Senate File 581 - Introduced SENATE FILE 581 BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS (SUCCESSOR TO SF 464) (SUCCESSOR TO SF 427) A BILL FOR An Act relating to deer population management. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 2542SZ (2) 89 js/rn

S.F. 581 Section 1. Section 481A.130, subsection 1, Code 2021, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0h. For each antlerless deer, two hundred 3 dollars. 4 Sec. 2. Section 481A.130, subsection 1, paragraph h, Code 5 2021, is amended to read as follows: 6 h. For each deer, except as provided in paragraph “g” , and 7 for each swan or crane, one thousand five hundred dollars. 8 Sec. 3. Section 481C.2A, subsection 5, Code 2021, is amended 9 to read as follows: 10 5. The department shall administer and enforce the 11 administrative rules concerning deer depredation, including 12 issuance of deer depredation licenses and deer shooting 13 permits, that are established by the commission and subject to 14 the following conditions: 15 a. Except for a free license issued under subsection 1, 16 paragraph “b” , the department shall require a fee of two dollars 17 for a license or permit issued pursuant to this section . 18 b. In addition to other times the department finds 19 necessary, the department shall allow licenses and permits 20 issued pursuant to this section to be used in the months of 21 September, October, November, and December. 22 Sec. 4. Section 483A.8, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 23 following new subsection: 24 NEW SUBSECTION . 9. There shall be a January antlerless 25 deer only hunting season in a county whenever that county 26 has unsold antlerless deer licenses available in its county 27 quota as set by the commission by rule. The commission shall 28 establish the season dates. Licenses shall be available for 29 sale beginning the day after the close of the late muzzleloader 30 season until either the county quota allotment has been sold or 31 until the end of the season, whichever occurs first. A January 32 antlerless deer only license issued under this subsection is 33 valid only in the county identified on the license. A rifle 34 with a barrel length of at least sixteen inches and firing 35 -1- LSB 2542SZ (2) 89 js/rn 1/ 4

S.F. 581 centerfire ammunition propelling an expanding-type bullet with 1 a maximum diameter of no less than two hundred twenty-three 2 thousandths of one inch and no larger than five hundred 3 thousandths of one inch and with a published or calculated 4 muzzle energy of five hundred foot pounds or higher is the 5 approved method of take for this season. 6 Sec. 5. DEER POPULATION STUDY. The department of natural 7 resources shall conduct a study every three years to determine 8 the estimated deer population in each county in this state, 9 which shall be supported by historical records dating back 10 to 1970. The department shall review and provide scientific 11 data relating to the environmental impact of deer populations, 12 including the impact to crops and trees. The department 13 shall also review the spread of disease in deer and other 14 wildlife populations. Additionally, the report shall include 15 information on property loss, medical costs, and fatalities 16 due to deer-vehicle accidents. In conducting the study, the 17 department shall work with relevant representatives from the 18 Iowa state university of science and technology agricultural 19 extension service, the department of transportation, and the 20 insurance division of the department of commerce. Expenses 21 for conducting the study shall be paid from the fish and 22 wildlife protection fund established in section 456A.17 and 23 such payments are considered a proper use of the funds for 24 purposes of section 456A.27 and Article VII, section 9, of the 25 Constitution of the State of Iowa. The department shall submit 26 a report summarizing the results of the study to the general 27 assembly by October 1, 2023, and every three years thereafter. 28 EXPLANATION 29 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 30 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 31 This bill relates to deer population management. 32 Current law provides that a person convicted of unlawfully 33 selling, taking, catching, killing, injuring, destroying, or 34 having in possession an antlerless deer shall reimburse the 35 -2- LSB 2542SZ (2) 89 js/rn 2/ 4

S.F. 581 state $1,500. The bill amends the reimbursement amount for an 1 anterless deer to $250. 2 In administering and enforcing administrative rules relating 3 to deer depredation, the bill requires the department of 4 natural resources (DNR) to require payment of a $2 fee for the 5 issuance of a deer depredation license or permit. The bill 6 also requires DNR to allow deer depredation tags to be filled 7 in the months of September, October, November, and December, in 8 addition to any other time that DNR finds necessary. 9 Under current law, deer hunting licenses are allocated by 10 zones and counties. The bill establishes a January antlerless 11 deer hunting season in a county whenever that county has unsold 12 antlerless deer hunting licenses available in its county quota 13 set by the natural resource commission. The commission shall 14 establish the season dates. The bill sets the time when a 15 person may purchase a license for the January season and states 16 that the license is valid only in the county identified on the 17 license. The bill makes a rifle with a barrel length of at 18 least 16 inches and firing centerfire ammunition propelling 19 an expanding-type bullet with a maximum diameter of no less 20 than 0.233 inches and no larger than 0.500 inches and with a 21 published or calculated muzzle energy of 500 foot pounds or 22 higher the approved method of take for the January antlerless 23 deer hunting season. 24 The bill requires DNR to conduct a study every three years to 25 determine the estimated deer population in each county in this 26 state. The bill requires DNR to review and provide scientific 27 data relating to the environmental impact of deer populations, 28 including the impact to crops and trees, review information 29 relating to the spread of disease in deer and other wildlife 30 populations, and include information on property loss, medical 31 costs, and fatalities due to deer-vehicle accidents. The bill 32 requires DNR to work with relevant representatives from the 33 Iowa state university of science and technology agricultural 34 extension service, the department of transportation, and the 35 -3- LSB 2542SZ (2) 89 js/rn 3/ 4

S.F. 581 insurance division of the department of commerce. Expenses for 1 conducting the study shall be paid from the fish and wildlife 2 protection fund. The bill requires DNR to submit a report to 3 the general assembly by October 1, 2023, and every three years 4 thereafter. 5 -4- LSB 2542SZ (2) 89 js/rn 4/ 4