Chapter 29, WILD ANIMALS AND PLANTS

29.405 Fishing with bow and arrow or crossbow. (1) No person may do any of the following: (a) Take rough fish or catfish with a bow and arrow or take rough fish or catfish with a bolt from a crossbow unless the arrow or bolt is equipped with a metal barbed tip and is attached to …

29.406 Fishing by hand. The department may not promulgate or enforce a rule that prohibits a person from taking rough fish or catfish by hand. This section does not prohibit the department from promulgating or enforcing a rule that establishes bag or length limits, season dates, …

29.407 Transportation of fish. (1) FROM INLAND WATERS. (a) No person may transport or cause to be transported, or deliver or receive or offer to deliver or receive for transportation, any game fish taken from inland waters unless the person complies with all applicable requiremen…

29.411 Cooperation during a fish census. A person who is fishing shall cooperate with an employee of the department when the employee is involved in taking a fish census. Section 29.971 does not apply to this section. History: 1997 a. 248 s. 573.

29.414 Erection of barriers to exclude rough fish. The department may erect and maintain or authorize erection and maintenance of a screen or similar barrier in any navigable stream for the purpose of preventing rough fish or other undesirable fish from invading any part of the s…

29.417 Permit to take rough fish. (1) Permission may be granted to any person by the department upon terms and conditions required by the department to take rough fish in the following bays or harbors in Door County: Sturgeon Bay, Little Sturgeon Bay, Riley’s Bay, Egg Harbor, Fis…

29.421 Removal of rough fish. The department may take rough fish by means of seines, nets or other devices, or cause rough fish to be taken, from any of the waters of this state, other than waters in a self-contained fish rearing facility or in a preexisting fish rearing facility…

29.424 Control of detrimental fish. (1) When the department finds that any species of fish is detrimental to any of the waters of the state it may designate the species of fish and specify the waters in which the species of fish is found to be detrimental. The department may remo…

29.501 Fur dealers regulated. (1) In this section: (a) “Dressed fur” means the dressed or tanned skins of any fur-bearing animal, but does not include fur in the manufactured article. (b) “Fur auctioneer” means a person duly licensed to sell furs of wild-fur-bearing animals of th…

29.503 Wholesale fish dealer license. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section, unless the content otherwise requires: (a) “Canned fish” means fish and seafood products prepared for human consumption commercially, sterilized by heat and preserved in hermetically sealed containers. (b) “F…

29.506 Taxidermists. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (am) “Identification numbers” include numbers that appear on identification tags under sub. (5) (b), registration numbers, and carcass tag numbers. (b) “Taxidermist” means a person who mounts or preserves the carcass of any w…

29.509 Bait dealer license. (1) In this section, unless the context requires otherwise: (a) “Bait” means any species of frog, crayfish or minnow used for fishing purposes. (b) “Bait dealer, Class A” means any person who buys for resale, barters, gives or sells bait to the amount …

29.512 Guide licenses. (1) No person may engage or be employed for any compensation or reward to guide, direct or assist any other person in hunting, fishing or trapping unless the person is issued a guide license by the department subject to ss. 29.024 and 54.25 (2) (c) 1. d. No…

29.514 Outlying water sport trolling licenses. (1) No person may be engaged or be employed for any compensation to guide any other person in sport trolling for trout or salmon in and upon the outlying waters unless the person is issued a sport trolling license by the department s…

29.516 Fishing with nets and setlines. (1) LICENSE REQUIRED. Nets and setlines may be used for the purpose of taking, catching, or killing fish, subject to the conditions, limitations and restrictions prescribed in this chapter; but no person may set, place or use in any waters o…

29.519 Commercial fishing in outlying waters. (1b) DEFINITION. In this section, “record” has the meaning given in s. 29.503 (1) (cm). (1m) LICENSE AUTHORIZED. (a) No person may conduct commercial fishing operations on any of the outlying waters unless the person is issued a comme…

29.522 Description of nets; use of. (1) ENTRAPPING NETS. (a) Fyke net. A fyke net is a composite net consisting of the following parts: 1. One net of a general hoop or circular-like structure commonly called a crib or pot with numbers of hoops holding, encasing or enclosing net w…

