My Four Year Experiment With Conversant

It seems like yesterday, but it was in fact four years ago this month that I started switching over all my web sites to use Conversant. For the first five years of maintaining my web sites I just used an FTP client and then, later, Dreamweaver, both of which were very limited.

The main thing that attracted me to Conversant was that it was completely browser-based and that it was a full-fledge CMS/groupware software rather than just another blogging tool.

Four years later, Macrobyte has added a number of essential features to the system that I had no idea I even needed at the time. The single biggest was the addition of custom fields in combination with conditional macros.

As far as custom fields, a lot of blogging and other CMS software today lets users catagorize posts or stories, but I have yet to see one that does it half as cleanly as Conversant does. My animal rights site, for example, currently has almost 1,000 categories that stories and other posts can be assigned to. I’ve played around with most of the other software that other people use to manage their sites and have yet to find one that could scale categorization to that level (by the end of the year, I will have close to 3,000 categories across all of my sites).

Categorization is a good start, but Conversant’s template and conditional macro system really ties everything together and lets me do some very cool things. A lot of blog software that features categorization, for example, basically lets you categorize posts and then spits out what are essentially filtered views of the blog showing only the posts assigned to a specific category. Conversant can do that, but using templates I can output pretty much any view of the underlying posts that I want (I prefer just article titles with links such as in this page).

Conversant also lets me do a lot of things beyond simply aggregating related stories. Using conditional arguments, I can tell Conversant that if I’ve assigned Category A to a post that it should use a different stylesheet or use an entirely different template than the rest of the stories on the site.

I can also automate a lot of processes without having to run to Macrobyte with a feature request for every little thing. On some category pages, for example, I like to run right-hand sidebars with links to other sites. All I had to do for that was add a Sidebar custom field that defaults to “No.” If a category page has a Sidebar I just check “Yes”. Using a conditional macro, the site template checks this field and if it is set to “Yes” inserts the sidebar I’ve set up (I won’t go into the details about how it knows what to put in the sidebar, but it is pretty easy to implement).

All-in-all, Conversant still amazes me with the amount of power it has under the hood and how fast it runs given how much of each page is dynamically generated and some pages can have literally dozens of conditional statements that need to be evaluated in order to decide exactly which content to display.

Don’t take my word for it, though, go to Free-Conversant.Com, get a free account and kick the tires.

Air America Host: Do Bush Like Fredo

So Air America host Randi Rhodes compared President Bush and his family to the Corleones of “Godfather” fame and suggested of George W. that,

Like Fredo, somebody ought to take him out fishing and phuw.

Based on the business problems it appears to be experiencing, it doesn’t look like Air America’s going to be around for long, so fans will just have to do what the rest of us do when we want the liberal view on world events — tune in to NPR (unlike some conservatives and libertarians, I like NPR — I just wish the network would go entirely listener-supported and refuse state subsidies).

Source:

Liberal radio is airing bad jokes and worst taste. Michael Goodwin, New York Daily News, May 12, 2004.

Vatican Official: Abuse Photos Worse Blow to U.S. Than 9/11

Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo told an Italian newspaper that,

The torture [of Iraqi prisoners]? A more serious blow to the United States than Sept. 11. Except that the blow was not inflicted by terrorists but by Americans against themselves

And the Vatican certainly knows a lot about bad publicity from torturous interrogation procedures.

Source:

Prison Abuse Said Bigger to U.S. Than 9/11. Associated Press, May 12, 2004.

Minnesota Dove Season Passes Legislature; Awaits Governor's Signature

The Minnesota House and Senate this month approved a final version of an omnibus bill revising statutory language that governs the state Department of Natural Resources that explicitly authorizes a mourning dove hunting season for that state. Gov. Tim Pawlenty is expected to sign the bill into law.

The bill designates mourning doves as game birds and requires that,

By March 1, 2005, the commissioner shall report to the house and senate policy committees with jurisdiction over natural resources on the results of the mourning dove season
authorized by this act. The report must include a description of the impact of the season on the mourning dove population in the state.

If Pawlenty signs the bill, Minnesota will become the 40th state in the United States to have a mourning dove season.

The full text of the bill can be read here.

Source:

Minnesota dove bill headed to governor. Press Release, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, May 11, 2004.

Lee Hall Blasts PETA Over Iraqi Fur Stunt

Friends of Animals’ legal director Lee Hall was back to his favorite sport this month — bashing People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals.

In an essay titled “People for the Exploitative Treatment of Arabs?” Hall rips into PETA and Ingrid Newkirk over a recent stunt in which PETA was to give a donated mink coat to an Iraqi. In January PETA issued a press releasing saying,

Every year, PETA gives away hundreds of donated fur coats to the needy and homeless across North America. KennedyÂ’s coats will be part of a special shipment that PETA is sending to war-torn Iraq, where many residents of hard-hit towns are facing a cold winter without electricity.

