Chapter 29

29.592(1) (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:

29.592(1)(a) (a) At all times when hunting, the person is within arm’s reach of a mentor who meets the qualifications under sub. (2).

29.592(1)(b) (b) The person holds a hunting approval.

29.592(2) (2) No person may serve as a qualified mentor for a hunter unless the person meets all of the following requirements:

29.592(2)(a) (a) The person is 18 years of age or older.

29.592(2)(b) (b) The person is the parent or guardian of the person for whom he or she is serving as a mentor or is authorized by the parent or guardian to serve as a mentor. This requirement does not apply to a person serving as a mentor for a person who is 18 years of age or older.

29.592(2)(c) (c) At all times when serving as a mentor, the person is within arm’s reach of the person for whom he or she is serving as a mentor.

29.592(2)(d) (d) The person has been issued a certificate of accomplishment under s. 29.591 or, if serving as a mentor for hunting elk, under s. 29.595 unless the person was born before January 1, 1973, and is not required to obtain a certificate of accomplishment.

29.592(2)(e) (e) The person holds a current valid hunting approval.

29.592(4) (4) A mentor under this section may take only one person hunting at a time for whom he or she is serving as a mentor.

29.592(5) (5) The requirements under subs. (1) (b) and (2) (e) do not apply to a person who is authorized to hunt without a hunting approval under s. 29.337 (1), 95.55 (5), or 169.19 (5).

29.592 History History: 2009 a. 39; 2013 a. 61; 2017 a. 62; 2023 a. 115.

29.593 29.593 Requirement for certificate of accomplishment to obtain hunting approval.

29.593(1) (1) 

29.593(1)(a) (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 certificate of accomplishment under s. 29.591.

29.593(1)(b) (b) A certificate of accomplishment issued to a person for successfully completing the course under the bow hunter education program only authorizes the person to obtain a resident archer hunting license, a nonresident archer hunting license, a resident crossbow hunting license, or a nonresident crossbow hunting license.

29.593(2) (2) A person who has a certificate, license, or other evidence that is satisfactory to the department indicating that he or she has successfully completed in another state, country, or province a hunter education course recognized by the department may obtain an approval authorizing hunting.

29.593(2m) (2m) A person who has a certificate, license, or other evidence that is satisfactory to the department indicating that he or she has successfully completed in another state, country, or province a bow hunter education course recognized by the department may obtain an archer hunting license or crossbow hunting license.

29.593(3) (3) A person who successfully completes basic training in the U.S. armed forces, reserves or national guard may obtain an approval authorizing hunting.

29.593(4) (4) A person who is subject to sub. (1) may prove compliance with sub. (1) when submitting an application for an approval authorizing hunting by presenting any of the following:

29.593(4)(a) (a) His or her certificate of accomplishment issued under s. 29.591.

29.593(4)(b) (b) An approval authorizing hunting that was issued to him or her under this chapter within 365 days before submitting the application.

29.593(4)(c) (c) An approval authorizing hunting that was issued to him or her under this chapter for a hunting season that ended within 365 days before submitting the application.

29.593 History History: 1983 a. 420; 1991 a. 254; 1997 a. 27, 197; 1997 a. 248 ss. 427 to 430; Stats. 1997 s. 29.593; 1999 a. 32; 2005 a. 289; 2009 a. 39; 2013 a. 61.

29.595 29.595 Elk hunter education program.

29.595(1) (1) Establishment. The department shall establish and conduct an elk hunter education program.

29.595(2) (2) Instruction. The elk hunter education program shall provide a course of instruction that includes all of the following:

29.595(2)(a) (a) History and recovery of elk in this state and the eastern United States.

29.595(2)(b) (b) Elk census and population estimation methods used in this state.

29.595(2)(c) (c) Elk biology and disease prevention.

29.595(2)(d) (d) Elk hunting techniques and hunter ethics.

29.595(2)(e) (e) Elk hunting zones.

29.595(2)(f) (f) Rules promulgated by the department concerning elk hunting.

29.595(2)(g) (g) Native American hunting.

29.595(3) (3) Certificate of accomplishment.

29.595(3)(a) (a) The department shall issue a certificate of accomplishment to a person who successfully completes the course of instruction under the elk hunter education program.

29.595(3)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (c), no person may be issued an elk hunting license unless he or she holds a valid certificate of accomplishment issued under this subsection.

29.595(3)(c) (c) A person who has a certificate, license, or other evidence that is satisfactory to the department indicating that he or she has successfully completed in another state, country, or province an elk hunter education course recognized by the department may obtain an elk hunting license.

29.595(4) (4) Fee prohibited. The department may not charge a fee for the course of instruction or the certificate of accomplishment.

29.595 History History: 2001 a. 109; 2005 a. 289.

29.597 29.597 Trapper education program.

29.597(1) (1) Establishment; program requirements.

29.597(1)(a) (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 of instruction under sub. (1m), the department shall enter into an agreement with an organization that has demonstrated ability and experience in the field of trapper education to assist in the establishment and administration of the program.

29.597(1)(b) (b) The trapper education program shall provide classroom instruction and instruction by correspondence and shall provide a course of instruction that includes all of the following:

29.597(1)(b)1. 1. Principles of wildlife management.

