483A.8  Deer hunting license and tag.
  1.  A resident hunting deer who is required to have a hunting license must have a resident hunting license in addition to the deer hunting license and must pay the wildlife habitat fee. In addition, a resident who purchases a deer hunting license shall pay a one dollar fee that shall be used and is appropriated for the purpose of deer herd population management, including assisting with the cost of processing deer donated to the help us stop hunger program administered by the commission.
  2.  The deer hunting license shall be accompanied by a tag designed to be used only once. When a deer is taken, the deer shall be tagged and the tag shall be dated. The tag shall be attached to the carcass of a deer taken within fifteen minutes of the time the deer carcass is located after being taken, or before the carcass is moved to be transported by any means from the place where the deer was taken, whichever occurs first. For each antlered deer taken, the tag shall be affixed to the deer’s antlers.
  3.  a.  A nonresident hunting deer is required to have a nonresident hunting license and a nonresident deer hunting license and must pay the wildlife habitat fee. In addition, a nonresident who purchases a deer hunting license shall pay a one dollar fee that shall be used and is appropriated for the purpose of deer herd population management, including assisting with the cost of processing deer donated to the help us stop hunger program administered by the commission.
  b.  A nonresident who purchases an antlered or any sex deer hunting license pursuant to section 483A.1, subsection 2, paragraph “e”, is required to purchase an antlerless deer only deer hunting license at the same time, pursuant to section 483A.1, subsection 2, paragraph “g”.
  c.  The commission shall annually limit to six thousand the number of nonresidents allowed to have antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses. Of the six thousand nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses issued, not more than thirty-five percent of the licenses shall be bow season licenses. After the six thousand antlered or any sex nonresident deer hunting licenses have been issued, all additional licenses shall be issued for antlerless deer only. The commission shall annually determine the number of nonresident antlerless deer only deer hunting licenses that will be available for issuance.
  d.  The commission shall allocate all nonresident deer hunting licenses issued among the zones based on the populations of deer. However, a nonresident applicant may request one or more hunting zones, in order of preference, in which the applicant wishes to hunt. If the request cannot be fulfilled, the applicable fees shall be returned to the applicant. A nonresident applying for a deer hunting license must exhibit proof of having successfully completed a hunter safety and ethics education program as provided in section 483A.27 or its equivalent as determined by the department before the license is issued.
  e.  The commission shall assign one preference point to a nonresident whose application for a nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting license is denied due to limitations on the number of nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses available for issuance that year. An additional preference point shall be assigned to that person each subsequent year the person’s license application is denied for that reason. A nonresident may purchase additional preference points pursuant to section 483A.1, subsection 2, paragraph “f”. The first nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting license drawing each year shall be made from the pool of applicants with the most preference points and continue to pools of applicants with successively fewer preference points until all available nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses have been issued. If a nonresident applicant receives an antlered or any sex deer hunting license, all of the applicant’s assigned preference points at that time shall be removed.
  4.  The commission may provide, by rule, for the issuance of an additional antlerless deer hunting license to a person who has been issued an antlerless deer hunting license. The rules shall specify the number of additional antlerless deer hunting licenses which may be issued, and the season and zone in which the license is valid. The fee for an additional antlerless deer hunting license shall be ten dollars for residents.
  5.  A nonresident owning land in this state may apply for a nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting license, and the provisions of subsection 3 shall apply. However, if a nonresident owning land in this state is unsuccessful in obtaining one of the nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses, the landowner shall be given preference for one of the antlerless deer only nonresident deer hunting licenses available pursuant to subsection 3. A nonresident owning land in this state shall pay the fee for a nonresident antlerless only deer hunting license and the license shall be valid to hunt on the nonresident’s land only. If one or more parcels of land have multiple nonresident owners, only one of the nonresident owners is eligible for a nonresident antlerless only deer hunting license. If a nonresident jointly owns land in this state with a resident, the nonresident shall not be given preference for a nonresident antlerless only deer hunting license. The department may require proof of land ownership from a nonresident landowner applying for a nonresident antlerless only deer hunting license.
  6.  The commission shall provide by rule for the annual issuance to a nonresident of a nonresident antlerless deer hunting license that is valid for use only during the period beginning on December 24 and ending at sunset on January 2 of the following year and costs seventy-five dollars. A nonresident hunting deer with a license issued under this subsection shall be otherwise qualified to hunt deer in this state and shall have a nonresident hunting license, pay the wildlife habitat fee, and pay the one dollar fee for the purpose of deer herd population management as provided in subsection 3. Pursuant to this subsection, the commission shall make available for issuance only the remaining nonresident antlerless deer hunting licenses allocated under subsection 3 that have not yet been issued for the current year’s nonresident antlerless deer hunting seasons.
  7.  A person who is issued a youth deer hunting license and does not take a deer during the youth deer hunting season may use the deer hunting license and unused tag during any other firearm season that is established by the commission to take a deer of either sex.
[C79, 81, §110.8]
86 Acts, ch 1240, §4; 89 Acts, ch 237, §3; 90 Acts, ch 1003, §2

94 Acts, ch 1111, §2; 98 Acts, ch 1199, §10, 27; 98 Acts, ch 1203, §5 – 7; 98 Acts, ch 1223, §28 – 30; 2001 Acts, ch 134, §5; 2001 Acts, ch 148, §6, 7, 9; 2002 Acts, ch 1119, §64; 2003 Acts, ch 85, §1; 2005 Acts, ch 139, §4; 2005 Acts, ch 179, §132; 2007 Acts, ch 129, §1; 2008 Acts, ch 1158, §1; 2009 Acts, ch 144, §38; 2009 Acts, ch 179, §216, 217; 2011 Acts, ch 103, §1
For applicable scheduled fines, see §805.8B, subsection 3, paragraph c 
When license not required; special licenses; see §483A.24 
Subsection 2 amended