Hall first writes about his displeasure with previous PETA stunts wherein the group gives donated furs to homeless people. He mentions a 2002 campaign in which PETA gave fur coats to homeless people in Great Britain,

PETA pushed the
stunt despite strenuous public objection from British anti-fur campaigners
as well.  Activists who had spent many weeks in delicate negotiations to
establish a fur-free policy in a Liverpool hospice charity watched their
work unravel in the midst of the PETA campaign.

Another group stated:

It gives the
impression that homeless people are a class that can be used as pawns in an
American groupÂ’s cause, and that they have no right to have a moral choice
on the fur issue. The marking of the coats with paint to identify them as
give-aways has the more sinister effect of identifying the wearers as
homeless.

PETA also
supervises the distribution of furs to homeless people in urban areas of the
U.S., through a scheme bizarrely named the Fur Soup
Kitchen. When the idea first hatched, numerous concerned activists,
including long-time anti-fur campaigner Priscilla Feral of Connecticut-based
Friends of Animals, asked PETA to drop the tactic.  But PETA president
Ingrid Newkirk waved the critics off, telling them to “go to work, real
work!” Newkirk further wrote:

When the homeless
are wearing fur, you know fur has hit rock bottom. It is no longer
fashionable, chic or desirable. People with money and style can choose, and
they donÂ’t choose fur because nothing beats synthetics for warmth as borne
out by Polar and Everest expeditions. Perhaps the only people left who can
justify wearing  fur are those so down-and-out that they cannot choose.

So now we see that
“the down-and-out” would have been better off with synthetics, but Newkirk
did not try to obtain such garments.  Instead, Newkirk used these people
to make a point:  to associate fur with the “rock bottom.” Rather than
offer respectful assistance to the poor, Newkirk subverted their dignity to
PETAÂ’s single-minded end.

Hall then turns to the furs-for-Iraq stunt writing,

And now Newkirk
would have us take up a collection of mink coats for the Iraqis.

With Iraqis reduced to wearing PETAÂ’s fur, in
the world according to Newkirk, it is clear that these people have hit rock
bottom. Never mind that through years of sanctions and finally by invading
their land, we were the ones who put them there. Never mind that PETA
apparently supported that invasion by regularly trotting out a staffer
identified as a U.S. Marine throughout the siege of Iraq. Never mind that
Norfolk-based PETA gave the troops calendars with pictures of
scantily-clad women along with packets of “Treats for the Troops.” Never
mind that PETA distributed posters of PlayboyÂ’s Kimberly Hefner in an
unbuttoned Uncle Sam outfit through “Stars and Stripes,” the U.S. military
newspaper given to the people ordered to invade Iraq.

. . .

>The news report on
the furs-to-Iraqis scheme said little about motives, other than to describe
the Iraqis as “needy.” But it is all equally revolting, whether itÂ’s about
PETA using the occupation to display goodly-hearted sentiments about the
Iraqi people — after sending some of the enemies of those same people over
with boxes of sweets — or whether itÂ’s just about using Iraqis as their
latest image of the “rock bottom.” One of PETAÂ’s slogans is “IÂ’d rather be
caught dead than wear fur.” However we look at it, that doesnÂ’t say much for
PETAÂ’s view of the people of Iraq.

Too bad for the animal rights movement (and good for the rest of us) that Hall’s views about PETA’s stunts seem to be in the minority.

Sources:

People for the Exploitative Treatment of Arabs? Lee Hall, Dissident Voice, May 6, 2004.

Revulsion at AnimalsÂ’ Being Killed for Their Skins Spurs Gift to Be Used in Compassion Campaign. Press Release, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, January 9, 2004.

Minnesota Senate Bill 2203 – Establishing Dove Hunting Season

S.F No. 2203, 1st Engrossment: 83rd Legislative Session (2003-2004) Posted on Mar 31, 2004

