In 1971, Lake Superior State University, a public college in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, began issuing the first of its Unicorn Questing Licenses to students. As the school's Department of Natural Unicorns explains:
Travel back in time to 1971 to thank the DNU creators: Bill Rabe, director of public relations, and English professors Peter Thomas, John McCabe, and John Stevens. Among many other efforts from the 1970s to garner more publicity for LSSU: hosting a Snowman Burning on the first day of spring to bid goodbye to winter (1971) and compiling at the end of the year a tongue-in-cheek Banished Words List as a safeguard against misuse, overuse, and uselessness of the English language (1976)—annual traditions still practiced today—and publishing a campus literary quarterly, The Woods-Runner.
Though Rabe retired from his position in 1987, the university still offers unicorn questing licenses — changed from unicorn hunting licenses over concerns about magical animal cruelty — free-of-charge to the general public. Which means that, yes, anyone can apply. And you should, because you wouldn't want to be caught in the wilds of Michigan whilst engaging in unlicensed unicorn questing.
Beyond the general application, unicorn questers must uphold a strict code of ethos and membership requirements:
• Pay no dues;
• Attend no meetings;
• Be nice to people and unicorns alike; and
• Follow these questing regulations:
One thing worth noting is that even licensed unicorn questers must still adhere to the university's regulations. Most importantly, questing is strictly prohibited on three occasions:
• whenever the Tooth Fairy is around
• any time Santa Claus is near
• Valentine's Day
The reason for these stipulation is quite simple: "there's only so much magic available at one time."
I think that's a reasonable request.
Unicorn Hunting Regulations [Lake Superior State University]