NR 10.01NR 10.01Open and closed seasons.A closed season is established year-round for each species of wild animal named in this section, except during the specified open season. Seasons open to legal hunting and trapping apply to the entire locality described, except as otherwise provided in ch. NR 11. Whenever open and closed season areas are defined by highways, the boundary shall be the highway center line. No person may hunt, take, catch, or kill any animal specified in this section except during the specified open season.
NR 10.01(1)(1)Migratory game birds.In accordance with this section, the department may annually select migratory bird season dates and bag limits established in pars. (b) and (L) using the procedures established in par. (a):
NR 10.01(1)(a)(a)Bag limits.The department shall utilize the following procedures in applying a bag limit under this section:
NR 10.01(1)(a)1.1.‘Notice.’ The department shall prepare and distribute a notice of its proposed annual migratory bird season dates and bag limit selections. The notice shall be published as a class 1 notice under ch. 985, Stats., in the official state newspaper. The notice shall include a description of the zone or zones affected, the species affected, the proposed annual selections, and the date the annual selections will take effect. The notice shall invite the public to submit written comments and indicate that a public information meeting will be held on the alternate limit if requested in writing within 10 days after the notice is published.
NR 10.01(1)(a)2.2.‘Determination.’ In consideration of facts and information available to it, including comments received from the public, the department shall finalize its annual migratory bird season dates and bag limit selections. The annual selections shall take effect upon the issuance of an order of the secretary and publication in the official state newspaper.
NR 10.01(1)(b)(b)Migratory game bird seasons.The department shall, in accordance with the procedures established in par. (a), annually select migratory bird season dates from the following options:
NR 10.01(1)(b)1.1. When the U.S. fish and wildlife service establishes that Wisconsin may have a 30-day season for all species of wild ducks the season dates shall be as established in par. (d).
NR 10.01(1)(b)2.2. When the U.S. fish and wildlife service establishes that Wisconsin may have a 45-day season for all species of wild ducks the season dates shall be as established in par. (e).
NR 10.01(1)(b)3.3. When the U.S. fish and wildlife service establishes that Wisconsin may have a 60-day season for all species of wild ducks the season dates shall be as established in par. (f).
NR 10.01(1)(b)4.4. For all other species of migratory birds, season dates shall be as established in Table (1).
NR 10.01(1)(L)(L)Migratory bird daily bag limit and possession limit:
NR 10.01(1)(L)1.1.‘Possession limit.’ The possession limit is three times the daily bag limit through the entire season except opening day when it is the same as the daily bag limit and the second day when it is twice the daily bag limit.
NR 10.01(1)(L)2.2.‘Daily bag limits.’ The bag limit for migratory birds is zero for all species. Following the procedures established in par. (a), the secretary may annually select a bag limit for each species of migratory bird that is equal to the maximum allowable bag limit established by the U.S. fish and wildlife service, except that for the following species the bag limit shall be selected as provided below:
NR 10.01(1)(L)2.a.a. Canada Geese and its subspecies: 5 during the season established in par. (g), 3 during the seasons established in par. (h), except the bag limit is 5 in the Southern and Mississippi River zones beginning on December 16th until the close of the season.
NR 10.01(1)(m)(m)Falconry special season.Any person possessing a valid falconry permit and hunting license shall be restricted to the following migratory game bird seasons and bag limits:
NR 10.01(1)(m)4.4. The possession limit is three times the daily bag limit through the entire season except opening day when it is the same as the daily bag limit and the second day when it is twice the daily bag limit.
NR 10.01(1)(n)(n)Special youth waterfowl hunt event.Persons under the age of 16 may hunt all species of wild duck, mergansers, geese, coots, common gallinules, Sora and Virginia rails, and snipe statewide for 2 consecutive days starting on the Saturday before the beginning of the open season established for the northern duck zone by sub. (1). Approvals under ch. 29, Stats., are not required pursuant to s. 29.197 (2), Stats. Registration in the harvest information program under s. NR 10.12 (11) is required. Daily bag limits are those selected by the secretary under par. (L) and all other waterfowl hunting regulations apply. Hunters shall be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older and be in compliance with s. 29.592 or 29.593, Stats. One adult may not accompany more than 2 hunters and pursuant to s. 29.592, Stats., not more than one of the 2 hunters may be age 10 or 11 or be a person who does not possess a certificate of accomplishment under s. 29.591, Stats., or its equivalent from another state, country, or province.
NR 10.01 NoteNote: The history below shows all changes to s. NR 10.01 published commencing January 1, 2010. For a complete history of s. NR 10.01 from January 2, 1956 through December 31, 2009, see the note following s. NR 10.74.
NR 10.02NR 10.02Protected wild animals.The following wild animals are designated protected. No person may take, attempt to take, transport or possess any protected wild animal or its carcass at any time except as authorized by state or federal law.
NR 10.02(1)(a)(a) Except as provided in par. (b), cougar, Canada lynx, badger, moose, gray wolf, wolverine and flying squirrel.
NR 10.02(1)(b)(b) On private land, the landowner, lessee or occupant of the land, or any other person with permission of the landowner, lessee or occupant may shoot and kill any gray wolf or cougar in the act of killing, wounding or biting a domestic animal. Shootings shall be reported within 24 hours to a department conservation warden. The carcass of the wolf or cougar shall be turned over to the department.
NR 10.02(2)(2)Endangered or threatened species listed in ch. NR 27.
NR 10.02(3)(3)Albino and white deer which have a coat of all white hair except that the hair on the tarsal glands, head or parts of the head may be a color other than white. For the purposes of this paragraph, white hair that has been discolored or stained by blood, soil or similar materials shall continue to be considered white hair.