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to game and fish; modifying deer hunting
  1.3             provisions and fees; modifying restriction on
  1.4             importation of cervidae carcasses; modifying
  1.5             restrictions on the transport of game birds;
  1.6             clarifying validity of firearms safety certificates
  1.7             issued to youth; modifying turtle license
  1.8             requirements; eliminating prohibition on the use of
  1.9             vehicles for trapping beaver and otter; modifying
  1.10            waterfowl refuge provisions; providing for suspension
  1.11            of game and fish license and permit privileges under
  1.12            certain conditions; modifying shooting hours for
  1.13            migratory game birds; authorizing a season on mourning
  1.14            doves; prohibiting taking albino deer; modifying
  1.15            certain game license provisions; requiring public
  1.16            education efforts regarding lead tackle; authorizing
  1.17            grants; providing for the issuance of a moose hunting
  1.18            license under certain conditions; providing for a
  1.19            quality deer management pilot zone; requiring reports;
  1.20            amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 97A.015,
  1.21            subdivision 24; 97A.085, subdivisions 2, 3, 4;
  1.22            97A.095, subdivisions 1, 2, 4; 97A.420, subdivision 4;
  1.23            97A.421, by adding a subdivision; 97A.435, subdivision
  1.24            4, by adding a subdivision; 97A.475, subdivision 20,
  1.25            by adding a subdivision; 97A.545, subdivision 5;
  1.26            97B.015, subdivision 5; 97B.075; 97B.301, subdivisions
  1.27            6, 7; 97B.601, subdivision 3, by adding a subdivision;
  1.28            97B.721; 97B.901; Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement,
  1.29            sections 97A.475, subdivisions 2, 3; 97A.505,
  1.30            subdivision 8; 97B.311; 97C.605, subdivision 2c;
  1.31            proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
  1.32            chapter 97C; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2002,
  1.33            section 97B.731, subdivision 2.
  1.34  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
  1.35     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.015,
  1.36  subdivision 24, is amended to read:
  1.37     Subd. 24.  [GAME BIRDS.] "Game birds" means migratory
  1.38  waterfowl, pheasant, ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, Canada
  1.39  spruce grouse, prairie chickens, gray partridge, bob-white
  2.1   quail, turkeys, coots, gallinules, sora and Virginia
  2.2   rails, mourning dove, American woodcock, and common snipe.
  2.3      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.085,
  2.4   subdivision 2, is amended to read:
  2.5      Subd. 2.  [ESTABLISHMENT BY COMMISSIONER.] The commissioner
  2.6   may designate a contiguous area of at least 640 acres as a game
  2.7   refuge if more than 50 percent of the area is in public
  2.8   ownership.  The game refuge must be a contiguous area of at
  2.9   least 640 acres unless it borders or includes a marsh, or other
  2.10  body of water or watercourse suitable for wildlife habitat.
  2.11     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.085,
  2.12  subdivision 3, is amended to read:
  2.13     Subd. 3.  [ESTABLISHMENT BY PETITION OF LAND HOLDERS.] The
  2.14  commissioner may designate a land area or portion of a land area
  2.15  described in a petition as a game refuge.  The petition must be
  2.16  signed by the owner, the lessee, or the person in possession of
  2.17  each tract in the area.  A certificate of the auditor of the
  2.18  county where the lands are located must accompany the petition
  2.19  stating that the persons named in the petition are the owners,
  2.20  lessees, or persons in possession of all of the land described
  2.21  according to the county records.  The game refuge must be a
  2.22  contiguous area of at least 640 acres unless it borders or
  2.23  includes a marsh, or other body of water or watercourse suitable
  2.24  for wildlife habitat.
  2.25     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.085,
  2.26  subdivision 4, is amended to read:
  2.27     Subd. 4.  [ESTABLISHMENT BY PETITION OF COUNTY RESIDENTS.]
  2.28  The commissioner may designate as a game refuge public waters or
  2.29  a contiguous area of at least 640 acres, described in a
  2.30  petition, signed by 50 or more residents of the county where the
  2.31  public waters or area is located.  The game refuge must be a
  2.32  contiguous area of at least 640 acres unless it borders or
  2.33  includes a marsh, or other body of water or watercourse suitable
  2.34  for wildlife habitat.  The game refuge may be designated only if
  2.35  the commissioner finds that protected wild animals are depleted
  2.36  and are in danger of extermination, or that it will best serve
  3.1   the public interest.
  3.2      Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.095,
  3.3   subdivision 1, is amended to read:
  3.4      Subdivision 1.  [MIGRATORY WATERFOWL REFUGES SANCTUARY.]
  3.5   The commissioner shall may designate by rule any part of a state
  3.6   game refuge or any part of a public water that is designated for
