ARC 9594C

ARC 9594C

NATURAL RESOURCE COMMISSION[571]

Notice of Intended Action

Proposing rulemaking related to deer hunting
and providing an opportunity for public comment

    The Natural Resource Commission (Commission) hereby proposes to amend Chapter 106, “Deer Hunting,” Iowa Administrative Code.

Legal Authority for Rulemaking

    This rulemaking is proposed under the authority provided in Iowa Code sections 455A.5(6)“a,” 481A.39 and 481A.48.

State or Federal Law Implemented

    This rulemaking implements, in whole or in part, Iowa Code sections 481A.38 and 481A.48.

Purpose and Summary

    Chapter 106 governs deer hunting by residents and nonresidents in the State of Iowa. This chapter sets forth season dates, bag limits, possession limits, shooting hours, areas open to hunting, licensing procedures, means and methods of take, and transportation and reporting requirements. Chapter 106 also addresses landowner/tenant deer license application procedure, timing, and general eligibility as well as the State’s deer depredation program.

    This rulemaking proposes five amendments. The majority of these amendments propose a new resident hunting zone, along with new licensing procedures and means and methods of take specific for that zone. Other amendments will implement 2025 Iowa Acts, Senate File 423 and House File 885, which collectively create a new disabled veterans deer privilege; clarify that youth deer licenses are available to purchase throughout all deer seasons; and make a minor change to the deer depredation program. An amendment was also included to add sentences that were inadvertently removed during the prior rulemaking under Executive Order 10.  

Regulatory Analysis

    A Regulatory Analysis for this rulemaking was published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin on July 23, 2025. A public hearing was held on the following date(s):

     ?   August 12, 2025

Fiscal Impact

     This rulemaking has no fiscal impact to the State of Iowa.

Jobs Impact

    After analysis and review of this rulemaking, no impact on jobs has been found.

Waivers

    Any person who believes that the application of the discretionary provisions of this rulemaking would result in hardship or injustice to that person may petition the Commission for a waiver of the discretionary provisions, if any, pursuant to 571—Chapter 11.

Public Comment

    Any interested person may submit written or oral comments concerning this proposed rulemaking, which must be received by the Department of Natural Resources (Department) no later than 4:30 p.m. on November 4, 2025. Comments should be directed to:

    Free language assistance: If you speak a non-English language, the Department offers language assistance services free of charge. Contact the Department at chris.ensminger@dnr.iowa.gov.

    Servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística: Si habla un idioma que no sea el inglés, los servicios de asistencia lingüística están disponibles de forma gratuita. Comuníquese con el Departamento al chris.ensminger@dnr.iowa.gov.

Public Hearing

     A public hearing at which persons may present their views orally or in writing will be held as follows:

    Persons who wish to make oral comments at a public hearing will be asked to state their names for the record and to confine their remarks to the subject of this proposed rulemaking.

    Any persons who intend to attend the hearing and have special requirements, such as those related to hearing impairments, should contact the Department and advise of specific needs.

    Free Language Assistance: If you need assistance in a language other than English, contact the Department at chris.ensminger@dnr.iowa.gov or civilrights@dnr.iowa.gov or by telephone at 515.250.6886 at least seven days before the event.

    Servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística: Si necesita ayuda en un idioma que no sea inglés, comuníquese con el Departamento al chris.ensminger@dnr.iowa.gov o civilrights@dnr.iowa.gov o por teléfono a 515.250.6886 al menos siete días antes del evento.

Review by Administrative Rules Review Committee

    The Administrative Rules Review Committee, a bipartisan legislative committee which oversees rulemaking by executive branch agencies, may, on its own motion or on written request by any individual or group, review this rulemaking at its regular monthly meeting or at a special meeting. The Committee’s meetings are open to the public, and interested persons may be heard as provided in Iowa Code section 17A.8(6).

    The following rulemaking action is proposed:

    ITEM 1.  Amend rule 571—106.1(481A), introductory paragraph, as follows:

571—106.1(481A) Licenses. When hunting deer, all hunters must have in their possession a valid deer hunting license and a valid resident or nonresident hunting license and must have paid the habitat fee (if normally required to have a hunting license and to pay the habitat fee to hunt). No person while hunting deer shall carry or have in possession any license or transportation tag issued to another person. No person who is issued a deer hunting license and transportation tag shall allow another person to possess that license or transportation tag while that person is deer hunting or tagging a deer. An “any-deer” license shall mean the same as an “any sex” license as referenced in Iowa Code chapter 483A.

