CHAPTER 484B
HUNTING PRESERVES

Referred to in §232.8, 455A.4, 455A.5, 456A.14, 456A.24, 481A.1, 481A.6A, 481A.38, 481A.125A, 481A.134, 481A.135, 483A.24, 483A.32, 484C.5, 805.16, 903.1

See §481A.134 and 481A.135 for point system and additional

penalties

  
     
484B.1  Definitions.
  As used in this chapter unless the context otherwise requires:
  1.  “Commission” means the natural resource commission.
  2.  “Department” means the department of natural resources.
  3.  “Director” means the director of the department.
  4.  “Elk” means an animal belonging to the cervidae family and classified as part of the canadensis species of the cervus genus.
  5.  “Game birds” means pen-reared birds of the family gallinae and mallard ducks.
  6.  “Hunting preserve” means property and facilities either privately owned or leased for holding, rearing, releasing, or processing captive-raised game for the purpose of hunting, for a fee, over an extended season.
  7.  “Livestock” means the same as defined in section 717.1.
  8.  “Pen-reared” means the propagation and holding of game birds and game animals whose origins are from captive populations.
  9.  “Season” means hunting preserve season.
  10.  “Ungulate” means hoofed nondomesticated mammal other than livestock.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §1; 2000 Acts, ch 1038, §2, 3; 2012 Acts, ch 1118, §15, 21
Referred to in §481A.21

     
484B.2  Rules.
  The commission may adopt rules under chapter 17A as necessary to carry out this chapter.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §2

     
484B.3  Authority of the director — exceptions to chapter.
  1.  The director shall develop, administer, and enforce hunting preserve programs and requirements within the state which implement the provisions of this chapter and rules adopted by the commission pursuant to this chapter.
  2.  a.  The chapter does not apply to keeping farm deer as regulated by the department of agriculture and land stewardship pursuant to chapter 170 or to preserve whitetail kept on a hunting preserve as regulated by the department of natural resources pursuant to chapter 484C.
  b.  This chapter does not apply to an owner or tenant of land raising or releasing pen-reared pheasants on the owner’s or tenant’s land as provided in section 481A.6A, provided that a person taking a pen-reared pheasant complies with all requirements provided in chapters 481A and 483A.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §3; 2003 Acts, ch 149, §19, 23; 2005 Acts, ch 139, §13; 2010 Acts, ch 1180, §2

  
     
484B.4  Hunting preserve operator’s license — application and requirements.
  1.  A person who owns or controls by lease or otherwise for five or more years, a contiguous tract of land having an area of not less than three hundred twenty acres, and who desires to establish a hunting preserve, to propagate and sell game birds and their young or unhatched eggs, and shoot game birds and ungulates on the land, under this chapter or the rules of the commission, shall make application to the department for an operator’s license. The application shall be made under oath of the applicant or under oath of one of its principal officers if the applicant is an association or corporation. Under the authority of this license, any property or facilities to be used for propagating, holding, processing, or pasturing of game birds or ungulates shall not be required to be contained within the contiguous land area used for hunting purposes. The application shall be accompanied by an operator’s license fee of two hundred dollars.
  2.  Upon receipt of an application, the department or its authorized agent shall inspect the proposed hunting preserve and facilities described in the application. If the department finds that the proposed hunting preserve meets the following requirements, the department may approve the application and issue a hunting preserve operator’s license for the operation of the property and facilities described in the application with the rights and subject to the limitations in this chapter and the rules adopted by the commission:
  a.  The proposed hunting preserve contains at least three hundred twenty acres but not more than two thousand five hundred sixty acres.
  b.  The area of the proposed hunting preserve is contiguous.
  c.  The total area of all licensed hunting preserves and the proposed hunting preserve will not exceed three percent of the land area of the county.
  d.  The game birds or ungulates released on the preserve will not be detrimental to wildlife.
  e.  The proposed hunting preserve will not interfere with the normal activities of migratory birds.
  3.  All hunting preserve operator’s licenses shall expire on March 31 of each year.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §4; 99 Acts, ch 208, §36; 2008 Acts, ch 1031, §54; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §106
Referred to in §484B.4A

