Rule 40-2-8.1 - GENERAL RULES FOR FOX, COYOTE AND RABBIT PENS Public Notice 3510.001 is hereby amended.
A. Fox/Coyote Enclosures 1. Permit applications for enclosures shall be on a form prescribed by the MDWFP and shall contain the following information:b. Size of enclosure (in acres)2. Enclosures for hunting, chasing, taking or pursuing fox and coyote shall consist of an area fully enclosed by fence. Such fence shall be constructed with a maximum of 2" x 4" wire mesh, a minimum of 2" x 4" wooden fence supports or 2" steel fence supports and the fence shall be a minimum of 6' in height, and such fence shall be electrified with two (2) strands of wire, one at the top and one on the bottom.3. Enclosure owners are ultimately responsible for the humane treatment of all animals found inside their enclosures. Hunting enclosures shall contain one escape area for each forty (40) acres in the enclosure areas which are hound proof. These may be provided by maintaining thickets, brush piles, windrows or where natural cover is insufficient, by providing manmade escapes such as culverts or hound proof feeding stations.4. Enclosure owners shall be required to make available to the animals in the enclosures: a. Food that is palatable, uncontaminated and nutritionally adequate to insure normal growth and maintenance.b. Water which is fresh, uncontaminated and available at all times.5. Permits will be issued to the enclosure owner only after inspection by the Executive Director or his designee and upon receipt of the permit fee of $75.00 for a commercial enclosure or $10.00 for a private enclosure. Permits shall be valid for one year from date of issuance.6. Enclosures may be inspected at any time by the Executive Director or his designee.7. Commercial enclosures shall be defined as those where fees are charged for the use of such enclosure.8. Private enclosures shall be defined as enclosures where no fee or fees are charged for use of the enclosure.9. Commercial Permitted Enclosures are and shall be exempt from the field trial permitting requirements of Public Notice #2768.001. Additionally, no hunting license shall be required of any person running dogs in a permitted enclosure.10. Enclosure operators must keep a record of all animals purchased. Such records shall include: a. Number of animals purchasedb. Name and address of person selling animalsc. Dates of each transactiond. A copy of this record must accompany any renewal application.11. All records shall be available and open for inspection by the Executive Director or his designee at all times.B. Rabbit Enclosures1. Permit applications for enclosures shall be on a form prescribed by the MDWFP.2. Enclosures for hunting, chasing, taking or pursuing rabbits shall consist of an area fully enclosed by a fence constructed with a maximum of 2" x 4" mesh, a minimum of 2" x 4" wooden fence supports or 2" steel fence supports and at least four (4) feet high.3. Enclosure owners are ultimately responsible for the humane treatment of all animals found inside their enclosures.4. Permits will be issued to the enclosure owner only after inspection by the Executive Director or his designee and upon receipt of the permit fee of $10.00. Permits shall be valid for one year from date of issuance.5. Enclosures may be inspected at any time by the Executive Director or his designee.6. Permitted Enclosures are and shall be exempt from the field trial permitting requirements of Public Notice #2768.001. Additionally, no hunting license shall be required of any person running dogs in a permitted enclosure.7. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to operate a hunting enclosure for hunting, chasing, taking or pursuing any rabbit, fox or coyote without obtaining a permit issued by the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks as provided above.C. Importation of Wild Animals or Wild Birds 1. No person shall import any wild animal or wild bird of a species indigenous to the State of Mississippi into the state without first obtaining a permit issued by the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks as provided herein.2. Applications for the importation of any wild animal or wild bird indigenous to the State of Mississippi into the state shall be submitted to the MDWFP no less than 30 days prior to any importation of such animals.3. Applications shall be on a form prescribed by the MDWFP and shall contain the following: a. Reason for importationb. Origin of animal/animals being imported to include state or countryc. Number and species of animals to be imported d. Date of importation into the statee. Destination of animals to include any temporary and final locationf. Seller's name and address4. Prior to the importation of any animals into the state, permitted importers must: a. Comply with all rules and regulations of the Mississippi State Board of Animal Health and all rules and regulations from the state of origin.b. Permanently number each animal being imported with either an ear tag or ear tattoo.c. Permanently number each bird being imported with a leg or wing band.d. The numbering sequence for imported animals shall be issued by the MDWFP.e. Obtain a certificate, issued no more than 10 days prior to importation, for each animal being imported. This certificate must be issued by a veterinarian licensed in the state of origin of the animals being imported and certify that each fox and/or coyote imported or shipped into the State of Mississippi has been isolated for a period of no less than twenty-one (21) days and shows no clinical signs of rabies. In addition, this certificate shall certify that each animal has been vaccinated for canine distemper, as well as treated with anthelminthic Praziquantel and Ivermectin. The above mentioned inoculation and treatment shall be administered by a licensed veterinarian in the state of origin and the ear tag numbers from each inoculated or treated animal shall be recorded. This record shall remain with the animals through shipment and shall become part of the importer or enclosure owner's permanent records.f. Obtain from the seller a copy of a permit issued by the Wildlife agency from the state of origin authorizing the sale and exportation of the animals being imported.5. Permitted importers must submit animals that die in transit or captivity to the Mississippi Board of Animal Health within 72 hours of the death of such animal.6. The import permit shall accompany animals while in transit.7. A fee of twenty five dollars ($25.00) will be charged for each such permit.8. A permitted importer may not sell, offer for sale, exchange for merchandize or other considerations, relocate, or move from its final destination, any animal or bird imported into this state without prior permission of the MDWFP.9. Violation of any of the above regulations shall render the permit null and void.10. Nothing herein shall prohibit the importation of wild animals or wild birds by any Public Zoo, Zoological Garden or Educational Institutions. Public zoos and zoological gardens shall be defined as a permanent cultural institution which owns and maintains captive wild animals that represent more than a token collection and under the direction of a professional staff, provides its collection with appropriate care and exhibits them in an aesthetic manner to the public on a regularly scheduled basis. They shall further be defined as having as their primary business the exhibition, conservation, and preservation of the earth's fauna in an educational scientific manner. Educational Institutions shall be defined as duly accredited schools, colleges, or universities. Nothing herein shall be construed as prohibiting the importation of wild animals of a species not indigenous to the State of Mississippi, unless prohibited by other law, regulation or regulatory agency of the State of Mississippi.Miss. Code Ann. §§ 49-1-29, 49-4-4, and 49-7-34.