  3.7   management purposes under section 97A.101, subdivision 2, as a
  3.8   migratory waterfowl refuge sanctuary if there is presented to
  3.9   the commissioner a petition signed by ten resident licensed
  3.10  hunters describing an area that is primarily a migratory
  3.11  waterfowl refuge.  The commissioner shall post the area as a
  3.12  migratory waterfowl refuge sanctuary.  A person may not enter a
  3.13  posted migratory waterfowl refuge sanctuary during the open
  3.14  migratory waterfowl season unless accompanied by or under a
  3.15  permit issued by a conservation officer or game refuge wildlife
  3.16  manager.  Upon a request from a private landowner within a
  3.17  migratory waterfowl refuge sanctuary, an annual permit must be
  3.18  issued to provide access to the property during the waterfowl
  3.19  season.  The permit shall include conditions that allow no
  3.20  activity which would disturb waterfowl using the refuge during
  3.21  the waterfowl season.
  3.22     Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.095,
  3.23  subdivision 2, is amended to read:
  3.24     Subd. 2.  [WATERFOWL FEEDING AND RESTING AREAS.] The
  3.25  commissioner may, by rule, designate any part of a lake as a
  3.26  migratory feeding or and resting area.  Before designation, the
  3.27  commissioner must receive a petition signed by at least ten
  3.28  local resident licensed hunters describing the area of a lake
  3.29  that is a substantial feeding or resting area for migratory
  3.30  waterfowl, and find that the statements in the petition are
  3.31  correct, and that adequate, free public access to the lake
  3.32  exists near the designated area.  The commissioner shall post
  3.33  the area as a migratory waterfowl feeding and resting area.
  3.34  Except as authorized in rules adopted by the commissioner, a
  3.35  person may not enter a posted migratory waterfowl feeding and
  3.36  resting area, during a period when hunting of migratory
  4.1   waterfowl is allowed, with watercraft or aircraft propelled by a
  4.2   motor, other than an electric motor of less than 30 pounds
  4.3   thrust.  The commissioner may, by rule, further restrict the use
  4.4   of electric motors in migratory waterfowl feeding and resting
  4.5   areas.
  4.6      Sec. 7.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.095,
  4.7   subdivision 4, is amended to read:
  4.8      Subd. 4.  [SWAN LAKE MIGRATORY WATERFOWL REFUGE SANCTUARY.]
  4.9   The land described in Laws 1999, chapter 81, section 2, is
  4.10  designated Swan Lake migratory waterfowl refuge sanctuary under
  4.11  subdivision 1.
  4.12     Sec. 8.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.420,
  4.13  subdivision 4, is amended to read:
  4.14     Subd. 4.  [HEARING.] (a) A hearing under subdivision 3 must
  4.15  be before a district court judge in the county where the
  4.16  incident occurred giving rise to the license seizure.  The
  4.17  hearing must be to the court and may be conducted at the same
  4.18  time as hearings upon pretrial motions in a related criminal
  4.19  prosecution.  The commissioner must be represented by the county
  4.20  attorney.
  4.21     (b) The hearing must be held at the earliest practicable
  4.22  date and in any event no later than 60 days following the filing
  4.23  of the petition for review.
  4.24     (c) The scope of the hearing must be limited to the issue
  4.25  of whether there is probable cause to believe that the person
  4.26  violated section 97A.338 had unlawfully taken, possessed, or
  4.27  transported wild animals with a restitution value over $500.
  4.28     (d) The court shall order that the license seizure be
  4.29  either sustained or rescinded.  Within 14 days following the
  4.30  hearing, the court shall forward a copy of the order to the
  4.31  commissioner.
  4.32     (e) Any party aggrieved by the decision of the reviewing
  4.33  court may appeal the decision as provided in the Rules of Civil
  4.34  Appellate Procedure.
  4.35     Sec. 9.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.421, is
  4.36  amended by adding a subdivision to read:
  5.1      Subd. 4a.  [SUSPENSION FOR FAILURE TO APPEAR IN COURT OR TO
  5.2   PAY A FINE OR SURCHARGE.] When a court reports to the
  5.3   commissioner that a person (1) has failed to appear in court
  5.4   under the summons issued for a violation of the game and fish
  5.5   laws or (2) has been convicted of violating a provision of the
  5.6   game and fish laws, has been sentenced to the payment of a fine
  5.7   or had a surcharge levied against them, and refused or failed to
  5.8   comply with that sentence or to pay the fine or surcharge, the
  5.9   commissioner shall suspend the game and fish license and permit
  5.10  privileges of the person until notified by the court that the
  5.11  person has appeared in court under clause (1) or that any fine
  5.12  or surcharge due the court has been paid under clause (2).
  5.13     Sec. 10.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.435,
  5.14  subdivision 4, is amended to read:
  5.15     Subd. 4.  [SEPARATE SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE LICENSEES.] (a)
  5.16  The commissioner may conduct a separate selection for up to 20
  5.17  percent of the turkey licenses to be issued for any area.  Only
  5.18  persons who are owners or tenants of and who live on at least 40
