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:
NR 10.06(6)(v)(v) White River (Green Lake and Marquette counties)
NR 10.06(7)(7)Wild turkey hunting.The shooting hours for pursuing wild turkeys shall be the same as the hours established in sub. (5) except that spring season shooting hours shall close at sunset daily.
NR 10.06(8)(8)Exceptions.There are no shooting hour restrictions for pursuing coyote, fox, raccoon and all wild animals for which no closed season is established except that shooting hours established in sub. (5) shall apply to archers and crossbow hunters pursuing any species during the black bear season established in s. NR 10.01 (3) (g), during the archery and crossbow deer seasons established in s. NR 10.01 (3) (em) and (ep), and during the elk season established in s. NR 10.01 (3) (i).
NR 10.06(9)(a)(a) Shooting hours for certain species shall close at 1:00 p.m. daily within the posted boundaries of the following state wildlife areas on the following dates:
NR 10.06(9)(a)1.1. George W. Mead Wildlife Area (Wood, Portage, and Marathon Counties) for waterfowl beginning on the third day of the duck hunting season in s. NR 10.01 and continuing for 16 days.
NR 10.06(9)(a)2.2. Zeloski Unit of the Lake Mills Wildlife Area (Jefferson County) for migratory birds beginning on Sept 1 and continuing through the 16th day after the opening weekend of the duck season established in s. NR 10.01 except that normal statewide shooting hours apply on the opening weekend of the duck season.
NR 10.06(10)(10)Trapping exemption.The shooting hour restrictions established in this section do not apply to the dispatch of lawfully trapped animals.
NR 10.07(1)(a)(a)Aircraft. Hunt with the aid of an aircraft, including the use of an aircraft to spot, rally or drive wild animals for hunters on the ground.
NR 10.07(1)(b)1.1. Place, operate or attend, spread, or set any net, pitfall, snare, spring gun, pivot gun, swivel gun, or other similar contrivance for the purpose of catching or which might catch, take or ensnare wild animals.
NR 10.07(1)(b)2.2. Use or possess any snare, cable restraint, trap or device designed or used for the purpose of driving rabbits or hares out of their holes or dens and capturing them.
NR 10.07(1)(b)3.3. While hunting with a firearm, bow, or crossbow, possess or accompany a person possessing any turkey decoy or device which may be used to call or attract wild turkeys during the spring hunting season for wild turkeys described in s. NR 10.01 (2) (f) unless that person possesses a valid turkey hunting license and valid, unused harvest authorization.
NR 10.07(1)(d)(d)Molesting. Molest the nest or den of any squirrel.
NR 10.07(1)(e)(e)Ferret. Use or possess any ferret while hunting.
NR 10.07(1)(f)(f)Retrieval. Fail to make every reasonable effort to retrieve all wild animals killed or crippled; and until such effort is made, such wild animals shall be included in the daily bag.
NR 10.07(1)(i)(i)Dog use. Hunt or pursue any free-roaming wild animal with the aid of dog or dogs May 1 to June 30 in that portion of the state north of the highways shown on the following map except for dog trials and training under permit as established by ch. NR 17:
NR 10.07(1)(k)(k)Marking. Capture and tag, collar or mark and release any game taken from the wild unless issued a permit by the department pursuant to s. NR 19.11, or as authorized under a federal migratory bird banding permit, or a license issued under s. 169.25, Stats. The normal uses of archery equipment for hunting such as lighted, reflective, or glowing nocks are not a violation of this paragraph.
NR 10.07(2)(a)1.1. No person may place, use or hunt over bait or feed material for the purpose of hunting wild animals or training dogs, except as provided in par. (b) or sub. (2m), or as authorized by a permit or license issued under s. 29.614 (1) or 169.25 (1) (a), Stats., or s. NR 12.06 (11) or 12.10 (1).
NR 10.07 NoteNote: Section 29.614, Stats., states: 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 program leading to increased, useful scientific knowledge.
/exec_review/admin_code/nr/001/10trueadministrativecode/exec_review/admin_code/nr/001/10/i/05/_2Department of Natural Resources (NR)Chs. NR 1-99; Fish, Game and Enforcement, Forestry and Recreationsectiontrue
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.