Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB95: Revise law related to damage-based muskrat and beaver harvesting
Status: Signed into law, April 3, 2025
What the bill says
An act revising laws related to trapping or hunting beaver or muskrat that cause injury to certain structures; adding rural or urban structures to the list of injured structures; amending section 87-6-602, mca; and providing an effective date.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT REVISING LAWS RELATED TO TRAPPING OR HUNTING BEAVER OR MUSKRAT THAT CAUSE INJURY TO CERTAIN STRUCTURES; ADDING RURAL OR URBAN STRUCTURES TO THE LIST OF INJURED STRUCTURES; AMENDING SECTION 87-6-602, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Section 1. Section 87-6-602, MCA, is amended to read: "87-6-602. Trapping during closed season -- exception. (1) A person may not trap or hunt or attempt to trap or hunt any fur-bearing animal until the commission provides an open season on any fur-bearing animal. The furs and hides of fur-bearing animals legally taken during the open season may be possessed, bought, and sold at any time except as provided by law. (2) When it is shown that muskrats or beaver are causing severe injury to or are a menace to the structures, canal banks, or other works of an irrigation project or district or to a stock water pond, any employee or resident landowner on the project or district may kill or trap or cause to be killed or trapped any muskrat or beaver upon or in menacing proximity to the structures, canal banks, or other works of the project or district or the stock water pond during the closed season on muskrats or beaver after having secured from the director a permit to do so, except that from June 1 to …
Sponsors
- Fielder, Paul (R, 14) · primary sponsor
- Hertz, Greg (R, 7)
Latest actions
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
Votes
- Do Concur (March 17, 2025): 45 yea, 4 nay, passed
- Do Concur (March 15, 2025): 43 yea, 5 nay, passed
- Do Pass (January 14, 2025): 83 yea, 15 nay, passed
- Do Pass (January 13, 2025): 93 yea, 6 nay, passed
Subjects: Fish
Common questions
- What is HB95?
- HB95 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Revise law related to damage-based muskrat and beaver harvesting.
- What does HB95 do?
- In its own words: An act revising laws related to trapping or hunting beaver or muskrat that cause injury to certain structures; adding rural or urban structures to the list of injured structures; amending section 87-6-602, mca; and providing an effective date.
- What is the status of HB95?
- Signed into law as of April 3, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (May 13, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB95?
- Fielder, Paul (R, 14), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for HB95?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC0512
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.