Subpart 1.
License application drawings.
Applications for all hunts must be made according to this part
and according to application instructions provided by the commissioner. Each
person must apply at an electronic license system agent or the Department of
Natural Resources License Center. Drawings shall be conducted by the department
to determine persons who are eligible to purchase licenses for the season. The
drawings are subject to the quotas established by the commissioner. Preference
in the respective drawings is given to applicants based upon the number of
times they have correctly applied for a license for the hunt but have been
unsuccessful. A person selected by the drawings is eligible to purchase a
license to hunt prairie chicken. Upon issuance of a prairie chicken license,
all accumulated preference for prairie chicken hunting is lost.
Subp. 2.
Participation in
application drawings.
A. Applicants
must complete an application for the prairie chicken hunt. A person may not
apply more than once as an individual or as a member of a group. Qualifying
individuals may apply for the resident landowner-tenant prairie chicken
drawing.
B. A resident applicant
must provide the applicant's individual Minnesota driver's license number of 13
characters, a 13-character firearm safety number, or an official state
identification number of 13 characters issued by the Department of Public
Safety.
C. An applicant must choose
one of the prairie chicken permit areas and one of the time periods.
D. Up to four persons desiring to hunt
together as a group may apply as a group. Group applications shall either be
all selected or none selected. Applications by a group must all be for the same
prairie chicken permit area and time period. The preference rating of
applicants who apply as a group shall be based on the individual in the group
with the lowest preference. Group applications must be made up of either all
general or all landowner-tenant applications.
E. A person who applies as a landowner or
tenant but does not meet the definition as provided in this chapter is
ineligible for that season's drawings.
F. The application deadline is the Friday
nearest August 17.
Subp.
3.
Landowner-tenant drawing.
A. For purposes of this chapter, "landowner
or tenant" means a person who is an owner or tenant of at least 40 acres of
prairie or grassland within the zone being applied for. A landowner-tenant
license application drawing shall be held subject to the restrictions in items
B to G.
B. An applicant must meet
all eligibility requirements and must provide a complete and accurate
description of the qualifying land.
C. An applicant must be a landowner or tenant
or a member of the landowner's or tenant's immediate family. Family members
include those related by blood, marriage, or adoption.
D. For each prairie chicken permit area and
time period, no more than 20 percent of the successful participants shall be
drawn from the special landowner-tenant applications.
E. An individual participant in the
landowner-tenant drawing may submit only one application and only for the
prairie chicken permit area in which the participant's qualifying property is
located.
F. Landowners or tenants
unsuccessful in the landowner-tenant drawing shall be included in the general
drawing.
G. Landowner-tenant
licensees must allow public prairie chicken hunting on their land during that
prairie chicken season and the commissioner shall provide descriptions of these
lands to licensed prairie chicken hunters.
Subp. 4.
Modification of quota numbers
for group applications.
The quota of licenses or permits for a drawing may be increased
to accommodate group members if the last applicant to be selected is a member
of a group.
Subp. 5.
Drawing application fee.
An applicant must pay a fee as prescribed by statute at time of
application at the electronic license system-point of sale (ELS-POS). Refunds
of application fees shall not be made for any reason.
Subp. 6.
Undersubscribed prairie
chicken permit areas.
In permit areas with fewer applicants than available licenses,
the remaining available licenses may be first offered to unsuccessful
applicants for other permit areas on a first-come, first-served basis. An
eligible person must apply individually and in person at an ELS-POS agent
location or individually through the ELS-Internet or ELS-Telephone system to
obtain a remaining available license. Any remaining available licenses not
purchased by unsuccessful applicants may then be issued as prescribed by the
commissioner to any eligible person on a first-come, first-served basis.
Individuals who purchase these remaining available licenses retain their
accumulated preference.