Subd. 1. Angling; Take a Kid Fishing Weekends.
- (a) A resident age 16 years or older may take fish by angling without an angling license and may take fish by spearing from a dark house without a spearing license and without a fish house or dark house license during one three-day consecutive period of the open-water angling season and one three-day consecutive period of the ice angling season designated by the commissioner if the resident is accompanied by a child who is under age 16. The commissioner may, by written order published in the State Register, establish the three-day consecutive periods. The written order is not subject to the rulemaking provisions of chapter 14, and section 14.386 does not apply.
- (b) The commissioner may designate and publicize the three-day periods as "Take a Kid Fishing Weekend" for the open-water angling season and "Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend" for the ice angling season. The commissioner shall announce the date of each three-day weekend at least 30 days in advance of the date it occurs.
Subd. 1a. Angling in state parks.
(a) A resident may take fish by angling without an angling license:
- (1) when shore fishing or wading on state-owned land within a state park; or
- (2) when angling from a boat or float or through the ice on water bodies completely encompassed within the statutory boundary of the state park.
- (b) The exemption from an angling license does not apply to waters where a trout stamp is required.
Subd. 2. Angling; institutional residents.
A license is not required to take fish by angling with the written consent of the superintendent or chief executive of the institution for the following persons:
- (1) a resident of a state hospital;
- (2) a patient of a United States Veterans Administration hospital;
- (3) an inmate of a state correctional facility;
- (4) a resident of a licensed nursing or boarding care home, a person who is enrolled in and regularly participates in an adult day care program or other similar organized activity sponsored by a licensed nursing or boarding care home, or a resident of a licensed board and lodging facility; and
- (5) a resident of a drug or alcohol residential treatment program under the age of 20.
Subd. 3.
[Repealed, 2014 c 290 s 70]
Subd. 4. Angling; Take a Mom Fishing Weekend.
Any mother who is a resident of Minnesota may take fish by angling without a license during the Saturday and Sunday of the angling season that coincides with Mother's Day. The commissioner shall publicize the Saturday and Sunday as "Take a Mom Fishing Weekend."
Subd. 5. Small-game hunting; Take a Kid Hunting Weekend.
A resident over age 18 may take small game by hunting without a license during one Saturday and Sunday of the small-game-hunting season designated by rule of the commissioner if accompanied by a child who is under age 16. The commissioner shall publicize the Saturday and Sunday as "Take a Kid Hunting Weekend."
Subd. 6. License system.
In the event of a disruption in the availability of hunting and angling licenses, the commissioner may publish in the State Register a notice that exempts residents and nonresidents from requirements to possess a license to take game or fish.
[See Note.]