    ITEM 2.  Amend paragraph 106.1(1)“a” as follows:

    a.  General deer licenses. General deer licenses shall be valid for taking deer in one resident hunting zone per season selected at the time the license is purchased. General deer licenses shall be valid for taking deer of one or either sex except in counties designated by the natural resource commission (commission) during the first regular gun season when the general deer license will be valid for taking deer with at least one forked antler depending on the resident hunting zone selected at the time of purchase. Paid general deer licenses shall be valid statewide zonewide except where prohibited in deer population management zones established under 571—Chapter 105. Free general deer licenses shall be valid for taking deer of either sex only on the farm unit of an eligible landowner or tenant in the season or seasons selected at the time the license is obtained.

    ITEM 3.  Reletter paragraphs 106.1(1)“b” to 106.1(1)“e” as 106.1(1)“c” to 106.1(1)“f”.

    ITEM 4.  Adopt the following new paragraph 106.1(1)“b”:

    b.  Any-deer licenses. Any-deer licenses shall be valid for taking deer of either sex in the zone, county, and season selected by the hunter at the time of purchase.

    ITEM 5.  Renumber subrules 106.1(2) and 106.1(3) as 106.1(3) and 106.1(4).

    ITEM 6.  Adopt the following new subrule  106.1(2):

    106.1(2) Resident hunting zones.

    a.  Resident zone boundaries. Boundaries are as specified in the resident deer hunting zones map (dated October 2025) published on the department’s website (www.iowadnr.gov/deerhunting, “Resident Deer Hunting Zones.”)

    b.  Zone A. Paid general deer licenses shall be valid for taking deer of either sex zonewide.

    c.  Zone B. Paid general deer licenses shall be valid for taking deer with at least one forked antler zonewide. Paid any-deer licenses shall be valid for taking deer of either sex in only the county selected at the time of purchase. Hunters may obtain no more than one zone B any-deer license annually.

    ITEM 7.  Amend renumbered subrule 106.1(3) as follows:

    106.1(3) January antlerless-deer-only resident licenses.

    a.  Population management season. Licenses for the population management January antlerless-deer-only season may be issued for counties designated by the commission following a 30-day public comment period. Population management January antlerless-deer-only licenses shall be issued for a county only when a minimum of 100 antlerless-deer-only licenses, as described in 106.10(5), remain unsold in that county as of the third Monday in December. If 100 or more antlerless-deer-only licenses remain unsold for a given county as of the third Monday in December, those remaining antlerless-deer-only licenses shall be made available for the population management January antlerless-deer-only season in that county until the relevant antlerless-deer-only quota as described in 106.10(5) is met. Population management season licenses will be available for purchase starting at 9 a.m. Central Standard Time (CST) on the Tuesday morning following the third Monday in December.

    b.  Excess tag season. Licenses for the excess tag January antlerless-deer-only season may be issued in any county. Excess tag January antlerless-deer-only licenses shall be issued for a county only when a minimum of one antlerless-deer-only license, as described in 106.10(5), remains unsold for a given county through January 10. Remaining antlerless-deer-only licenses shall be made available starting at 9 a.m. CST on January 11 for the excess tag January antlerless-deer-only season in that county until the relevant antlerless-deer-only quota as described in 106.10(5) is met.

    ITEM 8.  Amend renumbered paragraph 106.1(4)“g” as follows:

    g.  Excess tag January antlerless-deer-only license. Beginning at 9 a.m. CST on January 11, nonresident hunters may obtain antlerless-deer-only licenses for the excess tag January antlerless-deer-only season specified in 106.2(4). Licenses will be available only in those counties specified in 106.10(3) until the quota provided in 106.10(5) is filled. All regulations specified in Chapter 106 this chapter for the January antlerless deer season for resident hunters including limits, shooting hours, method of take, tagging and reporting requirements will also apply to nonresident hunters during this season.

    ITEM 9.  Amend subrule 106.7(1) as follows:

    106.7(1) Zone license quotas. Nonresident license quotas are as follows:

    ITEM 10.  Amend subrule 106.10(3) as follows:

    106.10(3) Population management and excess tag January antlerless-deer-only seasons. Only antlerless-deer-only licenses, paid or free, are available in counties pursuant to the conditions described in 106.1(2) 106.1(3). A license must be used during the population management or excess tag January antlerless-deer-only season as described in 106.2(4) and in the county or deer population management area selected at the time the license is purchased. Free antlerless-deer-only licenses shall be available only in the portion of the farm unit located in a county where paid antlerless-deer-only licenses are available during the population management or excess tag January antlerless-deer-only season.

    ITEM 11.  Amend subrule 106.10(5) as follows:

    106.10(5) Antlerless-deer-only licenses and zone B any-deer licenses. Paid antlerless-deer-only licenses and zone B any-deer licenses shall be available by county as designated annually by the commission. Prior to the commission designating the quotas, the department shall publish on its website (www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Deer-Hunting www.iowadnr.gov/deerhunting) a proposed allocation and accept public comments for at least 30 days.