  5.19  acres of agricultural or grazing land in the area, and their
  5.20  family members, are eligible applicants for turkey licenses for
  5.21  the separate selection.  The qualifying agricultural or grazing
  5.22  land may be noncontiguous.  Persons who are unsuccessful in a
  5.23  separate selection must be included in the selection for the
  5.24  remaining licenses.  Persons who obtain a license in a separate
  5.25  selection must allow public turkey hunting on their land during
  5.26  that turkey season.  A license issued under this subdivision is
  5.27  restricted to the land owned or leased by the holder of the
  5.28  license within the permit area where the qualifying land is
  5.29  located.
  5.30     (b) The commissioner may by rule establish criteria for
  5.31  determining eligible family members under this subdivision.
  5.32     Sec. 11.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.435, is
  5.33  amended by adding a subdivision to read:
  5.34     Subd. 5.  [SPRING SEASON.] (a) A person who has not applied
  5.35  for a turkey license through the lottery or applied for a
  5.36  license and was unsuccessful in the lottery, may purchase a
  6.1   turkey hunting license to hunt by archery for the spring turkey
  6.2   season during a combined seventh and eighth time period.  A
  6.3   turkey hunting license under this subdivision is separate from
  6.4   the normal lottery process and is effective for hunting only in
  6.5   a wild turkey permit area in the state where 50 or more licenses
  6.6   are issued during an established time period.
  6.7      (b) Turkey lottery preference points shall not be reduced
  6.8   for a person purchasing a license under this subdivision.
  6.9      (c) A person may take only one bearded turkey in a spring
  6.10  turkey season regardless whether the hunter purchased a license
  6.11  through the lottery system or as provided in this subdivision.
  6.12     Sec. 12.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section
  6.13  97A.475, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
  6.14     Subd. 2.  [RESIDENT HUNTING.] Fees for the following
  6.15  licenses, to be issued to residents only, are:
  6.16     (1) for persons age 18 or over and under age 65 to take
  6.17  small game, $12.50;
  6.18     (2) for persons ages 16 and 17 and age 65 or over, $6 to
  6.19  take small game;
  6.20     (3) to take turkey, $18;
  6.21     (4) for persons age 16 18 or over to take deer with
  6.22  firearms, $26;
  6.23     (5) for persons age 16 18 or over to take deer by archery,
  6.24  $26;
  6.25     (6) to take moose, for a party of not more than six
  6.26  persons, $310;
  6.27     (7) to take bear, $38;
  6.28     (8) to take elk, for a party of not more than two persons,
  6.29  $250;
  6.30     (9) to take antlered deer in more than one zone, $52;
  6.31     (10) to take Canada geese during a special season, $4;
  6.32     (11) to take two deer throughout the state in any open deer
  6.33  season, except as restricted under section 97B.305, $78;
  6.34     (12) to take prairie chickens, $20;
  6.35     (13) for persons at least age 12 and under age 16 18 to
  6.36  take deer with firearms, $13; and
  7.1      (14) for persons at least age 12 and under age 16 18 to
  7.2   take deer by archery, $13.
  7.3      Sec. 13.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section
  7.4   97A.475, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
  7.5      Subd. 3.  [NONRESIDENT HUNTING.] Fees for the following
  7.6   licenses, to be issued to nonresidents, are:
  7.7      (1) to take small game, $73;
  7.8      (2) to take deer with firearms, $135;
  7.9      (3) to take deer by archery, the greater of:
  7.10     (i) an amount equal to the total amount of license fees and
  7.11  surcharges charged to a Minnesota resident to take deer by
  7.12  archery in the person's state or province of residence; or
  7.13     (ii) $135;
  7.14     (4) to take bear, $195;
  7.15     (5) to take turkey, $73;
  7.16     (6) to take raccoon, bobcat, fox, coyote, or lynx, $155;
  7.17     (7) to take antlered deer in more than one zone, $270; and
  7.18     (8) to take Canada geese during a special season, $4.
  7.19     Sec. 14.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.475,
  7.20  subdivision 20, is amended to read:
  7.21     Subd. 20.  [TRAPPING LICENSE.] The fee for a license to
  7.22  trap fur-bearing animals is:
  7.23     (1) for persons residents over age 13 and under age 18, $6;
  7.24  and
  7.25     (2) for persons residents age 18 and older, $20; and
  7.26     (3) for nonresidents, $73.
  7.27     Sec. 15.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.475, is
  7.28  amended by adding a subdivision to read:
  7.29     Subd. 25a.  [LIVE BAIT RETAILER.] The fee for a live bait
  7.30  retailer license is $15.
  7.31     Sec. 16.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section
  7.32  97A.505, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
  7.33     Subd. 8.  [IMPORTATION OF HUNTER-HARVESTED CERVIDAE.]
  7.34  Importation into Minnesota of hunter-harvested cervidae
  7.35  carcasses from known chronic wasting disease endemic areas, as
  7.36  determined by the Board of Animal Health, is prohibited except
  8.1   for cut and wrapped meat, quarters or other portions of meat
