Deer Management Assistance Permits

5.80 Deer management assistance (DMA) hunting permits; definitions, criteria for issuance,

validity of permits, application procedures, restrictions and requirements; unlawful acts.

Sec. 5.80 (1) The terms in this section shall have the meaning described to them in this section.

(a) "Permit" means a deer management assistance (DMA) permit.

(b) "Permittee" means a person who has applied for and been authorized to purchase deer management

assistance permits by the department.

(c) "Authorized designee" means one person who has been designated by the landowner and approved by

the department, to act on behalf of the landowner to apply for and implement the provisions of deer

management assistance permits. The department reserves the right to deny a person, including the

permittee, the authority to personally implement the provisions of a permit if such authority would conflict

with a court order, administrative rule, or law.

(2) Permits may be issued statewide to owners or authorized designee of land located in areas where

current antlerless harvest methods are insufficient to achieve department deer management objectives or

where one of the following conditions exist:

(a) The department has documented that the property owner has significant agricultural or horticultural

crop damage caused by deer.

(b) The department has documented that a serious disease outbreak is a threat to the deer herd, livestock,

or human health.

(c) The department has documented a significant safety hazard from deer.

(d) Current antlerless regulations are insufficient to achieve landowner deer management objectives.

(3) DMA permits are valid only during an open season for the taking of deer as established by this order

and only upon the land for which issued and adjacent private property with permission of the landowner.

(4) DMA permits are valid only for the taking of an antlerless deer. A person hunting under the authority

of a DMA permit shall carry the unused permit and shall exhibit the unused permit upon the request of a

law enforcement officer.

(5) A person, or authorized designee, owning land within a qualifying area as determined by the

department, may apply for DMA permits by filing an agreement with the wildlife management unit

supervisor. This agreement will include an estimate of desired antlerless harvest and numbers of hunters

needed to meet the desired harvest objective. This agreement, once approved, shall be signed by both the

permittee and wildlife management unit supervisor. The number of DMA permits will be determined by the

wildlife management unit supervisor. A minimum of 5 DMA permits shall be issued per permittee. Failure

to comply with these and other rules will make the permittee ineligible to participate in the DMA permit

program for a period of 1 year.

(6) The permittee shall not purchase more DMA permits than approved by the department.

(7) These DMA permits shall be subsequently issued by the permittee. The permittee shall issue the

DMA permits only to a person who purchased a bow and arrow deer, firearm deer, combination deer, or

antlerless deer hunting license for the current hunting seasons. A person shall not accept, carry afield, use

or attempt to use a DMA permit unless they had purchased a bow and arrow deer, firearm deer,

combination deer, or antlerless deer license for the current hunting seasons. A permittee shall not sell a

DMA permit. Permittees shall inform hunters about rules pertaining to the use of DMA permits.

(8) Once issued by the permittee, a person issued a DMA permit shall not sell, lend, or allow another

person to use or attempt to use the person's DMA permit. Unused permits may be reissued to hunters only

by the permittee.

(9) The provisions of section 3.103 shall apply to a permit and kill tag issued under this section. In

addition, unless otherwise provided in this section, a person issued a DMA permit shall comply with all

rules and regulations for the taking of deer for the season in which they are hunting.

(10) Permittees shall report by January 15 to the wildlife management unit supervisor the name and

address of all hunters and the number of deer harvested under the authority of DMA permits.

(11) Deer taken under the authority of a DMA permit shall not be included in the season limit as defined

in section 3.101(8) of this order. The daily limit and season limit shall be 1 deer per DMA permit.

History: Am. 15, 1998, Eff. Sep 10, 1998; Am. 6, 2001, Eff. Jun 1, 2001; Am. 10, 2002, Eff. Jul 15, 2002; Am. 8, 2003, Eff. Jun 7, 2003; Am. 18,

2005, Eff. Sep 9, 2005; Am. 16, 2006, Eff. Aug 11, 2006; Am. 7, 2012, Eff. Jun 15, 2012.