1.    An individual may not hunt, kill, take, or attempt to take any big game without having the appropriate big game hunting license and a locking seal bearing a number corresponding to the number of the big game hunting license or stamp. The locking seal must be issued as an integral part of the big game hunting license. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, an individual may not apply for or be issued a big game hunting license unless that individual’s fourteenth or subsequent birthday occurs in the same year as the respective big game hunting season. This age limitation does not apply to applicants for big game licenses for hunting by bow and arrow. Each violation of this section is a distinct and separate offense. The following provisions govern youth deer and antelope hunting:

a.    An individual whose eleventh, twelfth, or thirteenth birthday occurs in the same year as a youth deer hunting season is entitled to receive a statewide white-tailed antlerless deer permit.

b.    An individual whose twelfth or thirteenth birthday occurs in the same year as an antelope hunting season is entitled to apply for an antelope permit for that season.

c.    An individual hunting under subdivision a or b must be accompanied by the individual’s parent, guardian, or other individual authorized by the individual’s parent or guardian. As used in this section, “accompanied” means to stay within a distance that permits uninterrupted visual contact and unaided verbal communication.

2.    The number of licenses issued, including those licenses issued without charge under the provisions of this section, may not exceed the number of licenses authorized by the governor’s proclamation issued pursuant to section 20.1-08-04.

3.     a.    An individual, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate that hold title to at least one hundred fifty acres [60.70 hectares] of land is eligible to submit one application for a license to hunt deer without charge, or if the individual named to receive the license is a nonresident, upon payment of the fee required for a nonresident big game license.

b.    A resident that is an individual, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate that has executed a lease for at least one hundred fifty acres [60.70 hectares] of land and that actively farms or ranches that land is eligible to submit one application for a license to hunt deer without charge. Upon request, a lessee shall provide proof the land described in the completed application is leased for agricultural purposes. If not otherwise specified in an agricultural lease, the landowner is     entitled to receive the license. An individual issued a license under this subsection must be a resident.

c.    Applications must include a legal description of the eligible land, must be within a unit open for the hunting of deer, and must be signed. A license issued under this subsection is valid for the deer bow, deer gun, and muzzleloader seasons until filled and only upon the land described in the application.

d.    If the eligible applicant in subdivisions a and b is a corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate, only one license may be issued and the license must be issued in the name of an individual shareholder, member, partner, beneficiary, or holder of a life estate.

e.    An individual who is eligible for a license under subsections a and b may transfer that eligibility for the license to a spouse or legal dependent residing customarily with that individual. An individual may be eligible for only one license. No more than one license may be issued under this subsection for all qualifying land. An individual transferring eligibility under this subsection may not receive a license under subsections a and b for seasons for which the eligibility was transferred.

f.    An individual, that individual’s spouse, and their children who have a license issued under subsections a and b may hunt together on land described in any of the applications making them eligible for the license. Family members hunting together under this provision must hunt within the same unit within which the land described in the application making them eligible for the license is located.

g.    Applications for license issued under subsections a, b, and f received by the game and fish department on or before the date of the application deadline for deer gun lottery will be issued as any legal deer. Applications for license issued under subsections a, b, and f received by the game and fish department after the application deadline will be issued based on licenses available.

4.    One percent of the total deer licenses and permits to hunt deer with guns to be issued in any unit or subunit as described in the governor’s proclamation, including licenses issued to nonresidents under subsection 3, must be allocated for nonresidents. Notwithstanding the number of licenses allocated under this subsection, upon payment of the fee requirement for a nonresident who participates on the same basis as a resident in a lottery for deer licenses remaining after the second lottery for residents, a nonresident may participate on the same basis as a resident in a lottery for deer licenses remaining after the second lottery for residents.

5.     a.    A resident that is an individual, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate, and has executed a lease for at least one hundred fifty acres [60.70 hectares] of land that the resident actively farms or ranches; or a resident that is an individual, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate, and holds title to at least one hundred fifty acres [60.70 hectares] of land, is eligible to submit one application for a license to hunt antelope without charge upon filing a signed application describing that land. The land must be within a unit open for the hunting of antelope. The license must include a legal description of the eligible land described in the completed application and may be used to hunt antelope only upon that land. Upon request, a lessee shall provide proof that the land described in the completed application is leased for agricultural purposes. If not otherwise specified in an agricultural lease, the landowner is entitled to receive the license.