  8.2   with no part of the spinal column or head attached, antlers,
  8.3   hides, teeth, finished taxidermy mounts, and antlers attached to
  8.4   skull caps that are cleaned of all brain
  8.5   tissue.  Hunter-harvested cervidae carcasses taken from chronic
  8.6   wasting disease endemic areas outside of Minnesota may be
  8.7   transported on a direct route through the state by nonresidents.
  8.8      Sec. 17.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97A.545,
  8.9   subdivision 5, is amended to read:
  8.10     Subd. 5.  [BIRDS MUST BE IN UNDRESSED CONDITION;
  8.11  EXCEPTIONS.] (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), a person
  8.12  may ship or otherwise transport game birds in an undressed
  8.13  condition only.
  8.14     (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply if the birds being shipped
  8.15  or otherwise transported:
  8.16     (1) were taken on a shooting preserve and are marked or
  8.17  identified in accordance with section 97A.121, subdivision 5; or
  8.18     (2) were taken, dressed, and lawfully shipped or otherwise
  8.19  transported in another state; or
  8.20     (3) are migratory game birds that were lawfully tagged and
  8.21  packed by a federally permitted migratory bird preservation
  8.22  facility.
  8.23     Sec. 18.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97B.015,
  8.24  subdivision 5, is amended to read:
  8.25     Subd. 5.  [FIREARMS SAFETY CERTIFICATE.] The commissioner
  8.26  shall issue a firearms safety certificate to a person that
  8.27  satisfactorily completes the required course of instruction.  A
  8.28  certificate may not be issued to a person under age 12.  A
  8.29  person that is must be at least age 11 may to take the firearms
  8.30  safety course and may receive a firearms safety certificate, but
  8.31  the certificate is not valid until the person is at least age
  8.32  12.  A firearms safety certificate issued to a person under age
  8.33  12 by another state as provided in section 97B.020 is not valid
  8.34  in Minnesota until the person reaches age 12.  The form and
  8.35  content of the firearms safety certificate shall be prescribed
  8.36  by the commissioner.
  9.1      Sec. 19.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97B.075, is
  9.2   amended to read:
  9.3      97B.075 [HUNTING RESTRICTED BETWEEN EVENING AND MORNING.]
  9.4      (a) A person may not take protected wild animals, except
  9.5   raccoon and fox, with a firearm between the evening and morning
  9.6   times established by commissioner's rule, except as provided in
  9.7   this section.
  9.8      (b) Big game may be taken from one-half hour before sunrise
  9.9   until one-half hour after sunset, and,.
  9.10     (c) Except as otherwise prescribed by the commissioner
  9.11  during the first eight days of the season before the Saturday
  9.12  nearest October 8, until January 1, 2001, waterfowl may be taken
  9.13  from one-half hour before sunrise until sunset during the entire
  9.14  season prescribed by the commissioner.  On the opening day of
  9.15  the duck season, shooting hours for migratory game birds, except
  9.16  woodcock, begin at 9:00 a.m.
  9.17     Sec. 20.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97B.301,
  9.18  subdivision 6, is amended to read:
  9.19     Subd. 6.  [RESIDENTS UNDER AGE 16 18 MAY TAKE DEER OF
  9.20  EITHER SEX.] A resident under the age of 16 18 may take a deer
  9.21  of either sex except in those antlerless permit areas and
  9.22  seasons where no antlerless permits are offered.  In antlerless
  9.23  permit areas where no antlerless permits are offered, the
  9.24  commissioner may provide a limited number of youth either sex
  9.25  permits to residents under age 16 18, under the procedures
  9.26  provided in section 97B.305, and may give preference to
  9.27  residents under the age of 16 18 that have not previously been
  9.28  selected.  This subdivision does not authorize the taking of an
  9.29  antlerless deer by another member of a party under subdivision 3.
  9.30     Sec. 21.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97B.301,
  9.31  subdivision 7, is amended to read:
  9.32     Subd. 7.  [ALL SEASON DEER LICENSE.] (a) A resident may
  9.33  obtain an all season deer license.  This license authorizes the
  9.34  resident to take one buck by firearm or archery during any
  9.35  season statewide.  In addition, a resident obtaining this
  9.36  license may take one antlerless deer:
 10.1      (1) by firearms in the regular firearms season if the
 10.2   resident first obtains an antlerless deer permit or if the
 10.3   resident takes the antlerless deer in an area where the
 10.4   commissioner has authorized taking a deer of either sex without
 10.5   an antlerless permit;
 10.6      (2) by archery in the archery season; or
 10.7      (3) by muzzleloader in the muzzleloader season.
 10.8      (b) A person obtaining an all season deer license does not
 10.9   qualify for hunting under subdivision 3.  The commissioner shall
 10.10  issue one tag for a buck and one tag for an antlerless deer when
 10.11  issuing a license under this subdivision.
 10.12     Sec. 22.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section
 10.13  97B.311, is amended to read:
 10.14     97B.311 [DEER SEASONS AND RESTRICTIONS.]
 10.15     Subdivision 1.  [RULEMAKING.] (a) The commissioner may, by
