(1) ISSUANCE. The department may issue a hunter’s choice deer hunting permit, a deer hunting party permit or other special deer hunting permit to a person with a valid deer hunting license who applies for the permit and to a person who is exempt from obtaining a deer hunting license under s. 29.063 (5) who applies for a permit. (2) AUTHORIZATION. A hunter’s choice deer hunting permit may authorize or require the permit holder to take deer of a sex or type not authorized by a regular deer hunting license. A deer hunting party permit may authorize members of a deer hunting party to take additional deer not authorized by a regular deer hunting license. Except as authorized by rule, a person may not apply for or be issued more than one special deer hunting permit in a single season. (3) FINDINGS. The department may issue permits authorized under this section and s. 29.181 only in those years in which the department finds that the size or characteristics of the deer population of this state require additional or special types of deer to be taken for proper game management. (3m) DEER MANAGEMENT RULES. For the purposes of permits issued under this section and s. 29.181, the department shall specify by rule the type and number of deer which may be taken, 1829.177 WILD ANIMALS AND PLANTS the deer management areas where these permits are valid, the number of permits to be issued, the open seasons during which the permits are valid, the types of weapons authorized to be used under the permits, and other restrictions and conditions concerning these permits. (4) CUMULATIVE PREFERENCE SYSTEM. If the number of qualified applicants for a type of special deer hunting permit in a deer management area exceeds the number of such available special permits, the department shall issue those special permits for that deer management area according to the cumulative preference system. (5) PREFERENCE CATEGORIES. (a) First preference. The department shall create a first preference category for applicants who are qualified landowners, but not more than 30 percent of the available special permits for a deer management area for one season may be issued under this preference category. (b) Second preference. The department shall create a 2nd preference category for resident applicants who applied for but were not issued special permits for a given deer management area for the previous season. Within this preference category, the department shall give a preference point to each applicant for each previous season in which the person applied for but was not issued a special permit for that deer management area. The department shall create subcategories for each point total and place each applicant in the applicable subcategory. The department shall rank the subcategories according to the number of points received, giving higher priority to those subcategories with more points than those with fewer points. Applicants who fail to apply at least once during any 3 consecutive years shall lose all previously accumulated preference points. (c) Third preference. The department shall create a 3rd preference category for those persons who are not eligible under the 1st or 2nd preference categories. (d) Random selection. If the number of applicants within a preference category or a subcategory under this subsection exceeds the number of special deer hunting permits available in the category or subcategory, the department shall select at random within the category or subcategory the applicants to be issued the permits. (6) QUALIFIED LANDOWNER. In order to apply for a special deer hunting permit as a qualified landowner a person is required to be a resident and the owner of record or a vendee under a land contract of at least 50 acres in one parcel located in whole or in part in the deer management area for which the special permit is valid. No more than one person may apply as a qualified landowner for one parcel of land in one season and if the parcel of land is located in more than one deer management area, the owner or vendee may apply as a qualified landowner in only one of the deer management areas in which the parcel of land is located in one season. (7) EXEMPTION FROM CUMULATIVE PREFERENCE SYSTEM. (a) Notwithstanding sub. (4), the department may issue special deer hunting permits without requiring that the permits be issued pursuant to the cumulative preference system under sub. (4) to members of the U.S. armed forces who are all of the following: 1. Residents. 2. In active service with the U.S. armed forces outside this state. 3. On furlough or leave within the state. (b) The department may not impose any deadline or other restriction on the timing for permit applications or issuing permits under this subsection. If a permit under this subsection is issued during the applicable hunting season, the permit shall authorize hunting beginning on the date of issuance.
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