Iowa Canned Hunt Statutes and Regulations

No Ban: Mammals permitted.

Statute

Iowa statutes specify that "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. I.C.A. §484B.4.1

In determining if the license should be issued, the department must determine that (a) "the proposed hunting preserve contains at least three hundred twenty acres but not more than two thousand five hundred sixty acres…" (e) "the game birds or ungulates released on the preserve will not be detrimental to wildlife," and (f) "the proposed hunting preserve will not interfere with the normal activities of migratory birds." Id. at §484B.4.2(a)(e)(f).

While the killing of any game bird or ungulate upon a hunting preserve is, with few exceptions, limited to the established hunting season, Id. at §484B.10.1, the hunting season for any nonnative, pen-reared ungulates on a hunting preserve is established by the licensee. Id.

Regulation

Iowa regulations closely mimic the relevant state statutes. Iowa regulations define a "Hunting preserve operator's license" as "a seasonal license which authorizes the holder to establish a hunting preserve for the purpose of holding, propagating, and releasing game birds and ungulates for hunting purposes." I.A.C. §571-112.1.

"Game birds" is defined as "pen-reared birds of the family gallinae and mallard ducks." Id. The term "ungulate," as used in the regulation, means "pen-reared, hoofed, nondomesticated mammal." Id.

If ungulates are to be hunted on a hunting preserve, the licensee must "construct and maintain a deer-proof boundary fence...with a minimum fence height of eight feet above ground level." Id. at §571-112.5.

Ungulates "shipped or transported into Iowa for hunting preserve purposes shall be accompanied by an approved Certificate of Veterinary Inspection." Id. at §571-112.11.

Each hunting preserve licensee is required to submit an annual activity report no later than April 30 of the license year to the Law Enforcement Bureau of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Id. at §571-112.6.

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