Chapter NR 10

NR 10.086(1) (1) Requirements for registration apply to all of the following species:

NR 10.086(1)(a) (a) Bear.

NR 10.086(1)(b) (b) Deer.

NR 10.086(1)(c) (c) Elk.

NR 10.086(1)(d) (d) Sharp-tailed grouse.

NR 10.086(1)(e) (e) Wild turkey.

NR 10.086(1)(f) (f) Bobcat.

NR 10.086(1)(g) (g) Fisher.

NR 10.086(1)(h) (h) Otter.

NR 10.086(1)(i) (i) Wolf.

NR 10.086(2) (2) No person who harvests any of the species identified in this section may fail to register the animal, using a telephone, internet, or other registration system established by the department, before 5:00 p.m. of the day after the animal was recovered.

NR 10.086 Note Note: All department registration interfaces provide a confirmation number when the registration is successfully submitted. Confirmation numbers are also recorded on a customer’s account and may be viewed by logging in to https://gowild.wi.gov.

NR 10.086 Note (3) No person may move any of the species identified in this section from the county of kill or an adjoining county, at any time, unless registration has been completed under sub. (2).

NR 10.086(4) (4) Registration prohibition. No person may register any game under the authority of an issued harvest authorization or tag unless the reported harvest authorization or tag was the approval that authorized the harvest. Providing false information to the department during registration and obtaining a registration confirmation number approval is a violation of s. 29.961, Stats. Any harvest authorization or tag submitted to the registration system is considered filled and is no longer valid, regardless of whether such authorization or tag was actually the approval that authorized the harvest.

NR 10.086 History History: CR 20-087: cr. (title), (1) to (3), renum. (4) from NR 10.085 (6m) Register August 2021 No. 788, eff. 9-1-21.

NR 10.087 NR 10.087 Certification of game.

NR 10.087(1) (1) Registration of certain elk, deer and bear. The department may require that an elk be exhibited and registered at registration stations designated by the department no later than 5:00 p.m. of the day after it was recovered. The department may require that any deer or bear harvested in an area affected by CWD, tuberculosis, or where there are other serious infections disease threats, or area where samples are needed for department research purposes, shall be exhibited and registered at registration stations designated by the department no later than 5:00 p.m. on the third day after it was recovered, or by 5:00 p.m. on the day after the close of the season during which it was recovered, as described in s. NR 10.01 (3), whichever is earlier, unless otherwise authorized by the department. No person shall fail to exhibit the carcass of a deer, bear or elk at a registration location specified by the department when required under this subsection.

NR 10.087(2) (2) Bobcat; wolf. Each person who has killed a bobcat or wolf shall:

NR 10.087(2)(a) (a) Exhibit the pelt, separated from the rest of the carcass, to an authorized department representative no later than 7 days after the month of harvest. Persons who intend to have a bobcat or wolf mounted by a taxidermist may exhibit the bobcat or wolf to the department for certification in whole carcass condition without separating the pelt, but shall surrender the skinned carcass to the department within 30 days after certification.

NR 10.087(2)(b) (b) Allow inspection of the carcass and pelt, and attachment of a certification seal to the head portion of the pelt of all lawfully taken and possessed bobcat or wolf.

NR 10.087(3) (3) Otter. Each person who has killed an otter shall immediately attach a certification seal to the head portion of the pelt of the otter upon receiving the certification seal from the department.

NR 10.087(4) (4) Certification violations. No person may:

NR 10.087(4)(a) (a) Affix a certification seal to any animal harvested or possessed unlawfully, including an animal for which registration was not submitted in compliance with s. NR 10.086.

NR 10.087(4)(b) (b) Affix a certification seal to any animal harvested by a person other than the individual issued the certification seal.

NR 10.087(4)(c) (c) Except as necessary to comply with sub. (3), possess a certification seal which has not been lawfully affixed to a pelt, or which has been unlawfully or erroneously obtained. An unaffixed certification seal remains the property of the department and shall be returned immediately.

NR 10.087(4)(d) (d) Possess a raw bobcat, otter or wolf pelt after the 7th day of the month following closure of the open season for each species and the respective opening date of the next trapping or hunting season without a certification seal attached and locked to the head of the animal.