29.523 Net licenses, Mississippi and St. Croix rivers. (1) Licenses which authorize the use of nets in the Mississippi River and in that part of the St. Croix River downstream from the dam at St. Croix Falls shall be issued subject to s. 29.024 by the department to a resident who…

29.526 Slat net fishing in the Mississippi River. (1) A slat net license authorizing the taking of commercial fish through the use of slat nets in that part of the Mississippi River over which this state has jurisdiction between the Minnesota-Iowa boundary line extended and the W…

29.529 Trammel net fishing in the Mississippi River. (1) The department may issue a trammel net license to any resident who applies for this license. (2) This license authorizes the use of trammel nets in that part of the Mississippi River over which this state has jurisdiction. …

29.531 Set or bank pole licenses. (1) A set or bank pole license authorizing the use of not to exceed 5 set or bank poles for taking, catching or killing fish in the inland waters of the state where the use of setlines is permitted shall be issued subject to s. 29.024 by the depa…

29.533 Setline licenses; inland waters. (1) A setline license authorizing the use of setlines and hooks in inland waters in the manner determined by the department for taking, catching or killing fish shall be issued subject to s. 29.024 by the department to any resident applying…

29.535 Shovelnose sturgeon permit. (1) The department shall issue, subject to s. 29.024, an annual shovelnose sturgeon permit to any resident who applies for the permit and who holds at least one of the following licenses: (a) A net license issued under s. 29.523. (b) A trammel n…

29.537 Clams, clamming and commercial clamming. (1) PURPOSE. The purpose of this section is to regulate the taking of clams in order to conserve and maintain their supply, to require licensing of persons engaged in commercial clamming and to protect those clam species which are e…

29.539 Sale of wild animals. (1) (a) Except as otherwise expressly provided under this chapter, no person may sell, purchase, barter, or trade, or offer to sell, purchase, barter, or trade or have in possession or under control for the purpose of sale, barter, or trade any of the…

29.541 Serving of game to guests. (1) PROHIBITION. (a) Except as authorized under s. 29.934 (2) or 97.305, no innkeeper, manager or steward of any restaurant, club, hotel, boarding house, tavern, logging camp or mining camp may sell, barter, serve or give, or cause to be sold, ba…

29.553 Processing fee. (1) Except as provided in sub. (3), if the department issues any of the following approvals, a nonrefundable processing fee, in addition to any other fee imposed under s. 29.563, shall be collected for each approval: (a) Hunter’s choice deer hunting permit.…

29.555 Reprint fee. The department may and an agent appointed under s. 29.024 (6) (a) 2. or 3. who issues a reprint of an approval shall collect a fee for the reprint. History: 2015 a. 89.

29.556 Handling fee. (1b) In this section: (a) “In-person credit transaction costs” means the costs associated with issuing approvals that are applied for and issued in person and that are paid for by using a credit card. (b) “Long-distance handling costs” means the costs associa…

29.559 Issuing fee. (1) COLLECTION OF ISSUING FEE. (a) Any person, including the department, who issues any license or stamp under this chapter or a conservation card under s. 23.47 (2) shall collect, in addition to the statutory license, stamp, or conservation card fee, an issui…

29.563 Fee schedule. (1) GENERAL. Unless specifically provided otherwise in this chapter, a person shall pay the applicable fees specified in subs. (2) to (14). (2) HUNTING APPROVALS. Except as provided in sub. (2m), (2r), and (6m), the fees for hunting approvals are as follows: …

29.564 Voluntary contributions; invasive species grants. (1) Any applicant for a fishing license under s. 29.563 (3) (a) to (c) may, in addition to paying any fee charged for the license, elect to make a voluntary contribution of at least $2 to be used for research by the departm…

29.565 Voluntary contributions; venison and wild turkey processing and donation program. (1) Any applicant for a hunting license listed under s. 29.563 (2) (a) or (b) may, in addition to paying any fee charged for the license, elect to make a voluntary contribution of at least $1…

