 5ft off the ground or totally submerged sounds fair to me.
Last month I got tired of waiting for my nephews female to grub up an old track and walked in to see what was going on. I dang near crapped myself when I saw working between two 220 box sets. She easily could have died that night. I couldn't get out of there soon enough.

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I received this in my email this morning:

Hello Petition Signers,



John Reynolds here with an update on the issue of our family dogs being killed in body grip traps.



Dog owner whose dog has been killed in a body grip should just “accept it”?

Did he really say that?

Representative Tony Cornish said few dogs are caught in traps."I think they should just accept it as one of those unfortunate things,'' he said.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/o.../138685894.html

Let Rep. Cornish know that you will not accept it:

Rep. Tony Cornish 800-704-8525 http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/me...to.asp?id=10757

Meanwhile, we’ve actually documented 26 dogs killed in body grip traps and 18 more injured or barely escaped death. I’m sure the real number is in the hundreds.

We Have a Bill Now!!!

Here’s the senate version of the bill (SF 1736). Short and to the point. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/revisor/...sn=0&y=2012

Please thank Sen.Chuck.Wiger@senate.mn[/email] Sen.Dan.Sparks@senate.mn and Rep.John.Ward@house.mn[/email] for authoring this bill.

ACTION STEPS

1. Contact the Environment and Natural Resources committee chairs (Rep. Denny McNamara and Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen) and ask when our bill is going to be heard.



2. Contact your legislators again. Ask them to co-author the bill. Once a week isn’t too much to let them know this is important to you.



3. Contact the DNR again. This is to let them know you won’t accept ineffective ‘solutions’ like trap “box opening” size restrictions or ‘recessing’ the trap into the box. (see video below of a beagle fitting through a 6”x6” opening).



COMMITTEE CHAIRS and MEMBERS

Rep. Denny McNamara 651-296-3135

email address: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/me...to.asp?id=10776

Here are the committee members of his committee.

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/co....asp?comm=87007

Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen 651-297-8063 sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn

Here are the committee members of his committee.

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/c...amp;ls=#members

TO FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR USE THIS LINK: http://www.leg.state.mn.us/

Look for Who Represents Me? And type in your address. The top 2 will be your state legislators.

A phone call or letter is best but an email is good too.

Here is the person to contact at the DNR Dennis.Simon@state.mn.us. Even if you’ve contacted him before it would be good to ask him for an update. It would also help to ask when they intend on meeting with dog owners. Be sure to copy DNR Commissioner Tom.Landwehr@state.mn.us and Ed.Boggess@state.mn.us and of course your legislators.

Here’s a list of media coverage of dogs dying in body grip traps. It would REALLY help if people would contact their favorite TV station, newspaper or radio station and ask for more coverage. The more hits they get on those pages the better too because it shows viewer interest. Letters to the editor help reach people who don’t read the sports section or watch the late night news. If your dog was killed in a body grip trap, WCCO will likely want to hear from you and potentially do a story on you to keep this in the public eye.

Here’s a short video of full grown beagles walking right through a 6”x6” opening. The DNR wants us to believe a 7”x7” hole will stop a dog from reaching a body grip trap when a 35 lb dog can stick it’s head through a 5”x5” hole and reach a trap set back at least 12”.

http://youtu.be/sLy-VwxbKOY

Here’s the Bemidji editorial supporting the bill. It’s on the Mpls Star Tribune opinion page. That’s a HUGE amount of exposure. Whoever did that Thank You!

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/139097324.html

List of legislators who have shown interest or support Please thank them and ask them to co-author the bill.



Senator John Marty (651) 296-5645

[email]Sen.John.Marty@senate.mn

Rep. Mike Benson 651-296-4378 http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/me...to.asp?id=15342

Senator Kathy Sheran 651-296-6153

sen.kathy.sheran@senate.mn

Senator Barb Goodwin 651-296-4334 http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/m...id=1185&ls=

Senator Jim Metzen 651-296-4370

sen.jim.metzen@senate.mn

Rep Carlos Mariani 651-296-9714 http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/me...to.asp?id=10399

Rep. Terry Morrow 651-296-8634

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/me...to.asp?id=15258

Sen. David Brown 651-296-8075

[email]sen.david.brown@senate.mn

Rep. Joe Atkins 651-296-4192

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/me...to.asp?id=10753

Rep. Gene Pelowski 651-296-8637 http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/me...to.asp?id=10516


To all 2,030 people who have taken time from their busy day to sign the petition and contact their legislators.

Thank You!



Here’s a list of media coverage. It keeps growing.

Here's the first Dispatch article.

http://brainerddispatch.com/outdoor...at-hunting-dogs

Here's the second Dispatch article.

http://brainerddispatch.com/outdoor...t-be-better-way

Here's the first Strib article.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/o.../138013713.html

Here's the second Strib article.

http://www.startribune.com/politics.../138581394.html

Here's the third Strib article.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/o.../138685894.html

And here's the WCCO video. Not exactly how I would like to be seen but necessary.

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/...e-killing-pets/

WCCO follow up about Phillip

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/...rapping-method/

WCCO third follow-up

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/...-trap-accident/

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Registered: Mar 2009
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 2005

quote:

---

Originally posted by wapsiriver
instead of trying to regulate how the traps are to be set, it might be easier to pass legislation on making the person setting the traps liable for what he or she catches in the traps. they might stop using conibears altogether if they have to pay for a good hound or bird dog. just my thoughts. thanks scott.

---

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: off the res.
Posts: 3416

Doesn't look like it has been introduced in the house yet. keep e-mailing and calling. I e-mailed and called my rep and told her the senate number . Also asked her to try to convince Cornish it is a good bill. They are both in the same party. Remember the opposition is doing the same to reject it.
Everyone that has a Republican Representative ask them to talk to Cornish.

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: off the res.
Posts: 3416

Has anyone talked to someone from Cornish's office and if so what did they say?

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: off the res.
Posts: 3416

Keep calling and e-mailing your reps. Any bird dog,coyote ,and coonhunters should be helping get this passed. Don't let up. The more calls and e-mails they get the more they pay attention. All the state officers should make sure they are also representing the members state wide. Individuals can mention you belong to a hound club.

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There is a poll on Outdoor News that asks if 220's (body grip traps) should be more tightly regulated.

http://outdoornews.com/minnesota/

Please take a moment to vote YES!

Outdoor News is a widely read weekly outdoors newspaper that is read by legislators who want to get a feel for the pulse of outdoors oriented people.

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: off the res.
Posts: 3416

Keep after them. Call Cornish let him know. Keep the pressure on. Call your reps.

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Bob are we the only 2 doing anything?

I don't know of any other coonhunters that are taking this seriously enough to put any effort into this thing, outside of signing the petition.

The petition is a start but folks need to contact they're reps.

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