NR 10.087(4)(e) (e) Transfer, give, trade, sell, or purchase a raw pelt or unskinned carcass of any bobcat, otter, or wolf without a certification seal being attached and locked to the head portion of the pelt.

NR 10.087(4)(f) (f) Transport or possess a bobcat or wolf pelt without a certification seal being attached and locked to the head portion of the pelt by the department. This paragraph does not apply to the authorized harvester of the animal.

NR 10.087 History History: CR 20-087: cr. (title), renum. (1), (2) from NR 10.087 (1), 10.085 (6) (c), cr. (2) (title), (3), (4) (a) to (c), renum. (4) (d) to (f) from NR 10.08 (7) (j) to (L) and am. Register August 2021 No. 788, eff. 9-1-21; correction in (4) (a), (b) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register August 2021 No. 788.

NR 10.09 NR 10.09 Weapons and ammunition.

NR 10.09(1) (1) Weapons. No person may:

NR 10.09(1)(a) (a) Hunt with any means other than a rifle, shotgun, handgun, bow and arrow, crossbow, or falconry.

NR 10.09(1)(b) (b) Hunt with a machine gun or other fully automatic weapon.

NR 10.09(1)(c) (c) Hunt a game bird with or while in possession of a shotgun larger than 10 gauge.

NR 10.09(1)(d) (d) Hunt a deer during a muzzleloader-only hunt, such as described in s. NR 10.01 (3) (es), with any gun other than a muzzle-loading firearm.

NR 10.09 Note Note: Par. (d) is affected by 2023 Wis. Act 116 and CR 23-025. The 2 treatments are mutually inconsistent. Par. (d) is shown as affected by 2023 Wis. Act 116. As affected by CR 23-025, it reads:

NR 10.09 Note (d) Hunt a deer during a muzzleloader-only hunt, such as described in s. NR 10.01 (3) (es), with any gun other than a rifle, shotgun, or handgun that is a firearm capable of being loaded only from the muzzle through the use of a ramrod.

NR 10.09(1)(e) (e) Hunt a migratory bird with any shotgun capable of holding more than 3 shells unless the magazine has been cut off or plugged with a one-piece filler that cannot be removed without disassembling the gun and which reduces the capacity of the gun to not more than 3 shells at one time in the magazine and chamber combined.

NR 10.09(2) (2) Ammunition. No person may:

NR 10.09(2)(a) (a) Use, possess, or have under control of any of the following while hunting:

NR 10.09(2)(a)1. 1. Shot shells containing shot larger than T, except that shot shells containing shot not larger than F may be used when hunting migratory birds.

NR 10.09(2)(a)2. 2. Any tracer or incendiary ammunition that is not a distress flare.

NR 10.09(2)(a)3. 3. Any bullet, arrow, or bolt that is designed or modified to explode or deliver poisons or drugs.

NR 10.09(2)(b) (b) Hunt a game bird with any ammunition other than an arrow, bolt, or shot shell that consists of more than one projectile.

NR 10.09(2)(c) (c) Hunt a deer, bear, or elk with any ammunition other than an arrow, bolt, or bullet that is a single projectile of an expanding design.

NR 10.09(2)(d) (d) Do any of the following while hunting waterfowl, snipe, rails, moorhens, or coot within any areas of the state, or mourning doves on lands which are under the management, supervision and control of the department:

NR 10.09(2)(d)1. 1. Take, catch, kill or pursue waterfowl, mourning doves, snipe, rails, moorhens, or coot with any shot, either in shot shells or as loose shot for muzzle-loading, other than non-toxic shot.

NR 10.09(2)(d)2. 2. Possess any shot shell or muzzle-loading firearm loaded with any material other than non-toxic shot.

NR 10.09(3) (3) Reasonable equipment. No person may hunt with any weapon or ammunition that is of inherent design, or used in such a manner, as to not be reasonably capable of reducing a target wild animal to possession. The following are prima facie reasonable equipment:

NR 10.09(3)(a) (a) A firearm with a caliber of at least .22.