    ITEM 12.  Adopt the following new subrule  106.10(6):

    106.10(6) Disabled veteran any-deer licenses. A paid any-deer license shall be available for a resident disabled veteran consistent with Iowa Code section 483A.8D as enacted by 2025 Iowa Acts, House File 885. The fee for this license shall be the same as the general deer license set forth in 571—subrule 15.10(1). Resident disabled veteran any-deer licenses shall be valid during any established firearm season using the method of take authorized for that season. A person may obtain only one disabled veteran any-deer license but may also obtain any other paid or free general deer and antlerless-deer-only licenses that are available to other hunters.

    ITEM 13.  Amend subrule 106.12(1) as follows:

    106.12(1) Licenses with quotas. All paid deer hunting licenses for which a quota is established may be obtained from the ELSI system on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 9 a.m. CST on August 15 until the quota fills, or through the last day of the hunting period for which the license is valid.

    ITEM 14.  Amend subrule 106.12(2) as follows:

    106.12(2) Licenses without quotas. All deer hunting licenses that have no quota may be obtained from the ELSI system beginning at 9 a.m. CST on August 15 through the last day of the hunting period for which a license is valid.

    ITEM 15.  Amend paragraph 106.13(2)“a” as follows:

    a.  Resident party hunting. During the first and second regular gun seasons and the January antlerless-deer-only seasons in resident zone A only, any resident hunter present in the hunting party may use their tag on a deer harvested by another resident. Party hunting is not allowed in resident zone B.

    ITEM 16.  Amend subrule 106.14(1) as follows:

    106.14(1) Licenses.

    a.  Youth deer hunt. A youth deer license shall be valid for taking a deer of either sex zonewide. A youth deer license may be issued to any Iowa resident who is not over 15 years old on the day the youth obtains the license. The youth license may be paid or free to persons eligible for free licenses. If the youth obtains a free landowner/tenant license, it will count as the one free general deer license for which the youth’s family is eligible.

Each participating youth must be accompanied by an adult who possesses a regular hunting license and has paid the habitat fee (if the adult is normally required to have a hunting license and to pay the habitat fee to hunt). Only one adult may participate for each youth hunter. The accompanying adult must not possess a long gun, bow, or crossbow and must be in the direct company of the youth at all times. Youth deer tags must be filled by the eligible youth hunter named on the youth license.

A person may obtain only one youth general deer license but may also obtain any other paid or free general deer and antlerless-deer-only licenses that are available to other hunters. Antlerless-deer-only or any-deer licenses must be obtained in the same manner with which other hunters obtain them, as described in 106.10(2).

    b.  Severely disabled hunt. Any severely disabled Iowa resident meeting the requirements of Iowa Code section 321L.1(8) may be issued one general deer license to hunt deer during the youth season. A person applying for this license must either possess a disability parking permit or provide a completed form from the department of natural resources. The form must be signed by a physician verifying that the person’s disability meets the criteria defined in Iowa Code section 321L.1(8). The attending physician shall be currently practicing medicine and shall be a medical doctor, a doctor of osteopathy, a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner. Forms are available online at www.iowadnr.gov, by visiting the Department of Natural Resources office at the Wallace State Office Building 6200 Park Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa, or any district office, or by calling 515.725.8200. A person between 16 and 65 years of age must also possess a regular hunting license and have paid the habitat fee to obtain a license (if normally required to have a hunting license and to pay the habitat fee to hunt). A severely disabled person obtaining this license may obtain any other paid and free general deer and antlerless-deer-only licenses that are available to other hunters. Antlerless-deer-only licenses must be obtained in the same manner by which other hunters obtain them, as described in 106.10(2).

    ITEM 17.  Amend subrule 106.14(6) as follows:

    106.14(6) Procedures for obtaining licenses. Paid and free youth season licenses and licenses for severely disabled hunters may be obtained through ELSI beginning at 9 a.m. CST on August 15 through the last day of the youth season.

    ITEM 18.  Amend rule 571—106.16(481A), introductory paragraph, as follows:

571—106.16(481A) Deer depredation management. The deer depredation management program provides assistance to producers through technical advice and additional deer licenses and permits where the localized reduction of female deer is needed to reduce damage. Upon signing a depredation management agreement with the department, producers of agricultural or high-value horticultural crops may shall be issued, consistent with this rule, deer depredation licenses and deer shooting permits to shoot deer causing excessive crop damage. If immediate action is necessary to forestall serious damage, depredation licenses or shooting permits may be issued before an agreement is signed. Further licenses or permits will not be authorized until an agreement is signed.