     
484B.4A  Minimum enclosed acreage — exceptions.
  A hunting preserve on which elk are kept must include at least three hundred twenty contiguous acres which are enclosed by a fence as required pursuant to section 484B.5. However, a person may keep elk only on a hunting preserve that includes a fewer number of enclosed acres if either of the following applies:
  1.  The commission grants a waiver for the hunting preserve according to terms and conditions required by the commission. The hunting preserve must include at least one hundred sixty contiguous acres.
  2.  a.  The hunting preserve was operated as a business on January 1, 2005.
  b.  If the hunting preserve operated as a business on January 1, 2005, the landowner or the landowner’s successor in interest may sell or otherwise transfer ownership of the hunting preserve to another person who may continue to operate the hunting preserve in the same manner as the landowner. However, this paragraph shall not apply if the owner of the hunting preserve or any successor in interest fails to meet the licensing requirements of section 484B.4 each year.
2012 Acts, ch 1118, §16, 21

     
484B.5  Boundaries signed — fenced.
  Upon receipt of a hunting preserve operator’s license, the licensee shall promptly sign the licensed property with signs prescribed by the department. A licensee holding and releasing ungulates shall construct and maintain boundary fences prescribed by the department so as to enclose and contain all released ungulates and exclude all ungulates which are property of the state from becoming a part of the hunting preserve enterprise.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §5; 2016 Acts, ch 1073, §138
Referred to in §484B.4A

     
484B.6  Game birds released.
  The licensee of a licensed hunting preserve may take, or authorize to be taken within the season, the numbers of game birds as provided in this section:
  1.  A licensed hunting preserve may take up to eighty percent of the total number of pheasant and quail released. One hundred percent of all other game birds released may be taken.
  2.  A minimum of five hundred game birds shall be released during the hunting preserve season by each licensed hunting preserve authorized to release game birds.
  3.  A licensee operating two or more licensed hunting preserve areas shall release a cumulative minimum of eight hundred game birds during the hunting preserve season.
  4.  If hen ring-necked pheasants are shot on the licensed hunting preserve, no less than thirty-five percent of all ring-necked pheasants released shall be hens.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §6

  
     
484B.7  Records — reports — inspections.
  1.  Each hunting preserve licensee shall keep the records and make the reports required on forms prepared and provided by the department. All records shall be open for inspection at any reasonable time by the department or its authorized agents.
  2.  Each licensee shall file an annual report with the department on or before April 30. The report shall detail the hunting preserve operations during the preceding license year. The original report shall be forwarded to the department and a copy shall be retained in the hunting preserve’s file for three years from the date of expiration of the hunting preserve’s last license issued. Records required by this section shall be entered in the annual report record within twenty-four hours of the event. Failure to keep or submit the required records and reports is grounds for refusal to renew a license for the succeeding year. An on-site inspection of property and facilities shall be conducted by an authorized agent of the department prior to the initial issuance of a hunting preserve operator’s license. The hunting preserve may be reinspected by an agent of the department at any reasonable time. A licensed hunting preserve shall maintain adequate facilities for all designated birds and ungulates held under the hunting preserve operator’s license.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §7; 2017 Acts, ch 29, §138

     
484B.8  Game bird transportation tags — markings.
  The department shall prepare transportation tags suitable for use upon the legs of game birds described in this chapter. The tags shall be of a type which are not removable without breaking and mutilating the tag. The tags shall be used to designate all game birds taken by hunters upon a licensed hunting preserve. The department shall provide licensees with the tags. All dead game birds removed from a licensed hunting preserve shall have a hunting preserve tag affixed to one leg prior to being transported from the licensed hunting preserve, except as otherwise provided by rule of the commission. All mallards released for hunting purposes shall be physically marked by the removal of the hind toe from the right foot at not more than four weeks of age, so as to provide for permanent identification. Game bird tags issued to a hunting preserve are not transferable.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §8

