House File 378 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 378 BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES (SUCCESSOR TO HF 65) A BILL FOR An Act relating to deer depredation. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 1046HV (2) 91 sb/js
H.F. 378 Section 1. Section 481C.2, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2025, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 1. The director of the department of natural resources shall 3 enter into a memorandum of agreement with the United States 4 department of agriculture, animal damage control division. 5 The wild animal depredation unit shall serve and act as the 6 liaison to the department for the producers in the state who 7 suffer crop, horticultural product, tree, or nursery damage an 8 economic loss to agriculture, horticulture, or silviculture 9 operations due to wild animals. 10 2. The department shall issue depredation permits and deer 11 shooting permits to any landowner or tenant, as defined under 12 section 483A.24, subsection 2, who incurs crop, horticultural 13 product, tree, or nursery damage suffers an economic loss of 14 one thousand dollars or more to agriculture, horticulture, or 15 silviculture operations due to wild animals. The department 16 shall allow any conservation officer to issue permits pursuant 17 to this chapter. 18 Sec. 2. Section 481C.2A, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 19 2025, is amended to read as follows: 20 a. Deer shooting permits shall be available for issuance 21 to landowners or tenants, as defined under section 483A.24, 22 subsection 2, who incur crop, horticultural product, tree, 23 or nursery damage suffer an economic loss to agriculture, 24 horticulture, or silviculture operations as provided in section 25 481C.2 and shall be available for issuance for use on areas 26 where public safety may be an issue. 27 Sec. 3. Section 481C.2A, subsection 5, Code 2025, is amended 28 by adding the following new paragraph: 29 NEW PARAGRAPH . c. There shall be an annual deer depredation 30 season from January 11 through January 31 for any person 31 possessing a valid depredation license and tag or deer shooting 32 permit issued pursuant to this section on or after February 1 33 of the preceding calendar year. The method of take for the 34 deer depredation season shall be a rifle using a cartridge 35 -1- LSB 1046HV (2) 91 sb/js 1/ 3
H.F. 378 approved by the department, a shotgun, a muzzleloader, a 1 handgun, a crossbow, or a bow. 2 Sec. 4. Section 481C.2A, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 3 following new subsection: 4 NEW SUBSECTION . 8. Notwithstanding any other provision of 5 law to the contrary, any deer taken with a depredation license 6 or shooting permit issued under this chapter by the person to 7 whom the license or permit was issued may be disposed of by 8 composting or wastage. 9 EXPLANATION 10 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 11 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 12 This bill relates to deer depredation. Under current law, 13 the wild animal depredation unit acts as the liaison to the 14 department of natural resources (DNR) for the producers in 15 the state who suffer crop, horticultural product, tree, or 16 nursery damage. The bill changes the language to apply to 17 producers in the state who suffer economic loss to agriculture, 18 horticulture, or silviculture operations. 19 Under current law, DNR is directed to issue depredation 20 permits to a landowner who incurs crop, horticultural product, 21 tree, or nursery damage of $1,000 or more due to wild animals. 22 The bill directs DNR to issue both depredation permits and deer 23 shooting permits to a landowner or a tenant who suffers an 24 economic loss of $1,000 or more to agriculture, horticulture, 25 or silviculture operations due to wild animals. 26 The bill allows conservation officers to issue permits 27 pursuant to the bill. 28 The bill creates a designated deer depredation season from 29 January 11 through January 31. A person possessing a deer 30 depredation license and tag or deer shooting permit may use a 31 rifle with an approved cartridge, a shotgun, a muzzleloader, a 32 handgun, a crossbow, or a bow during the designated season. 33 The bill allows any deer taken with a depredation license or 34 shooting permit to be disposed of by composting or wastage if 35 -2- LSB 1046HV (2) 91 sb/js 2/ 3
H.F. 378 the deer was taken by the person issued the license or permit. 1 -3- LSB 1046HV (2) 91 sb/js 3/ 3