Current through November 25, 2024
(1) No
person may take, catch, kill, hunt, trap, or pursue any wild animal or bird in
any fish hatchery, state campground, picnic area, or other area not open to
hunting or trapping.
Note: State park hunting and trapping closures
authorized under s. 29.089, Stats. are established on property maps that may be
obtained on the DNR website (dnr.wi.gov) keyword "hunting state parks".
Additional closures of designated use areas may also be established by posted
notice. Hunting and trapping closures may be limited to certain species and
seasons. See also s. NR 10.275.
(2) Except for blinds used exclusively for
waterfowl hunting as provided in s. 29.327 (2), Stats., and s. NR 10.12 (12),
and except for blinds constructed entirely of dead vegetation found on the
property, no person may do any of the following:
(a) Except as provided in subds. 1. to 4.,
construct, occupy, place, or use any elevated or ground blind or other elevated
device except:
1. On any land open to hunting
not identified in subds. 2. or 3., portable tree stands and blinds may remain
placed only during the daily timeframe beginning one hour prior to, and ending
one hour after, the shooting hours established in s. NR 10.06.
2. On any land not part of the state park
system, open to hunting and located north of State Highway 64, portable tree
stands and blinds may remain placed throughout the timeframe beginning
September 1 and ending January 31.
3. On any land that is part of the state park
system, open to hunting, and located north of State Highway 64, portable tree
stands and blinds may remain placed throughout the timeframe beginning seven
days prior to, and ending seven days after, an established fall hunting
period.
4. Portable tree stands and
blinds may be occupied and used while lawfully placed under subds. 1. to
3.
(b) Cause damage to
trees by the placement or erection of portable tree stands or by any other
manner while climbing or hunting from a tree. Careful pruning, flush with the
trunk of the tree, of limbs less than 1 inch in diameter on a tree in which a
tree stand is used shall not be considered causing damage to the
tree.
(c) Hunt from any ground
blind during any open season or special hunt for hunting deer with firearms
unless the outside of the blind displays a minimum of 144 square inches of
material that is a solid highly visible color commonly referred to as blaze
orange, florescent orange, or florescent blaze orange, or commonly referred to
as bright pink or fluorescent pink and is visible 360 degrees around the blind.
Blinds that are left unoccupied shall have the owner's customer identification
number or name and address written in the English language attached to the
outside of the blind in a conspicuous location near the entrance to the blind
and be kept legible at all times.
(d) Place, use, or own an unoccupied tree
stand unless the owner's department customer identification number, or the
owner's name and address, is written in the English language, attached to the
tree stand in a manner so it is clearly visible to a person standing on the
ground, and kept legible at all times.
(e) Place more than two portable tree stands
or blinds on department lands located in the same county.
Note: Section NR 45.04 (3) (g) prohibits any
person from destroying, molesting, possessing without permission, removing or
attempting to remove the property of another.
(3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit
the use of these weapons on designated target ranges within the areas listed in
sub. (1).
(4) Nothing in this
section shall prohibit:
(a) Hunting as
authorized pursuant to s. 29.089, Stats., and natural resources board
determinations under s. 29.089 (1m), Stats.
(b) Hunting in state parks as established in
s. NR 10.275 or as otherwise specifically established by rule.
(c) Possession of uncased or loaded firearms,
bows, crossbows or air guns while on foot and in route to a state park area
where hunting is allowed. This paragraph does not allow the discharge of a
firearm, bow, crossbow, or air gun from or across state park areas where
hunting is not allowed.
(d) The use
of a firearm for the purposes of killing an animal lawfully trapped in a state
park.
(5) No person may
discharge any firearm or air gun while within the exterior boundary of
state-owned lands posted with department signs in Brown, Dane, Dodge, Columbia,
Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Manitowoc, Milwaukee,
Outagamie, Ozaukee, Racine, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington,
Waukesha and Winnebago counties, or on state forest lands in the Kettle Moraine
or Point Beach state forests, fish hatcheries, state parks, state recreation
areas, state natural areas, from or across a state campground, picnic area or
other special use area designated by the department which is not open to
hunting, or on state trails established on railroad grades, except as follows:
(a) While engaged in hunting or dispatching a
lawfully trapped animal in compliance with sub. (1) and the open seasons
established in s. NR 10.01.
(b) At
shooting ranges designated by the department.
(c) While engaged in dog trials under
department permit.
(d) While
training dogs in designated areas under department permit.
(e) When paintball guns are approved pursuant
to s. NR 45.04 (3) (u).
(f) When
authorized by the department upon issuance of a special use permit.
Note: State park hunting and trapping closures
authorized under s. 29.089, Stats. are established on property maps that may be
obtained on the DNR website (dnr.wi.gov) keyword "hunting state parks".
Additional closures of designated use areas may also be established by posted
notice. Hunting and trapping closures may be limited to certain species and
seasons. See also s. NR 10.275.
(6) No person may shoot any bow or crossbow
from or across a campground.
(7)
Unless authorized by the department, no person may pursue, drive or chase
animals on lands subject to this chapter that are closed to hunting.
