481CWILD ANIMAL DEPREDATION PROCEDURES481C.1Wild animal depredation unit.A wild animal depredation unit is established within the department of natural resources. The unit shall be comprised of two wild animal depredation biologists.97 Acts, ch 180, §2; 2002 Acts, ch 1162, §72481C.2Duties.1The director of the department of natural resources shall enter into a memorandum of agreement with the United States department of agriculture, animal damage control division. The wild animal depredation unit shall serve and act as the liaison to the department for the producers in the state who suffer crop, horticultural product, tree, or nursery damage due to wild animals.2The department shall issue depredation permits and deer shooting permits to any landowner who incurs crop, horticultural product, tree, or nursery damage of one thousand dollars or more due to wild animals.3The criteria for issuing depredation licenses and permits shall be established in administrative rules. The administrative rules adopted pursuant to this section shall not require a producer to erect or maintain fencing at a cost exceeding one thousand dollars as a requisite for receiving a depredation license or permit or for participation in a depredation plan.97 Acts, ch 180, §3; 98 Acts, ch 1203, §4; 2008 Acts, ch 1037, §2, 62024 Acts, ch 1170, §342; 2025 Acts, ch 55, §1Subsection 2 amended481C.2ADeer depredation management program — licenses and permits.1Deer depredation licenses shall be available for issuance as follows:aDeer depredation licenses shall be available for issuance to resident hunters.bDepredation licenses issued pursuant to this subsection shall be valid to harvest antlerless deer only. Depredation licenses that are issued to a landowner and family members as defined in section 483A.24 shall be in addition to the number of free licenses that are available for issuance to such persons under section 483A.24. A landowner or a family member may obtain one free depredation license for each deer hunting season that is established by the commission. Deer may be harvested with a rifle pursuant to a depredation license in any area and in any season where the commission authorizes the use of rifles.cLicenses issued pursuant to this subsection may be issued at any time to a resident hunter who has permission to hunt on the land for which the license is valid pursuant to this subsection.dA producer who enters into a depredation agreement with the department of natural resources shall be issued a set of authorization numbers. Each authorization number authorizes a resident hunter to obtain a depredation license that is valid only for taking antlerless deer on the land designated in the producer’s depredation plan. A producer may transfer an authorization number issued to that producer to a resident hunter who has permission to hunt on the land for which the authorization number is valid. An authorization number shall be valid to obtain a depredation license in any season. The provisions of this paragraph shall be implemented by August 15, 2008. A transferee who receives an authorization number pursuant to this paragraph “d” shall be otherwise qualified to hunt deer in this state, purchase a hunting license that includes the wildlife habitat fee, and pay the one dollar fee for the purpose of the deer herd population management program.2Deer shooting permits shall be available for issuance as follows:aDeer shooting permits shall be available for issuance to landowners who incur crop, horticultural product, tree, or nursery damage as provided in section 481C.2 and shall be available for issuance for use on areas where public safety may be an issue.bDeer shooting permits issued pursuant to this subsection shall be valid and may be used outside of established deer hunting seasons.3Notwithstanding section 481C.2, subsection 3, a producer shall not be required to erect or maintain fencing as a requisite for receiving a deer depredation permit or for participation in a deer depredation plan pursuant to this section.4A person who harvests a deer with a deer depredation license or a deer shooting permit issued pursuant to this section shall utilize the deer harvest reporting system set forth in section 483A.8A and shall not be subject to different disposal or reporting requirements than are applicable to the harvest of deer pursuant to other deer hunting licenses except that any antlers on a deer taken pursuant to a shooting permit shall be delivered to the local conservation officer for disposal.5The department shall administer and enforce the administrative rules concerning deer depredation, including issuance of deer depredation licenses and deer shooting permits, that are established by the commission and subject to the following conditions:aExcept for a free license issued under subsection 1, paragraph “b”, the department shall require a fee of five dollars for a license or permit issued pursuant to this section.bIn addition to other times the department finds necessary, the department shall allow licenses and permits issued pursuant to this section to be used in the months of September, October, November, and December.6The department shall make educational materials that explain the deer depredation management program available to the general public, and available specifically to farmers and farm and commodity organizations, in both electronic and brochure formats.7The department shall conduct outreach programs for farmers and farm and commodity organizations that explain the deer depredation management program. The department shall develop, by rule, a master hunter program and maintain a list of master hunters who are available to assist producers in the deer depredation management program by increasing the harvest of antlerless deer on the producer’s property.2008 Acts, ch 1037, §3, 6; 2011 Acts, ch 34, §109; 2012 Acts, ch 1096, §4, 23; 2022 Acts, ch 1137, §3481C.3Funding.The revenue from nonresident deer and wild turkey hunting licenses shall be used to pay the salaries, support, and maintenance of the wild animal depredation unit established pursuant to section 481C.1.97 Acts, ch 180, §4; 2000 Acts, ch 1154, §33