Title XI, NATURAL RESOURCES (Ch. 455 - 485)

The commission may establish and control the state hatcheries and game farms, which shall be used for the purpose of stocking the waters of the state with fish and the natural covers with game birds to the extent of the means provided for that purpose; and for impartially and equ…

1. For the purposes of this section , “drug” means any chemical substance, other than food, that affects the structure or biological function of any wildlife under the jurisdiction of the department of natural resources. 2. Except with written authorization from the director or t…

Protected nongame species include wild fish, wild birds, wild bats, wild reptiles, and wild amphibians, an egg, a nest, a dead body or part of a dead body, and a product made from part of a body of a wild fish, wild bird, wild bat, wild reptile, or wild amphibian. However, nongam…

1. Unless application is first made in writing to the commission for a permit and a permit is granted, a person, firm, or corporation shall not, except as otherwise provided, bring into the state of Iowa for the purpose of propagating or introducing, or place or introduce into an…

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, bobwhit…

1. The commission may establish state game refuges or sanctuaries on any land owned by the state of Iowa suitable for this purpose when necessary for the preservation of biological balance pursuant to the provisions of section 481A.39 , for the protection of public parks, for the…

No part of the plumage, skin, or body of any bird protected by this chapter shall be sold or had in possession for sale, irrespective of whether said bird was captured or killed within or without the state, except as otherwise provided. [C39, § 1794.013; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, …

A hunting license shall not permit the holder to trap any fur-bearing animal as defined in this chapter . [SS15, §2563-a1; C24, 27, §1718; C31, §1718-c1; C39, § 1794.014; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §109.51 ] C93, §481A.51

A person who has in possession any game bird, game animal, fish, or fur or part thereof shall upon request of the director or any officer appointed by the department exhibit the game bird, game animal, fish, or fur or part thereof to the director or officer. A person who refuses …

It is unlawful to have in possession while hunting or to use while hunting any ferret or any device or any substance to be used for chasing animals from their dens. [C31, §1767-c1; C39, § 1794.016; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §109.53 ] 88 Acts, ch 1216, §15 C…

1. A person shall not shoot any rifle on or over any of the public waters or public highways of the state or any railroad right-of-way. 2. A person shall not shoot a shotgun with a slug load, pistol, or revolver on or over a public roadway as defined in section 321.1, subsection …

1. Except as otherwise provided, a person shall not buy or sell, dead or alive, a bird or animal or any part of one which is protected by this chapter , but this section does not apply to fur-bearing animals, bones of wild turkeys that were legally taken, and the skins, plumage, …

1. a. A person having a valid hunting license may train a bird dog on any game birds and a person having a valid fur harvester license may train a coonhound, foxhound, or trailing dog on any fur-bearing animals at any time of the year including during the closed season on such bi…

A person having a valid hunting license and a valid deer hunting license who has wounded a deer while hunting may use a dog to track and retrieve the wounded deer. An unarmed dog handler assisting in the recovery of a wounded deer is exempt from the licensing requirements as long…

A person having lawful possession of game or fur-bearing animals or their pelts lawfully taken by that person with a valid hunting or trapping license, may hold, possess, or store the game or fur-bearing animals or their pelts in an amount that does not exceed the possession limi…

No person except those acting under the authority of the director shall capture or take, or attempt to capture or take, any game bird with any trap, snare, or net, nor shall any person use any poison, any medicated or poisoned food, or any other substance for the killing, capturi…

1. It shall be unlawful for any person or persons, except the owner or the owner’s representatives, to shoot, kill, maim, injure, steal, capture, detain, or to interfere with any homing pigeon, commonly called “carrier pigeon”, which shall at the time, have the name, initials, or…

The commission may establish a game management area upon any public lands or waters, or with the consent of the owner upon any private lands or waters, when necessary to maintain a biological balance as provided in section 481A.39 or to provide for public hunting, fishing, or tra…

A person shall not raise or sell game or fur-bearing animals of the kinds protected by this chapter , except rock doves and pigeons, without first procuring a game breeder’s license as provided by law. The commission may adopt rules which ensure that all game birds, game animals,…

1. Except as otherwise provided by law, a licensed game breeder whose original stock is obtained from a lawful source may possess any game bird, game animal, or fur-bearing animal, or any of their parts. Possession and use of the game birds, game animals, or fur-bearing animals o…

1. A holder of a game breeder’s license shall keep the records and make the reports required by this section on forms provided by the department. The records shall be open for inspection at any reasonable time by the department or its authorized agents. 2. At the time of every sa…

The director, after investigation, may issue to any person a scientific collector’s license, a wildlife salvage permit, educational project permit, or a wildlife rehabilitation permit. A scientific collector’s license will authorize the licensee to collect for scientific purposes…

It shall be unlawful for any person to capture birds or animals for banding purposes except that the commission may, after investigation, issue a permit to any person permitting the person to capture birds or animals for the purpose of banding or marking same for scientific study…

1. It is unlawful for a person, except as otherwise expressly provided, to take, capture, or kill fish, frogs, or turtles except during the open season established by the commission. It is unlawful during open season to take in any one day an amount in excess of the daily catch l…