29.597(1)(b)2. 2. Responsibilities of trappers to landowners.

29.597(1)(b)3. 3. Interrelationships between trapping activities and the conservation of natural resources.

29.597(1)(b)4. 4. Techniques for the trapping of fur-bearing animals.

29.597(1)(c) (c) The trapper education program shall use certified instructors when providing the instruction on techniques of trapping fur-bearing animals. The department shall establish criteria and standards for certifying these instructors. This paragraph does not apply to the online course of instruction under sub. (1m).

29.597(1m) (1m) Online course of instruction. The department shall offer an online course of instruction under the trapper education program.

29.597(2) (2) Administration.

29.597(2)(a) (a) The department and the organization with which the department enters into an agreement under sub. (1) (a) shall jointly do all of the following:

29.597(2)(a)1. 1. Contract with a qualified individual, who may not be an employee of the department, to operate the trapper education program.

29.597(2)(a)2. 2. Prescribe the duties and responsibilities of the individual contracted with under subd. 1.

29.597(2)(b) (b) The individual contracted with under par. (a) 1. shall operate the trapper education program and shall do all of the following:

29.597(2)(b)1. 1. Supervise the recruitment and training of qualified trapper education instructors.

29.597(2)(b)2. 2. Coordinate the scheduling of classes.

29.597(2)(b)3. 3. Maintain the records for the trapper education program.

29.597(2)(c) (c)

29.597(2)(c)1. 1. If the online course of instruction under the trapper education program requires field testing for a person to demonstrate successful completion of the course, the department shall make field testing available through each department service center at least once every 2 months.

29.597(2)(c)2. 2. If the online course of instruction under the trapper education program requires a written test for a person to demonstrate successful completion of the course, the department shall offer the test at each department service center at least once every 2 months.

29.597(2)(d) (d) Paragraphs (a) and (b) do not apply to the online course of instruction under the trapper education program.

29.597(3) (3) Instruction fee.

29.597(3)(a) (a) The department shall establish by rule the fee for the course of instruction under the trapper education program.

29.597(3)(b) (b) An instructor conducting the course of instruction under the trapper education program shall collect the fee established under par. (a) from each person receiving instruction. The department may authorize an instructor to retain up to 50 percent of the fee to defray expenses incurred by the instructor conducting the course. The instructor shall remit the remaining portion of the fee or, if nothing is retained, the entire fee to the department.

29.597(4) (4) Course and promotional materials. The department may reimburse the organization with which it enters into an agreement under sub. (1) (a) for the organization’s costs of producing promotional and course materials for the program.

29.597(5) (5) Certificate of accomplishment.

29.597(5)(a) (a) The department shall issue a certificate of accomplishment without charge to a person who successfully completes the course of instruction under the trapper education program and who pays the instruction fee. The certificate may be used by a resident to whom issued in place of a trapping license for the period specified by the department.

29.597(5)(b) (b) The department shall issue a duplicate certificate of accomplishment to a person who is entitled to a duplicate certificate of accomplishment. The department shall establish by rule the fee for a duplicate certificate.

29.597(6) (6) Requirement of certificate of accomplishment to obtain trapping approval.

29.597(6)(a) (a) No person may be issued an approval authorizing trapping unless he or she holds a valid certificate of accomplishment issued under this section.

29.597(6)(b) (b) The following persons are exempt from the requirement under par. (a):

29.597(6)(b)1. 1. A resident who held on May 12, 1992, a valid approval authorizing trapping.

29.597(6)(b)2. 2. A resident who is a farmer, as defined in s. 102.04 (3).

29.597(6)(b)3. 3. A resident who has held a valid approval authorizing trapping that expired before May 12, 1992, and that was not suspended or revoked.

29.597(6)(b)4. 4. A person who holds a valid certificate, license or other evidence indicating that he or she has successfully completed a trapper education course in another state if the department determines that the course has substantially the same content as the course of instruction under the program established under this section.

29.597(7) (7) Proceeds from the sale of skins. The department may sell, either directly or by an agent under supervision of the department, skins that are prepared as a part of the course of instruction under the trapper education program. Any proceeds that the department receives from the sale of these skins shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (1) (Lq).

29.597 History History: 1991 a. 254; 1997 a. 248 ss. 416 to 419, 644; Stats. 1997 s. 29.597; 2005 a. 284, 394; 2011 a. 168.

29.598 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 learning about the outdoor skills needed by women to hunt, fish, camp, canoe and undertake other outdoor recreational activities in order to provide that type of training to interested persons.

29.598(2) (2) Match. No moneys may be paid from the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (1) (mu) for the costs associated with the agreement under sub. (1), unless the organization described in sub. (1) demonstrates that it has contributed an equal amount to pay for those costs. The matching contribution may be in the form of money or in-kind goods or services.

29.598 History History: 1999 a. 9; 2011 a. 32.

subch. IX of ch. 29 SUBCHAPTER IX

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

29.601 29.601 Noxious substances.

29.601(1) (1) Explosives; stupefactives.

29.601(1)(a) (a) No person may do any of the following:

29.601(1)(a)1. 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.

29.601(1)(a)2. 2. Place in any waters of this state explosives which might cause the destruction of fish or game, except when authorized by the department for the purpose of raising dead bodies, clearing a channel or breaking a log or ice jam.