An individual licensed under this subsection must be a resident.

b.    If the eligible applicant is a corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate, only one license may be issued, and the license must be issued in the name of an individual shareholder, member, partner, beneficiary, or holder of a life estate.

c.    A resident who is eligible for a license under this subsection may transfer that eligibility for the license to a spouse or legal dependent residing customarily with    the resident, but no more than one license may be issued under this subsection for any qualifying land. A resident transferring eligibility under this subsection may not receive a license under this subsection for the season for which eligibility was transferred. If not otherwise specified in an agricultural lease, the landowner is entitled to receive the license.

d.    The number of licenses issued without charge under this subsection may not exceed the total number of licenses prescribed for each district or unit in the governor’s proclamation. If the number of eligible persons who apply for licenses issued without charge under this subsection exceeds the number of licenses prescribed for the district or unit in the governor’s proclamation less any licenses that are otherwise designated to be issued with a charge under this subsection, the licenses to be issued without charge must be issued by lottery as prescribed in the governor’s proclamation. If the number of licenses prescribed for the district or unit in the governor’s proclamation exceeds fifty and if the number of applications for these licenses exceeds the number of licenses prescribed for the district or unit in the governor’s proclamation, then one-half of the licenses exceeding fifty must be issued by lottery as prescribed in the governor’s proclamation and may not be issued to landowners without charge.

6.    A person who is unable to step from a vehicle without aid of a wheelchair, crutch, brace, or other mechanical support or prosthetic device or who is unable to walk any distance because of a permanent lung, heart, or other internal disease that requires the person to use supplemental oxygen to assist breathing and who receives or obtains, whether issued by lottery or otherwise, a license to hunt deer, is entitled to convert one license to take any sex or species of deer in the unit or subunit for which the license is issued. Notwithstanding any other law or any provision contained in the governor’s proclamation concerning the hunting of deer, a person who is unable to step from a vehicle without aid of a wheelchair, crutch, brace, or other mechanical support or prosthetic device or who is unable to walk any distance because of a permanent lung, heart, or other internal disease that requires the person to use supplemental oxygen to assist breathing is entitled to apply for a license to hunt deer regardless of whether that person received a license to hunt deer in any prior year.

7.     a.    A resident that is an individual, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate, and has executed a lease for at least one hundred fifty acres [60.70 hectares] of land that the resident actively farms or ranches; or a resident that is an individual, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate and holds title to at least one hundred fifty acres [60.70 hectares] of land, is eligible to submit one application for a license to hunt elk upon filing a signed application describing that land and payment of the fee requirement for a resident big game license. The land must be within a unit open for the hunting of elk. The license must include a legal description of the eligible land described in the completed application and may be used to hunt elk within the district or unit in which the land described in the completed application is located. Upon request, a lessee shall provide proof that the land described in the completed application is leased for agricultural purposes. If not otherwise specified in an agricultural lease, the landowner is entitled to receive the license. An individual issued a license under this subsection must be a resident.

b.    If the eligible applicant is a corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate, only one license may be issued, and the license must be issued in the name of an individual shareholder, member, partner, beneficiary, or holder of a life estate.

c.    A resident who is eligible for a license under this subsection may transfer that eligibility for the license to a spouse or legal dependent residing customarily with the resident, but no more than one license may be issued under this subsection for any qualifying land.

d.    The governor’s proclamation may restrict the districts or units for which preferential licenses may be issued under this subsection. The number of licenses issued under this subsection for each designated district or unit for hunting elk may not exceed fifteen percent of the total licenses prescribed in the governor’s proclamation for each district or unit. If the number of applications for licenses to be issued under this subsection in a district or unit exceeds the maximum number of licenses allocated to that district or unit, the licenses to be issued must be issued by weighted lottery as prescribed in the governor’s proclamation. Licenses to hunt elk may not be issued under this subsection when the total number of licenses prescribed in the governor’s proclamation is fewer than twenty.

e.    The director may issue special elk depredation management licenses to landowners in designated areas around Theodore Roosevelt national park upon payment of the fee requirement for a resident big game license. The provisions of this section governing the number of licenses issued for each designated district or unit for hunting elk do not apply to special elk depredation management licenses and a person who receives such a license under this subsection is eligible to apply for a license to hunt elk in future years and is eligible to participate in the raffle under section 20.1-08-04.6.

f.    The director may issue special antlerless elk depredation management licenses to landowners in the area and manner designated by the director upon payment of the fee required for a resident big game license. To be eligible for this license a landowner cannot charge a fee for elk hunting and must allow reasonable public access as determined by the director. The provisions of this section governing the number of licenses issued for each designated district or unit for hunting elk do not apply to special antlerless elk depredation management licenses. A person receiving an elk depredation management license under this subsection is eligible to apply for a license to hunt elk in future years and is eligible to participate in raffles under chapter 20.1-05.1.

g.    An individual who has been convicted of illegally taking a moose, elk, or bighorn sheep is not eligible to apply for or receive a license under this subsection.