NR 10.02(9)(9)Timber rattlesnake of the species Crotalus horridus, except that a timber rattlesnake may be killed in emergency situations involving an immediate threat to human life or domestic animals. It is requested that each person who kills a rattlesnake under this provision provide to the department no later than 48 hours after the kill, not to include Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, factual information related to the kill including the location, date of the kill and the name and address of the person who killed it.
NR 10.02 NoteNote: Possession of the timber rattlesnake or any part lawfully taken in Wisconsin prior to April 1, 1998, lawfully purchased or lawfully taken outside the state of Wisconsin is not prohibited by this section, but the person possessing it has an obligation under s. 29.971, Stats., to prove such facts.
NR 10.02 NoteNote: The department’s conservation program for the timber rattlesnake, under s. 29.039 (1), Stats., includes a department response and assistance element for occupants or owners of land, or other persons, requesting assistance because of the presence of rattlesnakes. In addition, upon complaint, the department may, under s. 29.885, Stats., investigate and authorize removal, relocation or destruction if the species constitutes a nuisance. Requests for assistance, or complaints, should be directed to the Bureau of Endangered Resources, Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707, telephone 1-888-74SNAKE.
NR 10.02(10)(10)Gophersnakes Pituophis catenifer, gray ratsnakes Pantherophis spiloides, and the North American racers Coluber constrictor.
NR 10.02(11)(11)Blanding’s turtles Emydoidea blandingii.
NR 10.02(12)(12) On private land, the landowner, lessee or occupant of the land, or any other person with permission of the landowner, lessee or occupant may shoot and kill any bear in the act of killing, wounding or biting a domestic animal, other than dogs used to hunt or pursue bear during an open bear hunting season or bear dog training season. Shootings shall be reported within 24 hours to a department conservation warden. The carcass of the bear shall be turned over to the department.
NR 10.02(13)(13) Any other wild animal for which a closed season, bag limit, size limit or possession limit is prescribed.
NR 10.04NR 10.04Unprotected wild animals.The following wild animals are designated unprotected. No closed season, bag limit, size limit, or possession limit applies to these animals.
NR 10.04(1)(1)Opossum, porcupine, skunk, weasel, and woodchuck.
NR 10.04(2)(2)Chukar partridge, coturnix quail, English sparrows, Eurasian collared doves, and starlings.
NR 10.04(3)(3)Any other wild animal not specified in this chapter.
NR 10.04 NoteNote: Persons taking unprotected animals must possess a hunting or trapping license and comply with all method of taking requirements of this chapter unless otherwise authorized by the department in writing or exempted under ch. NR 12.
NR 10.04 NoteNote: Pigeons are considered domestic animals by the department and therefore are not subject to this chapter or ch. 29, Stats.
NR 10.05NR 10.05Highways.No person may hunt within 50 feet of a roadway’s center except as provided in s. 167.31, Stats.
NR 10.05 NoteNote: The exceptions provided in s. 167.31 (4) (e), Stats., allow any person who is legally hunting small game with a muzzle-loading firearm or shotgun loaded with shotshells containing shot size BB or smaller, to hunt within 50 feet of the roadway’s center, if the roadway is surfaced with anything other than concrete or blacktop. Additionally, Class A and B disabled hunting permit holders may also hunt within 50 feet of certain roadways under conditions listed in s. 167.31 (4) (cg), Stats.
NR 10.06(1)(1)General hunting.All shooting hours, when specified in this chapter, mean Central Standard Time, and the daily opening (a.m.) and closing (p.m.) hours listed shall apply to the entire state.
NR 10.06(2)(a)(a)General. Two general shooting hour areas are established as follows: Northern area: all of the following counties and all counties north of them; Pierce, Dunn, Eau Claire, Clark, Marathon, Shawano, Oconto, and Door. Southern area: remainder of state. In addition, the following zones are established across the northern and southern areas:
Zone
A—all that part of the state lying east of 88°-00F longitude.
B—all that part of the state lying between 88°-00F and 89°-00F long.
C—all that part of the state lying between 89°-00F and 90°-00F long.
D—all that part of the state lying between 90°-00F and 91°-00F long.
E—all that part of the state lying between 91°-00F and 92°-00F long.
F—all that part of the state lying west of 92°-00F longitude.
NR 10.06(2)(b)(b)General prohibition. Except as provided in subs. (6) to (9), no person may shoot or shoot at any game species for which an open season is prescribed on any day during the open season before the a.m. times or after the p.m. times established in sub. (5).
NR 10.06(5)(5)Shooting hours.Shooting hours for bear, bow deer, deer with firearms, elk and small game are 30 minutes before sunrise through 20 minutes after sunset. Shooting hours for migratory game birds are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset except for teal during a season for hunting teal species only. The hours for shooting teal during the season established in s. NR 10.01 (1) (c) shall be sunrise through sunset. Shooting hours for the first day of the pheasant hunting season established in s. NR 10.01 (2) (c) begin at 9:00 a.m. The department shall establish the specific opening and closing times annually in the hunting regulations pamphlets. Opening and closing times for zone A southern and northern areas shall be based on astronomical data collected by the U.S. naval observatory, Washington D.C., 20392-5420 for Sheboygan, Wisconsin and Powers, Michigan, respectively. The shooting hours for the other zones shall be obtained by adding minutes to the Zone A a.m. and p.m. columns as follows:
NR 10.06(6)(6)Pheasant hunting.Except as provided in this subsection, pheasant shooting hours are those hunting hours established for small game in sub. (5). Pheasant shooting hours shall close at 12:00 p.m. on weekdays within the posted boundaries of the following state wildlife areas beginning the third day of the pheasant hunting season established in s. NR 10.01 (2) (c) and continuing through November 3:
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Published under s. 35.93, Stats. Updated on the first day of each month. Entire code is always current. The Register date on each page is the date the chapter was last published.
