
Eating Beaver in Minnesota Was Legal—Now It’s a Crime
Beavers can be a big nuisance for home and landowners in Minnesota, and the state has very specific rules about what you can do with them.
A Surprising Ban on Eating Beaver in Minnesota
Until last year, Minnesotans could eat the nuisance beavers they caught on their property. However, a change included in the 2024 environment omnibus bill made it illegal to consume nuisance beavers. Now, one Minnesota lawmaker wants to reverse that decision.
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Lawmaker Pushes to Bring Back Beaver Eating in MN
According to Fox 9, Senator Steve Green (R) questions why the ban on eating beaver was included in the bill. "I can tell you that even though I personally don't go out and trap beavers to eat them, I have eaten them... I do know a lot of people that do consume beaver, and I think it's a little problematic that we're making it a crime," Green stated.
Concerns Over Health Risks to Minnesotans
Senator Foung Hawj (D) defended the ban, citing concerns over the "potential for disease or parasite contraction from eating a rodent."
Minnesota does have a designated beaver trapping season, during which those beavers may still be consumed. However, the law specifically targets nuisance beavers, making them off-limits for human consumption.

A Bill to Repeal the Ban in Minnesota
Senator Grant Hauschild from Hermantown has introduced SF 811, a bill aimed at repealing the prohibition. The proposed change would simply remove the line, "Human consumption of a retained beaver is prohibited," effectively allowing Minnesotans to eat nuisance beavers once again.
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