(a) If a landowner or tenant applies for a permit under Section 4181 for wild pigs or wild turkeys, or under Section 4181.5 for deer, the department shall notify the landowner or tenant about available options for allowing access by licensed hunters, including, but not limited to, access authorized pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 1570) of Chapter 5 of Division 2 to control wild pigs, wild turkeys, and deer.
(b) The commission, in lieu of a permit as described in subdivision (a), and with the consent of, or upon the request of, the landowner or tenant, under appropriate regulations, may authorize the issuance of permits to persons holding valid hunting licenses to take wild pigs, wild turkeys, or deer in sufficient numbers to stop the damage or threatened damage. Before issuing permits to licensed hunters, the department shall investigate and determine the number of permits necessary, the territory involved, the dates of the proposed hunt, the manner of issuing the permits, and the fee for the permit.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 480, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2005.)