DNR Seeking Comments On Proposed Laws Ahead Of The 2021/22 Deer Hunting Season

Statewide Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is asking for public input on two laws passed and signed during the 2020 legislative session.

The first is from House File 716 that directs the DNR to develop a list of cartridges approved for use in rifles to hunt deer in Iowa. The following list of cartridges is proposed for inclusion:

Allowable cartridges for use in handguns that were considered for use in rifles but deemed ballistically dissimilar from allowable pistol or revolver cartridges include (these cartridges are NOT proposed for inclusion to the list of allowable rifles to hunt deer in Iowa):

Hunters interested in additions or subtractions are asked to send their request along with a brief justification to wildlife@dnr.iowa.gov by Dec. 14, 2020.

The second is House File 2455 that requires hunters and dogs to be trained prior to tracking wounded deer.

In order to satisfy this requirement, the DNR proposes to provide a form to document the hunter and the dog’s blood tracking training and experience. This form would be kept on file for three years and the hunter and dog(s) would be eligible to track wounded deer during that period.

Hunters receiving trespassing or other violations in the act of tracking wounded deer will be deemed “not trained” until a formal blood tracking certification is obtained.

Hunters interested in commenting on this proposed approach are asked to send their ideas to wildlife@dnr.iowa.gov by Dec. 14, 2020.