8.     a.    A resident that is an individual, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate, and has executed a lease for at least one hundred fifty acres [60.70 hectares] of land that the resident actively farms or ranches; or a resident that is an individual, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate and holds title to at least one hundred fifty acres [60.70 hectares] of land, is eligible to submit one application for a license to hunt moose without charge upon filing a signed application describing that land. The land must be within a unit open for the hunting of moose. The license must include a legal description of the eligible land described in the completed application and may be used to hunt moose only upon that land. Upon request, a lessee shall provide proof that the land described in the completed application is leased for agricultural purposes. If not otherwise specified in an agricultural lease, the landowner is entitled to receive the license. An individual issued a license under this subsection must be a resident.

b.    If the eligible applicant is a corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or life estate, only one license may be issued, and the license must be issued in the name of an individual shareholder, member, partner, beneficiary, or holder of a life estate.

c.    A resident who is eligible for a license under this subsection may transfer that eligibility for the license to a spouse or a legal dependent residing customarily with the resident, but no more than one license may be issued under this subsection for any qualifying land. A resident transferring eligibility under this subsection is not eligible to apply for a license to hunt moose in future years but     is eligible to participate in the raffle under section 20.1-08-04.2. If not otherwise specified in an agricultural lease, the landowner is entitled to receive the license.

d.    The number of licenses issued under this subsection for a district or unit may not exceed fifteen percent of the total licenses prescribed in the governor’s proclamation for that district or unit. If the number of eligible persons who apply for a license under this subsection exceeds the number of licenses available under this subsection, the licenses must be issued by lottery as prescribed in the governor’s proclamation.

e.    A person who receives a license under this subsection and who is successful in harvesting a moose is not eligible to apply for a license to hunt moose in future years but is eligible to participate in the raffle under section 20.1-08-04.2.

Notwithstanding this subsection, if a person other than the transferee of license eligibility is unsuccessful in harvesting a moose under this subsection, that person may return the unused license to the department and is eligible to apply for, but not transfer, an additional license to hunt moose in future years. A person who receives a second license under this subsection is not eligible to participate in the raffle under section 20.1-08-04.2. If a person receives a license under this subsection, the person’s spouse, children, and parents living with the person are not eligible to receive a license under this subsection for the district or unit in which the land described in the completed application is located, unless the person has sold or otherwise transferred the person’s rights to the land described in the completed application.

f.    The governor’s proclamation may restrict the area of land within a unit open for the hunting of moose for which a preferential license is issued under this subsection. If the proclamation restricts the area for issuance of preferential licenses, an applicant must own or lease land within the restricted area to be eligible to apply for a license to hunt moose upon payment of the fee required for a resident big game license. The license may be used to hunt moose within the entire unit in which the land described in the completed application is located. A successful applicant from a restricted area may not return an unused license to regain eligibility for a license to hunt moose in future years. An individual who has been convicted of illegally taking a moose, elk, or bighorn sheep is not eligible to apply for or receive a license under this subsection.

g. The director may issue special moose depredation management licenses to landowners in areas designated by the director upon payment of the fee required for a resident big game license. The provisions of this section governing the number of licenses issued for each designated district or unit for hunting moose do not apply to special moose depredation management licenses. A person receiving a moose depredation management license under this subsection is eligible to apply for a license to hunt moose in future years and is eligible to participate in the raffle under section 20.1-08-04.2.

9.    A person who holds a valid license to hunt deer may hunt the same species and sex of deer, for which that person’s license is valid, on land in an adjoining unit for which that person would be eligible for a gratis deer license under subsection 3.

10.    Fifteen percent of the total mule deer licenses and permits to hunt mule deer made available in the immediately preceding year for the regular gun season must be made available to nonresidents to hunt any deer with bow and arrow.