 10.16  rule, prescribe restrictions and designate areas where deer may
 10.17  be taken, including hunter selection criteria for special hunts
 10.18  established under section 97A.401, subdivision 4.  The
 10.19  commissioner may, by rule, prescribe the open seasons for deer
 10.20  within the following periods:
 10.21     (1) taking with firearms, other than muzzle-loading
 10.22  firearms, between November 1 and December 15;
 10.23     (2) taking with muzzle-loading firearms between September 1
 10.24  and December 31; and
 10.25     (3) taking by archery between September 1 and December 31.
 10.26     (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the commissioner may
 10.27  establish special seasons within designated areas at any time of
 10.28  year.
 10.29     Subd. 2.  [ALBINO DEER PROTECTED.] A person may not take an
 10.30  albino deer.
 10.31     Sec. 23.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97B.601,
 10.32  subdivision 3, is amended to read:
 10.33     Subd. 3.  [NONRESIDENTS:  RACCOON, BOBCAT, FOX, COYOTE,
 10.34  CANADA LYNX.] A nonresident may not take raccoon, bobcat, fox,
 10.35  coyote, or Canada lynx by firearms without a separate license to
 10.36  take that animal in addition to a small game license.
 11.1      Sec. 24.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97B.601, is
 11.2   amended by adding a subdivision to read:
 11.3      Subd. 3a.  [NONRESIDENTS; TRAPPING SMALL GAME.] A
 11.4   nonresident may take small game by trapping only on land owned
 11.5   by the nonresident, if the nonresident possesses a trapping
 11.6   license and a small game license.
 11.7      Sec. 25.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97B.721, is
 11.8   amended to read:
 11.9      97B.721 [LICENSE AND STAMP VALIDATION REQUIRED TO TAKE
 11.10  TURKEY; TAGGING AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.]
 11.11     (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) or section 97A.405,
 11.12  subdivision 2, a person may not take a turkey without possessing
 11.13  a turkey license and a turkey stamp validation.
 11.14     (b) The requirement in paragraph (a) to have a turkey stamp
 11.15  validation does not apply to persons under age 18.  An
 11.16  unlicensed adult age 18 or older may assist a licensed wild
 11.17  turkey hunter under the age of 16.  The unlicensed adult may not
 11.18  shoot or possess a firearm or bow while assisting a youth under
 11.19  this paragraph.
 11.20     (c) The commissioner may by rule prescribe requirements for
 11.21  the tagging and registration of turkeys.
 11.22     Sec. 26.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97B.901, is
 11.23  amended to read:
 11.24     97B.901 [REGISTRATION AND TAGGING OF FUR-BEARING ANIMALS.]
 11.25     (a) The commissioner may, by rule, require persons taking,
 11.26  possessing, and transporting fur-bearing animals to tag the
 11.27  animals.  The commissioner shall prescribe the manner of
 11.28  issuance and the type of tag, which must show the year of
 11.29  issuance.  The commissioner shall issue the tag, without a fee,
 11.30  upon request.
 11.31     (b) The pelt of each bobcat, fisher, pine marten, and otter
 11.32  must be presented, by the person taking it, to a state wildlife
 11.33  manager designee for registration before the pelt is sold and
 11.34  before the pelt is transported out of the state, but in no event
 11.35  more than 48 hours after the season closes for the species.
 11.36  Until March 1, 2003, a possession or site tag is not required
 12.1   prior to registration of the fisher, pine marten, or otter.
 12.2      Sec. 27.  [97C.392] [SELLING LIVE BAIT.]
 12.3      Subdivision 1.  [LICENSE REQUIRED.] A person may not sell
 12.4   live bait at retail without a live bait retailer license.  A
 12.5   person must purchase a live bait retailer license for each live
 12.6   bait retail outlet operated.
 12.7      Subd. 2.  [LICENSE APPLICATION.] (a) An applicant for a
 12.8   live bait retailer license must give the business name and
 12.9   address for the retail outlet.  The address must include a
 12.10  street address or fire number.
 12.11     (b) The retail outlet name and location may be changed for
 12.12  licensing purposes upon application to the commissioner.
 12.13     Subd. 3.  [EXEMPTIONS.] This section does not apply to:
 12.14     (1) a person who possesses a minnow retailer or dealer
 12.15  license; or
 12.16     (2) a resident under age 18 who does not buy bait for
 12.17  resale.
 12.18     Sec. 28.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section
 12.19  97C.605, subdivision 2c, is amended to read:
 12.20     Subd. 2c.  [LICENSE EXEMPTIONS.] A person does not need a
 12.21  turtle seller's license or an angling license:
 12.22     (1) when buying turtles for resale at a retail outlet;
 12.23     (2) when buying a turtle at a retail outlet;
 12.24     (3) if the person is a nonresident buying a turtle from a
 12.25  licensed turtle seller for export out of state.  Shipping
 12.26  documents provided by the turtle seller must accompany each
 12.27  shipment exported out of state by a nonresident.  Shipping
 12.28  documents must include:  name, address, city, state, and zip
 12.29  code of the buyer; number of each species of turtle; and name
 12.30  and license number of the turtle seller; or
