(a) Prior to each meeting of the commission at which the commission considers the regulation of deer and takes action pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 255, the department shall recommend to the commission the deer herd units to be placed under a general deer hunting season.

(b) At the same time, the department shall do all of the following:

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(1) Recommend to the commission, subject to the provisions of Sections 458 and 459, whether any antlerless deer should be taken and if so, in which deer herd management units.

(2) If in the judgment of the department there are deer herd management units in which hunting pressure would adversely affect the deer herd, impair the hunting experience, or endanger the public safety, recommend to the commission those deer herd management units where hunter numbers should be restricted, and those which should be removed from the general deer hunting season designation.

(3) Inform the commission of the condition of each deer herd management unit.

(4) Recommend to the commission, in accordance with the provisions of Sections 458 and 459, the number, if any, of antlerless deer that should be taken in deer herd management units, whether the permits should be either-sex permits, the proposed dates for the taking, and the number of permits proposed for each deer herd management unit.

(5) Recommend to the commission the establishment of any hunter-restricted quota units, if needed, and the number of the quota and manner in which the quota permits should be issued.

(c) Upon receipt of the recommendations and information required by this section, the commission shall make that material known to the public, and shall also make known to the public the commission’s determinations regarding proposed regulations.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 132, Sec. 11. (AB 1760) Effective January 1, 2024.)