481A.48 Restrictions on game birds and animals.
1. A person, except as otherwise provided by law, shall not willfully disturb, pursue, shoot, kill, take or attempt to take, or have in possession any of the following game birds or animals except within the open season established by the commission: gray or fox squirrel, bobwhite quail, cottontail or jackrabbit, duck, snipe, pheasant, goose, woodcock, partridge, mourning dove, coot, rail, ruffed grouse, wild turkey, pigeon, or deer. The seasons, bag limits, possession limits, and locality shall be established by the department or commission under the authority of sections 456A.24, 481A.38, and 481A.39.
2. The commission may adopt rules for the taking and possession of migratory birds which are subject to the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Migratory Bird Stamp Hunting Act during the time and in the manner permitted under those federal Acts. The commission shall not adopt a rule for the taking or possession of a migratory bird for which an open season is not authorized by another paragraph of this section.
3. The commission may by rule permit the taking and possession of designated raptors and crows during the time and in the manner permitted under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
4. The commission shall establish methods by which pigeons may be taken which may include but are not limited to the use of trapping, chemical repellants, or toxic perches.
5. The commission shall establish one or more pistol or revolver seasons for hunting deer as separate firearm seasons or to coincide with one or more other firearm deer hunting seasons. Any pistol or revolver with a barrel length of at least four inches and firing straight wall or other centerfire ammunition propelling an expanding-type bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than three hundred fifty thousandths of one inch and no larger than five hundred thousandths of one inch and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of five hundred foot pounds or higher is legal for hunting deer during the pistol or revolver seasons. The commission shall adopt rules to allow black powder pistols or revolvers for hunting deer. The rules may limit types of projectiles. A person who is twenty years of age or less shall not hunt deer with a pistol or revolver unless that person is accompanied and under direct supervision throughout the hunt by a responsible person with a valid hunting license who is at least twenty-one years of age, with the consent of a parent, guardian, or spouse who is at least twenty-one years of age, pursuant to section 724.22, subsection 5. The responsible person with a valid hunting license who is at least twenty-one years of age shall be responsible for the conveyance of the pistol or revolver while the pistol or revolver is not actively being used for hunting. A person possessing a prohibited pistol or revolver while hunting deer commits a scheduled violation under section 805.8B, subsection 3, paragraph “h”, subparagraph (5).
6. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A allowing the use of cartridge rifles to hunt deer as follows:
a. A cartridge rifle may be used to hunt deer during youth and disabled deer hunting season and first and second shotgun deer hunting seasons by a person who has a valid deer hunting license and is otherwise qualified to hunt.
b. A cartridge rifle that is allowed pursuant to this subsection shall be of the same caliber and use the same straight wall or other ammunition as is allowed for use in a pistol or revolver for hunting deer as provided in subsection 5. In addition, the commission shall provide, by rule, for the use of straight wall or other ammunition under this subsection that meets ballistics specifications similar to the requirements for straight wall or other ammunition allowed for use in a pistol or revolver for hunting deer as provided in subsection 5.
c. A person possessing a prohibited rifle while hunting deer commits a scheduled violation under section 805.8B, subsection 3, paragraph “h”, subparagraph (6). In addition, the hunting privileges of a person convicted of possessing a prohibited rifle while hunting deer shall be suspended for two years.
[R60, §4381; C73, §4048; C97, §2551, 2552; S13, §2563-q; SS15, §2551, 2552, 2563-u; C24, §1767, 1768, 1776; C27, 31, §1767, 1767-a1, 1768, 1776; C39, §1794.011; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §109.48]
86 Acts, ch 1133, §2, 3
C93, §481A.48
97 Acts, ch 141, §1; 2001 Acts, ch 137, §5; 2011 Acts, ch 3, §1; 2017 Acts, ch 68, §1; 2020 Acts, ch 1071, §2
Referred to in §170.8, 481A.38, 805.8B(3)(h)
For applicable scheduled fines, see §805.8B, subsection 3, paragraph h
Structure Iowa Code
Chapter 481A - WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
Section 481A.2 - State ownership and title — exceptions.
Section 481A.3 - Conclusive presumption.
Section 481A.4 - Fish hatcheries — game farms.
Section 481A.5 - State game refuges.
Section 481A.6 - Game management area.
Section 481A.6A - Pen-reared pheasants — release by landowners and tenants.
Section 481A.6B - Pheasant population studies — reports.
Section 481A.7 - Hunting on game refuges.
Section 481A.8 - Notice of establishment.
Section 481A.9 - Spawning grounds.
Section 481A.10 - Reports and accounting.
Section 481A.10A - Farmer advisory committee.
Section 481A.11 - Seized or accidentally killed game — disposition.
Section 481A.12 - Seizure of wildlife taken or handled illegally.
Section 481A.13 - Search warrants.