 12.31     (4) to take, possess, and rent or sell up to 25
 12.32  turtles greater than four inches in length for the purpose of
 12.33  providing the turtles to participants at a nonprofit turtle
 12.34  race, if the person is a resident under age 18.  The person is
 12.35  responsible for the well-being of the turtles.
 12.36     Sec. 29.  [ISSUANCE OF MOOSE LICENSE.]
 13.1      The commissioner of natural resources shall issue a moose
 13.2   license for the 2004 hunting season to a resident who is 70
 13.3   years of age or older and who has applied for a moose license
 13.4   for at least nine seasons since 1985, but has never received a
 13.5   moose license.  The license shall be valid for a party of up to
 13.6   three additional individuals chosen by the resident in the open
 13.7   zone chosen by the resident.
 13.8      Sec. 30.  [REPORT.]
 13.9      By January 15, 2006, the commissioner shall report to the
 13.10  chairs of the senate and house committees having jurisdiction
 13.11  over natural resources policy, evaluating the impacts of the
 13.12  change in shooting hours, including harvest success and the
 13.13  effect on local waterfowl populations.
 13.14     Sec. 31.  [REPORTS AND COOPERATIVE EFFORTS REGARDING LEAD
 13.15  FISHING TACKLE.]
 13.16     Subdivision 1.  [MULTIJURISDICTIONAL COOPERATION FOR LEAD
 13.17  TACKLE RESTRICTIONS AND EDUCATION.] In order to promote
 13.18  consistent, nationally applicable regulations and education, the
 13.19  commissioner of natural resources shall coordinate and
 13.20  participate in efforts to promote national laws and educational
 13.21  programs regarding lead fishing tackle.  The commissioner may
 13.22  participate with other jurisdictions, including federal, state
 13.23  and international governments, in activities under this
 13.24  subdivision, including advocacy for uniform laws, educational
 13.25  efforts, and the creation of incentives to use nonlead tackle.
 13.26  The commissioner may solicit and involve tackle manufacturers,
 13.27  conservation organizations, and fishing associations in
 13.28  cooperative efforts under this subdivision.
 13.29     Subd. 2.  [LEAD TACKLE AWARENESS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION.] The
 13.30  commissioner of natural resources and the director of the Office
 13.31  of Environmental Assistance shall provide public education
 13.32  regarding concerns about lead fishing tackle and promote the
 13.33  availability of nonlead fishing tackle.
 13.34     Sec. 32.  [GRANTS.]
 13.35     The director of the Office of Environmental Assistance, in
 13.36  consultation with the commissioner of natural resources, may
 14.1   make grants under Minnesota Statutes, sections 115A.152 and
 14.2   115D.04, to generators, conservation organizations, and angler
 14.3   associations to assist in reducing the use of lead fishing
 14.4   tackle, including grants for educational activities.
 14.5      Sec. 33.  [REPORT.]
 14.6      By March 1, 2005, the commissioner shall report to the
 14.7   house and senate policy committees with jurisdiction over
 14.8   natural resources on the results of the mourning dove season
 14.9   authorized by this act.  The report must include a description
 14.10  of the impact of the season on the mourning dove population in
 14.11  the state.
 14.12     Sec. 34.  [QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT PILOT ZONE; YOUTH EARLY
 14.13  SEASON FIREARMS DEER HUNT.]
 14.14     (a) The commissioner of natural resources may establish a
 14.15  quality deer management pilot zone, under Minnesota Statutes,
 14.16  section 97B.311, consisting of Kittson, Lake of the Woods,
 14.17  Marshall, Pennington, and Roseau Counties.  A person age 18 or
 14.18  older may not take an antlered deer by firearms in the quality
 14.19  deer management pilot zone with antlers that:
 14.20     (1) are less than the width of the ears when the ears are
 14.21  fully extended; and
 14.22     (2) have fewer than four points on one side.
 14.23     (b) The commissioner shall establish an early season
 14.24  two-day, special firearms deer season, under Minnesota Statutes,
 14.25  section 97B.112, for youth residents that are at least age 12
 14.26  and under age 15 to take an antlerless deer in Kittson, Lake of
 14.27  the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, and Roseau Counties.  The
 14.28  two-day special season shall be established on the weekend
 14.29  following the third Thursday in October.
 14.30     (c) A violation related to antler size in the quality deer
 14.31  management zone is not a crime and shall not result in a
 14.32  penalty, but is punishable only by a warning.
 14.33     (d) If a quality deer management pilot zone is established,
 14.34  the commissioner shall annually report to the senate and house
 14.35  of representatives committees with jurisdiction over natural
 14.36  resource policy on the quality deer management pilot zone.  The
 15.1   report must include information on the number of antlered deer
 15.2   taken in the quality deer management pilot zone and estimates of
 15.3   the antlered deer population in the zone, including the quality
 15.4   of the population.
 15.5      (e) This section expires on December 31, 2008.
 15.6      Sec. 35.  [REPEALER.]
 15.7      Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 97B.731, subdivision 2, is
 15.8   repealed.