Hello:
This post in not intended to create a fire storm about feeding owls on this
listserv and my only intent is to just focus on section about luring owls
with inanimate objects.
This game bill amendment went through the Ways and Means Committee last
week and is now sitting in limbo before the MN House of Representatives
acts on it. I am concerned about the part where it says a person may not
intentionally lure or feed an owl in the wild with any animate or inanimate
object, food or animal. In my opinion a inanimate object could be a tape
player, a smart phone with iBird Pro application on it or a portable CD
player. If HF 2852 gets voted as written, then all paid birding guides,
state park employees doing public owl tours and hikes, any nature center
employee or volunteer leaders will no longer be able to use any inanimate
object to lure an owl in to view the owl species or educate the public on
owls. That means any night time owl census works in the state of MN
during the spring months that is using call back tapes to get an owl to
respond might be in violation as well IF the owl you are taping flies
towards you (intentionally luring). To use an inanimate object ( any sound
devices ) you might have to get a permit to do so. A petty misdemeanor has
a fine up to $300.00 and the violation does not go on your record. Petty
misdemeanors are not crimes and its like getting a parking ticket.
I know for a fact that IF this amendment is passed it will effect all
night time bird walks through out Minnesota (owl prowls) and paid birding
guiding tours where leaders use sound devices (inanimate objects) to
intentionally lure an owl species to their group for observation and
photos. On another note IF this amendment gets passed and made into law,
then you might be in violation if you are in the woods and you respond to a
Barred Owl during the spring months (who-cooks-for-you) to intentionally
lure the owl from its known location to your location could be in violation
of the law since you are a animate object. Very confusing amendment,
poorly written, waste of time and energy for our government officials to
spend on.
Please write your local state representative and tell him/her to vote no on
this amendment.
Minnesota HF 2852
Omnibus game and fish bill.
Sec. 18. *[97A.346] PROHIBITION ON LURING OR FEEDING OWLS; *
8.2*PENALTY.*
8.3(a) A person may not intentionally lure or feed an owl in the wild with
any animate
8.4or inanimate object, food, or animal. A person in violation of this
section is guilty of a
8.5petty misdemeanor.
8.6(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), a person may use lures, bait, or
traps to lure
8.7or feed an owl:
8.8(1) while conducting scientific research under a federal or state permit
authorizing
8.9the collection of data, samples, or bird banding; or
8.10(2) while rescuing an ill or injured owl.
8.11(c) For the purposes of this section, "lure" means to purposefully
attract a wild owl
8.12in an attempt to cause it to move from one location to another and
"feed" means to put in
8.13place, in the presence of a wild owl, any living or frozen animal or
facsimile.
--
*Mike Hendrickson*
*Mike Hendrickson Guiding <http://mikehendricksonguiding.com>*
*Sax-Zim Bog <http://www.sax-zimbog.com>*
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