2023 Iowa Code › Title XI - NATURAL RESOURCES › Chapter 483A - FISHING AND HUNTING LICENSES, CONTRABAND, AND GUNS › Section 483A.27A - Apprentice hunters.

483A.27A Apprentice hunters.
1. Notwithstanding section 483A.27, a person who is sixteen years of age or older may purchase a hunting license with an apprentice hunter designation on the license without first completing a hunter education course if the person meets all the requirements of this section.
2. If the apprentice hunter is a minor, the person must be accompanied and aided while hunting by a mentor who is the person’s parent or guardian, or be accompanied and aided by any other competent adult mentor with the consent of the minor’s parent or guardian. If the apprentice hunter is not a minor, the apprentice hunter must be accompanied and aided while hunting by a competent adult mentor.
3. The mentor and the apprentice hunter must have valid hunting licenses that include the wildlife habitat fee and that are valid for the same seasons to hunt game.
a. A resident mentor and a resident apprentice hunter must also purchase deer hunting licenses and tags to hunt deer and wild turkey hunting licenses and tags to hunt wild turkey. Deer hunting licenses and tags purchased by a resident mentor and a resident apprentice hunter must be valid for the same seasons and zones. When hunting wild turkey, a resident mentor having a license valid for one of the spring wild turkey hunting seasons may accompany and aid a resident apprentice hunter who has a valid wild turkey hunting license for any of the spring seasons as provided by rule. When hunting wild turkey in the fall, a resident mentor and a resident apprentice hunter must each have a fall wild turkey hunting license valid for the current year. A transportation tag issued to a resident apprentice hunter shall not be used to tag a deer or wild turkey taken by another person.
b. A nonresident apprentice hunter is not entitled to purchase a deer hunting license to hunt deer or a wild turkey hunting license to hunt wild turkey, or to participate in a hunt for deer or wild turkey.
4. While hunting, the apprentice hunter must be under the direct supervision of the mentor. For the purposes of this subsection, “direct supervision” means the mentor must maintain constant direction and control of the apprentice hunter and stay within a distance from the apprentice hunter that enables the mentor to give uninterrupted, unaided visual and auditory communications to the apprentice hunter. There must be one licensed mentor in direct supervision of each apprentice hunter.
5. A hunting license with an apprentice hunter designation issued pursuant to this section is valid from the date issued to January 10 of the succeeding calendar year for which it is issued. A hunting license with an apprentice hunter designation shall contain the address, signature, and a general description of the licensee.
6. A person is eligible to obtain a hunting license with an apprentice hunter designation pursuant to this section only two times. Subsequently, the person must meet the requirements of section 483A.27 in order to obtain a hunting license.
7. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section.
2015 Acts, ch 26, §8
Referred to in §805.8B(3)(b)
For applicable scheduled fine, see §805.8B, subsection 3, paragraph b