1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to game and fish; modifying requirements for 
  1.3             free deer licenses for owners or tenants of 
  1.4             agricultural land; requiring a pilot deer season in 
  1.5             certain counties; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, 
  1.6             section 97A.441, subdivision 7. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 97A.441, 
  1.9   subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 7.  [OWNERS OR TENANTS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND.] (a) The 
  1.11  commissioner may issue, without an additional a fee, a license 
  1.12  to take additional deer with firearms in areas where taking 
  1.13  additional deer is authorized under section 97B.301, subdivision 
  1.14  4, to a person who is an owner or tenant and lives on at least 
  1.15  ten acres of agricultural land, as defined in section 97B.001, 
  1.16  in an area where the commissioner has made these licenses 
  1.17  available.  Landowners and tenants applying for a license under 
  1.18  this subdivision must receive preference over other applicants 
  1.19  for the licenses.  The commissioner may not require applicants 
  1.20  under this subdivision to possess another license to take deer. 
  1.21     (b) Persons who obtain a license under paragraph (a) must 
  1.22  allow public deer hunting on their land during that deer hunting 
  1.23  season. 
  1.24     Sec. 2.  [PILOT DEER SEASON; HOUSTON AND FILLMORE 
  1.25  COUNTIES.] 
  1.26     (a) In the 1997 and 1998 license years, the commissioner of 
  2.1   natural resources must establish a pilot firearms deer season in 
  2.2   Houston and Fillmore counties allowing hunters to take only 
  2.3   antlerless deer in the first part of the season and allowing 
  2.4   hunters to take only antlered deer in the second part of the 
  2.5   season.  The first part of the season, established under this 
  2.6   section, may not open prior to November 15. 
  2.7      (b) The commissioner shall conduct a study on the 
  2.8   provisions in paragraph (a), including a review of the impact of 
  2.9   the pilot season on the deer population, the participation and 
  2.10  satisfaction of hunters, and the hunter success ratio for both 
  2.11  antlered and antlerless deer.  By February 15, 1999, the 
  2.12  commissioner must report on the study to the house and senate 
  2.13  committees with jurisdiction over natural resources policy.