(a) The Commissioner may issue a permit to no more than 5 members of any beagle club or to a private owner of an enclosed area not less than 20 acres in size, maintained for the training of beagles, to take live snowshoe hare and cottontail rabbits by the method described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Snowshoe hare and cottontail rabbits taken under a permit must be captured or trapped by means of a box or cage trap which will not wound the animal. Box or cage traps used for this purpose must be identified with an attached tag made of rustless material, with the permit holder's name and address permanently and legibly stamped or engraved thereon. Prior to setting any trap, the permit holder must obtain written permission from the owner of the property where the trap is to be set. Said written permission, must accompany the application to the Commissioner for the trapping permit. The owner of the property may, at any time, revoke the permission. Any person who traps snowshoe hare or cottontail rabbits by the permit shall visit his traps at least once in every twenty-four hours. The snowshoe hare and cottontail rabbits taken by such trap may be transported to the permit holder's training area any time during the permit period and must be released within twenty-four hours of taking. The permit must be carried on the permit holder's person during transportation.

(c) Snowshoe hare and cottontail rabbits taken by this permit are to be used solely for stocking of fenced beagle training areas. Any unauthorized use shall result in revocation of the permit by the Commissioner and shall be considered a violation of this regulation.

(d) The permit shall specify the time of year and number of snowshoe hare and/or cottontail rabbits to be taken. (Added 1980, Fish and Game Board Reg. No. 916, eff. July 2, 1980.)