1. As used in this section , “tip-up fishing device” means an ice fishing mechanism with an attached flag or signal to indicate fishing action, used to hold a fishing rod or pole with line and hook. 2. A person shall not use more than three tip-up fishing devices for fishing in t…

The commission may adopt rules designating game fish, commercial fish, and rough fish. 88 Acts, ch 1216, §25 C89, §109.69 C93, §481A.69 Referred to in §805.8B(3)(b) For applicable scheduled fines, see §805.8B , subsection 3, paragraph b

1. As used in this section , “pen-reared pheasant” means a Chinese ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus torquatus) and its subspecies which originates from a captive population and which has been propagated and held by a hatchery. For the purposes of this section “pen-reared…

1. It shall be unlawful to hunt, pursue, kill, trap or take any wild animal, bird, or game on any state game refuge so established at any time of the year, and no one shall carry firearms thereon, providing, however, that predatory birds and animals may be killed or trapped under…

Any fish caught that is less than lawful minimum length or weight shall be handled with wet hands and released under water immediately with as little injury as possible. [C39, § 1794.033; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §109.71 ] C93, §481A.71 Referred to in §805…

1. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter , a person shall not at any time take from the waters of the state any fish except with hook, line, and bait. A person shall not use more than three lines nor more than two hooks on each line in still fishing or trolling. In fly fis…

In the waters of the state open to their use, a person shall not use more than five tagged lines set to take fish such as trotlines or throw lines. Such tagged lines shall not have in the aggregate more than fifteen hooks. Each separate line when in use shall have attached a tag …

Trotlines and throw lines may be used in the border rivers of the state and in the inland waters. However, the commission may by rule prohibit the use of trotlines or throw lines in certain inland waters. [C73, §4052; C97, §2540, 2542; C24, 27, 31, §1734; C39, § 1794.036; C46, 50…

It is unlawful, except as otherwise provided, to use on or in the waters of the state any grabhook, snaghook, any kind of a net, seine, trap, firearm, dynamite, or other explosives, or poisonous or stupefying substances, lime, ashes, electricity, or hand fishing in the taking or …

No private water may be stocked by the commission unless the owner agrees that such waters shall be open to the public for fishing, except that the commission may, after investigation to determine their suitability as to size, depth, living conditions for fish, and management, pr…

When any such refuge or preserve is established by the commission, it shall post notices of such establishment in conspicuous places around the refuge. [C27, 31, 35, §1709-a3; C39, § 1709.4; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §109.8 ] C93, §481A.8

A person shall not stock or introduce into the waters of the state a live fish, except for hooked bait, without the permission of the director. This section does not apply to privately owned ponds and lakes. 88 Acts, ch 1216, §30 C89, §109.83 C93, §481A.83 Referred to in §805.8B(…

1. Frogs may be taken by holders of a fishing license only and they may be used for bait or food purposes, but no person shall take more than four dozen frogs in any one day or have in possession at any one time more than eight dozen frogs. Licensed bait dealers authorized by law…

It shall be unlawful for any person at any time, except as otherwise provided, to take any fish, minnows, frogs, or other aquatic, biological life from any state fish hatchery, nursery, or other area under the jurisdiction of the commission operated for fish production purposes. …

Authorized employees of the United States bureau of sport fisheries and wildlife are hereby authorized to conduct fish culture operations, rescue work on the boundary waters of the state, and other operations necessary for rescue and hatchery work. [C39, § 1794.048; C46, 50, 54, …

1. Except as otherwise provided, a person shall not take, capture, kill, or have in possession a fur-bearing animal or any of its parts at any time except during the open season as set by the commission. 2. A person may shoot, trap, or ensnare a fur-bearing animal when the killin…

Upon application, which shall be filed with the commission within ten days after the close of the open season, any person may be permitted to hold hides or skins of fur-bearing animals lawfully taken for a longer time than specified in section 481A.87 . Such application shall be …

To effect sound wildlife management and maintain biological balance as provided in section 481A.39 , the commission may set aside certain portions of any state waters for spawning grounds where the same are suitable for this purpose for such length of time as it may deem advisabl…

1. A person shall not molest or disturb, in any manner, any den, lodge, or house of a fur-bearing animal or beaver dam except by written permission of an officer appointed by the director. 2. This section does not prohibit the owner from destroying a den to protect the owner’s pr…

A person shall not kill a beaver, mink, otter, or muskrat with a shotgun or spear. A person shall not possess a beaver, mink, otter, or muskrat or the carcasses, skins, or parts of any one of those animals that have been killed with a shotgun or spear. [C31, §1767-c2; C39, § 1794…

1. A person shall not use or attempt to use colony traps in taking, capturing, trapping, or killing any game or fur-bearing animals except muskrats as determined by rule of the commission. Box traps capable of capturing more than one game or fur-bearing animal at each setting are…

1. A person who is in possession or control, either singly or as one of a group of persons, of any firearm, bow, or other implement or device whereby a bird or animal could be killed or taken shall not throw or cast the rays of a spotlight, headlight, or other artificial light on…