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Due to prolonged ice cover, the beaver trapping season in the northern third of Minnesota will be extended through Thursday, May 15.

The season was scheduled to close statewide on Wednesday, April 30, but a second consecutive winter of persistently frozen lakes and rivers in the north prompted the Department of Natural Resources to temporarily extend the 2013-14 season. Beaver trapping will close as scheduled in the southern two-thirds of the state.

Trappers who participate in the season extension will be required to take the following modifications to prevent incidental otter catch:

Foothold traps must be set in at least 8 inches of water.

Body-gripping traps must be completely submerged. Those with a jaw opening greater than 7 ½ inches must be set with the trigger wires moved all the way to one side of the trap. The wires must point straight down.

Snares must be set with stops affixed to the cable to ensure that the portion of the snare that makes up the noose loop may not be less than 4 inches in diameter when fully closed.

The season will be extended north of state Highway 200, east of state Highway 73 and north of the Pine-Carlton county line. A map of the open area (the north mink/muskrat/beaver/otter zone) can be found on page 48 of the 2013 Minnesota Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook, which is available online www.mndr.gov/regulations/hunting.[[In-content Ad]]

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