     
484B.9  Ungulate transportation tags — markings.
  The department shall prepare transportation tags suitable for use upon the carcass of ungulates described in this chapter. The tags shall be used to designate all ungulates taken by hunters upon a licensed hunting preserve. The department shall provide licensees with the tags. All ungulates taken on a licensed hunting preserve shall be tagged with a numbered tag prior to being removed from the hunting preserve. The hunter shall tag the ungulate taken in accordance with the rules as determined by the department. The tag shall remain attached to the carcass of the dead ungulate until processed for consumption. The hunter shall be provided with a bill of sale by the licensee. The bill of sale shall remain in the possession of the hunter. Ungulate tags issued to a hunting preserve are not transferable.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §9

  
     
484B.10  Season — hunting preserve hunting license.
  1.  A person shall not take a game bird or ungulate upon a hunting preserve, by shooting in any manner, except during the established season or as authorized by section 481A.56. The established season shall be September 1 through March 31 of the succeeding year, both dates inclusive. The owner of a hunting preserve shall establish the hunting season for nonnative, pen-reared ungulates on the hunting preserve.
  2.  Waterfowl shall not be shot over any area where pen-reared mallards may serve as live decoys for wild waterfowl. All persons hunting game birds or ungulates upon a licensed hunting preserve shall secure a hunting license that includes the wildlife habitat fee in accordance with the game laws of Iowa, with the exception that an unlicensed person may secure an annual hunting preserve hunting license restricted to hunting preserves only for a license fee of five dollars. All persons who hunt on hunting preserves shall pay the wildlife habitat fee.
  3.  A nonresident youth under sixteen years of age may hunt game birds on a licensed hunting preserve upon securing an annual hunting preserve hunting license restricted to hunting preserves only for a license fee of five dollars and payment of the wildlife habitat fee. A nonresident youth is not required to complete the hunter education course to obtain a hunting preserve hunting license pursuant to this subsection if the youth is accompanied by a person who is at least eighteen years of age, is qualified to hunt, and possesses a valid hunting license that includes the wildlife habitat fee. During the hunt, the accompanying adult must be within arm’s reach of the nonresident youth.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §10; 96 Acts, ch 1072, §1; 98 Acts, ch 1199, §25, 27; 98 Acts, ch 1223, §30; 2009 Acts, ch 144, §44; 2012 Acts, ch 1096, §22, 23; 2015 Acts, ch 26, §9; 2017 Acts, ch 29, §139
Remote control or internet hunting prohibited, see §481A.125A 

     
484B.11  Health requirements — game birds.
  All game birds, including breeders and nonbreeders; or their chicks or unhatched eggs either purchased, propagated, confined, released, or sold by a licensed hunting preserve shall be free of diseases considered significant for wildlife, poultry, or livestock and shall comply with all game bird, mallard, and turkey requirements as designated by the national poultry improvement plan (NPIP) and in accordance with the United States department of agriculture and requirements of the Iowa department of agriculture and land stewardship.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §11

     
484B.12  Health requirements — ungulates.
  All ungulates which are purchased, propagated, confined, released, or sold by a licensed hunting preserve shall be free of diseases considered significant for wildlife, poultry, or livestock. The department of agriculture and land stewardship shall provide for the regulation of farm deer as provided in chapter 170.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §12; 2000 Acts, ch 1038, §4; 2003 Acts, ch 149, §20, 23

  
     
484B.13  License refusal.
  The department may either refuse to issue, refuse to renew, or suspend or revoke a hunting preserve operator’s license if the department finds that the licensed area or the operator or employees of the licensed area are not in compliance with this chapter, or that the property or area is operated in violation of this chapter or administrative rules adopted under this chapter.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §13; 2017 Acts, ch 29, §140

     
484B.14  Penalties.
  A person who violates a provision of this chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter is guilty of a simple misdemeanor.
92 Acts, ch 1160, §14