You are a better man than I am. I would have played that far differently.

Stay with it. Rule changes can be strenuous. After 10+ years of trying Wisconsin finally gave us a few extra weeks to harvest muskrats at the seasons end. Not perfect but much better.

Looking back, we initially met a bit of resistance. As one persist opinions change and support is gained. Good luck.

Thank you Chris.

Well, my girlfriend was there as well as the lady's son in law and his wife and the lady's husband was standing right next to her so my getting a huge grin was noticed by all, so I thought discretion at that point was in order.

Well Doug, I suppose you could let them move in with your for 183 days so they can get a lifetime license.

It's ridiculous that we don't allow non resident trapping. I'd love to go trap at my brother's house in Western ND or go to SD for rats but can't. My brother isn't allowed to trap beaver at our cabin in Northern MN. In my opinion it hurts us far worse than anyone else!

I agree 100% Steve! It does not make any sense at all.

So it was passed in 2011 at Redwood Falls and the MTA leadership did nothing about it.

Legislation was brought forward in early 2018 by another trapping organization formed solely over progressing this issue and the legislation was moving forward until the MTA leadership came forward and said no, we don't support that. Sounds like the MTA membership, and leadership needs a refresher.

Like Steve said, when the last few old school Forest Zone guys kick the bucket, it's moving forward.

So it was passed in 2011 at Redwood Falls and the MTA leadership did nothing about it.

Legislation was brought forward in early 2018 by another trapping organization formed solely over progressing this issue and the legislation was moving forward until the MTA leadership came forward and said no, we don't support that. Sounds like the MTA membership, and leadership needs a refresher.

Like Steve said, when the last few old school Forest Zone guys kick the bucket, it's moving forward.
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It was more recent than 2011. We voted at a winter meeting in Askov and the results were given that night at the LDF. I remember because I was a asked to vote and didn't. I was poo pooed on all day about not voting until I told the few people that if I had my vote would have been a NO. I had my reasons for a NO vote and still do, but I decided that not voting was better for the whole group. My opinion will always be NO, but I will not put it on paper in a vote. I don't like the way the Minnesota trappers are split into groups, and we could get so much more done if we would unite, but that will never happen.

Care to share your reasons why?

I think it’s the most absurd rule ever. I can’t go home to western ND to trap because of this situation. There’s a dozen ways to negotiate this if it came to that; quotas/limits on days, etc. Not that I want more rules restricting trapping.

As a neighbor of Minnesota, I totally agree. I would love to meet Minnesota trappers while out on my line and I would love to go to MN to trap. We have a lot of muskrats that cause damage to the roads and there are not enough trappers to control it, the amount of MN trappers would help bring that number down to a manageable amount.

I agree entirely, I can't see any reason why someone from MN can't even help on a trapline. The only thing they can do is sit in the truck or on the bank and watch the resident trapper do everything.

When I was a MN resident I was a fence rider, I couldn’t understand why people wanted more competition. I trapped around Fergus Falls and had a lot of competition and theft, and a guy that would put rocks underneath your pan. I was mainly a mink trapper but set for all water critters, I trapped mostly Right of Ways with a few private land stops. I have been called a fat Subaru driving lazy road trapper on this sight but sorry folks to run a successful mink line you need to put on a lot of miles on and be efficient. Now with no mink market or fur market I could care less about non resident trapping and would vote yes if still a resident.

Was a time when we did meet in SD...and a lot of people/trappers really benefited from those meetings. Too bad it was only one way at the time.

In short, the road workers who fix those roads, business owners loved us. A few trappers got butt hurt so went crying to Mommy and had the rules changed. Been said before, but we trappers are our own worst enemy (and why we don't have NR trapping in MN today and SD now has a very restrictive NR season).

Hope you have a great rat season, Youth Trapper. Sounds like you have some to work with.

There are members in leadership within the MTA that would see trapping outlawed before they allow nr trapping.
Steven, Gene Purdy shared with me his desire to trap with his grandchildren before he died. He could not of course because they lived in Minnesota and he in Iowa. When he along with other leaders in the FTA voted to support our efforts to get NR trapping here I promised him I would do my best along with others to make that happen. We fell short and he never realized his wish to trap with them. I hope he ignored the law and trapped with them. I'd advise to you to do the same.

It’s only becomes hopeless when the last one retreats. Change the law.

It’s sad that an entitlement attitude could drive a wedge between fellow trappers. Quite narrow minded if you consider that NRs are just the proverbial, red herring. Now more so then ever.

I believe non residents should be allowed to trap in any state with the same license fee as a resident.

Yup!

Some people look at it like-"why buy the cow when you can milk it thru the fence"If you want to trap here-move here"attitude.

Then there is the opposite attitude for the mexicans-"sure,come here and work,but you cant live here"

Funny aint it?

I wouldn’t mind being able to trap in Minnesota…well actually I get to catch Minnesota wolves legally right where I’m at, so why bother lol.