29.566 Collection, retention, and deposit of fees. (1) USE OF WILDLIFE DAMAGE SURCHARGE FEES. The wildlife damage surcharge shall be collected as are other approval fees and the surcharge fees shall be deposited in the conservation fund to be used for the wildlife damage abatemen…

29.567 Voluntary contributions; elk research. (1) Any applicant for an elk hunting license under s. 29.182 may, in addition to paying any fee charged for the license, elect to make a voluntary contribution of at least $1 to be used for elk research. (2) All moneys collected under…

29.569 Effective periods. 29.569(1)(1) Specification of effective periods; restrictions. Unless an approval issued under this chapter is suspended or revoked or unless another section of this chapter specifically provides otherwise, the approval is valid for the period or season …

29.591 Hunter education program and bow hunter education program. (1) ESTABLISHMENT; CONTENTS. (a) The department shall establish a hunter education program and bow hunter education program. The department shall conduct these courses of instruction in cooperation with qualified i…

29.592 Hunting mentorship program. (1) A person may hunt in this state without obtaining a certificate of accomplishment under s. 29.591 and may, while hunting, possess or control a firearm or an airgun if all of the following apply: (a) At all times when hunting, the person is w…

29.593 Requirement for certificate of accomplishment to obtain hunting approval. (1) (a) Except as provided under subs. (2), (2m) and (3), and s. 29.592 (1), no person born on or after January 1, 1973, may obtain any approval authorizing hunting unless the person is issued a cert…

29.595 Elk hunter education program. (1) ESTABLISHMENT. The department shall establish and conduct an elk hunter education program. (2) INSTRUCTION. The elk hunter education program shall provide a course of instruction that includes all of the following: (a) History and recovery…

29.597 Trapper education program. (1) ESTABLISHMENT; PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. (a) The department shall establish and supervise the administration of a trapper education program funded from the appropriations under s. 20.370 (1) (Lq) and (ma). Except with respect to the online course…

29.598 Outdoors skills training. 29.598(1)(1) Program coordination. The department and the board of regents of the University of Wisconsin System shall enter into an agreement with an established national organization that provides training to persons who are interested in learni…

29.601 Noxious substances. (1) EXPLOSIVES; STUPEFACTIVES. (a) No person may do any of the following: 1. Take, capture or kill fish or game of any variety in any waters of this state by means of dynamite or other explosives or poisonous or stupefying substances or devices. 2. Plac…

29.604 Endangered and threatened species protected. (1) PURPOSE. The legislature finds that certain wild animals and wild plants are endangered or threatened and are entitled to preservation and protection as a matter of general state concern. The federal endangered species act o…

29.607 Wild rice. (1) TITLE TO WILD RICE. (a) The legal title to all wild rice growing in any lake of the state, whether meandered or not, is vested in the state for the purpose of regulating harvest, use, disposition and conservation of wild rice. (b) The legal title to wild ric…

29.611 Wild ginseng. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Dealer” means a person who purchases for purposes of resale at least 8 ounces of wild ginseng in a license year. (am) “License year” means the period beginning on July 1 of a given year and ending on the following June 3…

29.614 Scientific collector permit. (1) Application for a scientific collector permit shall be submitted to the department. The department may issue a scientific collector permit if the department determines that the applicant is a natural person and is engaged in a bona fide pro…

29.617 Public hunting and fishing grounds. The department may acquire, lease, develop and maintain public hunting and fishing grounds. The department may agree to adjust and pay damages arising from the operation of public hunting or fishing grounds. History: 1979 c. 34 s. 730; 1…

29.621 Wildlife refuges. (1) ESTABLISHMENT. The owner of contiguous land comprising in the aggregate not less than 160 acres located outside the limits of any city or village may apply to the department for the establishment of the land as a wildlife refuge. If the department det…

29.624 Senior citizen recreation card. (1) A senior citizen recreation card entitles the holder to exercise all of the combined rights and privileges conferred by a resident small game hunting license, a wild turkey hunting license, a wild turkey hunting stamp and a resident fish…