Current through Register No. 40, October 3, 2024
(a)
As part of the fish and game department's responsibility to recognize,
preserve, and promote the state's hunting heritage, these rules allow the
continuance of a long-held tradition of hunting hares and rabbits with trained
beagles by fostering responsible dog training and breeding and promoting
interest in the hunting of snowshoe hares. The purpose of these rules is to
allow the limited take of snowshoe hares in a manner that will not have an
adverse effect on the population of snowshoe hares. These rules regulate the
taking of live snowshoe hares from the wild within New Hampshire and allow a
limited number of hares to be held in captivity for propagation and training
purposes.
(b) Applicants for a
"Permit to Live-Capture Snowshoe Hare" shall provide the following on the form:
(1) Name and home mailing address and
telephone number;
(2) Applicant's
trapping license number;
(3) Beagle
club affiliation and the address of the beagle club;
(4) A statement with the signature of the
beagle club president authorizing the applicant to live-capture snowshoe hare
on the club's behalf.
(5) The
number of a valid permit to propagate wildlife issued to the beagle club as
specified in
Fis
806.01 and
Fis
806.04.
(c) The live-capture of snowshoe hares shall
only be conducted by licensed trappers who have been designated by the club to
live-capture hares on the club's behalf, and be subject to the following
conditions:
(1) The live-capture of snowshoe
hares shall only be done during the open season for taking hares as specified
in
Fis
301.10(a)(1);
(2) Live-capture shall be conducted only on
private land with written landowner permission.
(3) Live-capture shall be done only by
box-trap;
(4) Traps shall be
securely labeled with the name and contact information of the
permittee;
(5) Traps shall be
equipped with a weatherproof top;
(6) Each active trap shall be baited with
enough apple, rabbit feed, or alfalfa to provide for the nourishment of a
captured snowshoe hare for at least 24 hours;
(7) Traps shall be checked at least once in
every calendar day;
(8) No more
than 20 snowshoe hares per season may be live-captured by each qualifying
beagle club with no more than 10 snowshoe hares live-captured per season from
the combined area of wildlife management units H1, H2, I1, I2, J2, K, L, and
M;
(9) No live capture of snowshoe
hare shall be conducted in those areas closed to the taking of cottontail
rabbits as specified in
Fis
301.10(c);
(10) Snowshoe hares that die during
live-capture efforts shall count as part of the 20 snowshoe hares allowed per
year per club;
(11) Snowshoe hares
not kept for training or propagation purposes shall be immediately released at
the site of capture; and
(12) No
more than 10 licensed trappers shall be designated per beagle club to
live-capture snowshoe hare on that club's behalf during the term of the
permit.
(d) No fees
shall be charged to any beagle club by persons engaged in snowshoe
live-capture. This shall not preclude reimbursement of expenses associated with
the live-capture and care of snowshoe hares by club members on behalf of their
respective clubs.
(e) Live-captured
snowshoe hares shall remain on the capturing club's property and not be
transferred elsewhere.
(f) Progeny
of live-captured snowshoe hares may be transferred or exchanged with another
permitted beagle club provided that no money shall be charged by either club to
the other for the value of the animal.
(g) A permittee holding a snowshoe hare in
captivity for propagation purposes shall:
(1)
Hold the animal in accordance with the possession requirements of Fis 804;
and
(2) At least once each calendar
year contact the law enforcement division to request a visit from a
conservation officer in order to select and remove one or more animals for
inspection by a veterinarian.
(h) The conservation officer shall transport
the selected animal(s) to the veterinarian, to be examined for disease, general
health and condition, with the cost of the inspection to be borne by the
permittee.
(i) Snowshoe hares that
escape from established pens on club property may be recaptured during the open
season for taking snowshoe hare within 50 yards of their established pens and
shall not count towards the season limit.
(j) Any snowshoe hares live-captured and held
for release under this program shall be released on club property within 2 days
of capture.
(k) Each club shall
provide to the department an annual "Snowshoe Hare Live-capture Summary Report"
to include:
(1) The name and address of the
beagle club;
(2) The date of
report;
(3) The name of the
individuals who live-captured or attempted to live-capture snowshoe hares on
behalf of the club;
(4) The total
number of:
a. Traps set; and
b. Days trapping occurred;
(5) The number of snowshoe hares
caught, by sex, by town, and by WMU;
(6) The number of snowshoe hares that died as
a result of live-capture efforts, by cause of death;
(7) The number of snowshoe hares retained for
training;
(8) The number of
snowshoe hares retained for propagation;
(9) The number of non-target animals captured
and released by species, WMU, and town;
(10) The number of non-target mortalities by
species, town and WMU;
(11) The
number of snowshoe hares propagated on club grounds through a breeding program
during the preceding calendar year;
(12) The written report of a veterinarian
regarding the general health and condition of animals held for training or
propagation purposes; and
(13) The
name and signature of the person submitting the report, signed subject to the
penalties for making unsworn false statements under
RSA
641:3.
(l) Annual summary reports shall be submitted
to the department by April 15th. No permits to live-capture in subsequent years
shall be issued to clubs until the annual report from the last year a permit
was held is received.
#8792, eff 1-9-07
