TRAPPING AND FUR DEALING

TRAPPING AND FUR DEALING. A. Lure. 1. Lure is allowed for trapping furbearers, beaver, nutria, coyote, and fox, provided that no more than two and one-half (2.5) cubic inches of such lure may be placed or located within twenty (20) feet of any trap. 2. All lure within twenty (20) feet of any trap must be covered and not visible from above. However, there are no lure restrictions when used inside live-cage type traps that do not exceed forty-two (42) inches in length, fifteen (15) inches in width, and twenty (20) inches in height. B. Tagging. 1. The Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks (MDWFP) shall provide federal CITES identification tags for bobcat and river otter upon which there are federal export quotas or controls. 2. All pelts, skins, or carcasses of river otter and bobcat must be tagged with a CITES tag prior to shipping or transporting out of Mississippi. 175 3. The MDWFP will charge a processing fee for CITES tags. 4. Trappers, fur dealers, or owners will bear the expense of each tag. 5. The MDWFP shall provide such tags for purchase at designated MDWFP locations. 6. CITES tags will be available during the trapping season and for thirty (30) days thereafter. 7. All unused issued CITES tags must be returned to the MDWFP within forty- five (45) days after close of the trapping season for which they were issued. 8. Possession of unused CITES tags between forty-five (45) days after close of trapping season and the day prior to opening trapping season is prohibited. 9. CITES tags are not transferable. C. Trapper Harvest Reports. 1. Each licensed trapper shall be required to complete and return a trapper harvest report or survey provided by the MDWFP by May 1st of each year following each trapping season. 2. Licensed trappers failing to satisfactory complete or return such report or survey may be denied trapping license renewal for the following year. D. Shipment of furs. All shipments of furs shall bear the name, address and trapper or fur dealer license number of the shipper. F. Trapper identification numbers. 1. Pursuant to Section 49-7-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, trappers are required to have an identification number attached to all traps by a metal tag or permanently inscribed, etched, or stamped. 2. The trapper identification number shall be assigned to each trapping license holder by the MDWFP. 3. Trappers shall be required to visit their traps at least every thirty-six (36) hours. 4. Any conservation officer shall be authorized to take up any traps not properly marked. 176 5. Trappers may obtain their trapper identification number by contacting the MDWFP at 1505 Eastover Drive, Jackson, MS 39211-6374 or by telephone at 601-432- 2400.