Section 481A.13A - Conviction required for property confiscation — return of property.
Section 481A.14 - Dams — fishways.
Section 481A.15 - Destruction or alteration of dam.
Section 481A.16 - Taking by director for stocking and exchange.
Section 481A.17 - Target shooting sports program.
Section 481A.18 - Hunting incidents — mandatory reporting.
Section 481A.19 - Reciprocity of states.
Section 481A.20 - Parrots and canaries.
Section 481A.21 - Birds as targets.
Section 481A.22 - Field and retriever meets — permits and tags required.
Section 481A.23 - Transportation for sale prohibited.
Section 481A.24 - Use of mobile radio transmitter prohibited — exceptions.
Section 481A.26 - Unlawful transportation.
Section 481A.30 - Entire shipment contraband.
Section 481A.31 - Game brought into the state.
Section 481A.32 - Violations — penalties.
Section 481A.33 - Violations relating to dams.
Section 481A.34 - Violations by common carrier.
Section 481A.35 - Attorney general and county attorneys.
Section 481A.36 - Information — venue.
Section 481A.37 - Presumptive evidence.
Section 481A.38 - Prohibited acts — restrictions on the taking of wildlife — special licenses.
Section 481A.39 - Biological balance maintained.
Section 481A.40 - Use of drugs on wildlife — penalty.
Section 481A.42 - Nongame protected — exclusion.
Section 481A.47 - Importing fish and game — permits.
Section 481A.48 - Restrictions on game birds and animals.
Section 481A.50 - Selling birds.
Section 481A.51 - Hunting license not trapping license.
Section 481A.52 - Exhibiting catch to officer.
Section 481A.53 - Chasing from dens.
Section 481A.55 - Selling game.
Section 481A.56 - Training dogs.
Section 481A.56A - Retrieval of wounded deer by leashed dogs.
Section 481A.57 - Possession and storage.
Section 481A.58 - Trapping birds or poisoning animals.
Section 481A.59 - Pigeons — interference prohibited.
Section 481A.60 - Raising game — rulemaking authority.
Section 481A.61 - Licensed game breeders — marketing game — penalty.
Section 481A.62 - Records — reports — inspection.
Section 481A.63 - Sale of bait — license.
Section 481A.66 - Banding or marking.
Section 481A.67 - Seasons and limits — turtle harvesting restrictions.
Section 481A.68 - Tip-up fishing device.
Section 481A.69 - Fish designated.
Section 481A.71 - Releasing unlawful catch.
Section 481A.72 - Hooks and lines.
Section 481A.73 - Trotlines and tagged lines.
Section 481A.74 - Where permitted.
Section 481A.76 - Unlawful means — exception.
Section 481A.78 - Stocking private water.
Section 481A.83 - Prohibited stocking.
Section 481A.84 - Frogs — catching — selling.
Section 481A.85 - Prohibited areas.
Section 481A.86 - Federal employees excepted.
Section 481A.87 - Open seasons.
Section 481A.89 - Permit to hold hides.
Section 481A.90 - Disturbing dens.
Section 481A.91 - Shooting or spearing.
Section 481A.92 - Traps — disturbing dens — tags for traps.
Section 481A.93 - Hunting by artificial light.
Section 481A.95 - License — reciprocity.
Section 481A.96 - Possession by dealer.
Section 481A.98 - Reporting violations.
Section 481A.120 - Hunting from aircraft or snowmobiles prohibited.
Section 481A.121 - Turtles and crayfish — taking by nonresidents or aliens.
Section 481A.122 - Hunters’ orange apparel.
Section 481A.123 - Prohibited hunting near buildings, feedlots.
Section 481A.124 - Taking predominantly white deer of the whitetail species prohibited.
Section 481A.125A - Remote control or internet hunting — criminal and civil penalties.
Section 481A.130 - Damages in addition to penalty — animals — ginseng.
Section 481A.131 - Judgment — execution.
Section 481A.132 - Service of process or arrest — pendency of damage claim.
Section 481A.133 - Suspension of licenses, certificates, and permits.
Section 481A.134 - Authority to cancel, suspend, or revoke license — point system.
Section 481A.135 - Repeat offender — records, enforcement, and penalties.
Section 481A.136 - Unlawful commercialization of wildlife — penalty.
Section 481A.137 - Abandonment of dead or injured wildlife.
Section 481A.141 - Aquaculture — license required.
Section 481A.142 - Licensed aquaculture units — activities allowed.
Section 481A.143 - Licensed aquaculture units — requirements.
Section 481A.144 - Licensed bait dealers — requirements.
Section 481A.145 - Taking and selling of minnows and other bait — regulations.
Section 481A.146 - Authority of the director.
Section 481A.147 - Theft of fish.
Section 481A.151 - Restitution for pollution causing injury to wild animals.