NR 10.09(3)(b) (b) A bow with a minimum draw weight of 30 pounds.

NR 10.09(3)(c) (c) A crossbow with a minimum draw weight of 100 pounds.

NR 10.09(3)(d) (d) A raptor, as defined in s. NR 18.01 (10).

NR 10.09(3)(e) (e) Commercially manufactured or similar hand-loaded or re-loaded ammunition.

NR 10.09(3)(f) (f) An arrow or bolt with a sharpened broad-head blade.

NR 10.09 History History: 1-2-56; am. (6), Register, August, 1956, No. 8, eff. 9-1-56; am. (3), (4), (5), (6), Register, August, 1957, No. 20, eff. 9-1-57; am (4) and (5), Register, August, 1958, No. 32, eff. 9-1-58; r. and recr. (4), (5), (6), and r. (7), Register, August, 1959, No. 44, eff. 9-1-59; am. (2), Register, August, 1960, No. 56, eff. 9-1-60; am. (2), Register, August, 1961, No. 68, eff. 9-1-61; r. (1); am. (3); r. and recr. (5), Register, August, 1963, No. 92, eff. 9-1-63; am. (3), Register, August, 1966, No. 128, eff. 9-1-66; renum. to be NR 10.09; am. (6), Register, June, 1970, No. 174, eff. 7-1-70; am. (4) and (5), Register, August, 1973, No. 212, eff. 9-1-73; am. (4), Register, August, 1975, No. 236, eff. 9-1-75; am. (6), Register, May, 1976, No. 245, eff. 8-15-76; r. and recr. (4), Register, May, 1978, No. 269, eff. 6-1-78; r. and recr., Register, August, 1979, No. 284, eff. 9-1-79; r. and recr. (1) (c), Register, April, 1982, No. 316, eff. 5-1-82; cr. (1) (c) 2. and 3. and (3), Register, September, 1983, No. 333, eff. 10-1-83; am. (1) (a) 2. and (c) 1. a., Register, September, 1985, No. 357, eff. 10-1-85; emerg. r. and recr. (1) (a) 2., eff. 9-25-87; am. (1) (c) 1. c., Register, October, 1987, No. 382, eff. 1-1-88; r. and recr. (1) (a) 2., Register, December, 1987, No. 384, eff. 1-1-88; r. (3) (a), Register, October, 1988, No. 394, eff. 1-1-89; am. (1) (a) 2. and (c) 1. c., Register, October, 1989, No. 406, eff. 11-1-89; am. (1) (c) 2. and cr. (1) (d), Register, July, 1990, No. 415, eff. 8-1-90; r. and recr. (1) (a) 3., Register, October, 1990, No. 418, eff. 11-1-90; am. (1) (c) 1. a., Register, August, 1991, No. 428, eff. 9-1-91; am. (2) (c), Register, August, 1994, No. 464, eff. 9-1-94; emerg. cr. (2) (d), eff. 8-12-96; am. (1) (c) 1. b., Register, August, 1996, No. 488, eff. 9-1-96; am. (1) (c) 1. a., Register, June, 1997, No. 498, eff. 7-1-97; emerg. cr. (2) (d), eff. 10-1-98; am. (1) (a) 3. b., Register, September, 1998, No. 513, eff. 10-1-98; cr. (1) (e), Register, September, 1998, No. 513, eff. 3-1-99; emerg. cr. (2) (d), eff. 8-4-00; am. (1) (c) 1. c., Register, September, 2000, No. 537, eff. 11-18-00;CR 00-154: am. (1) (a) 2., Register January 2002 No. 553, eff. 2-1-02; CR 03-015: am. (1) (a) 3. b., (c) 1. d. and 3., (2) (intro.) and (3) (b) Register July 2003 No. 571, eff. 8-1-03; CR 03-016: am. (1) (a) 2., (c) 3., and (2) (intro.) Register August 2003 No. 572, eff. 9-1-03; CR 03-018: am. (1) (a) 1. and (e) Register November 2003 No. 575, eff. 1-1-04; CR 04-020: am. (1) (c) 3. Register August 2004 No. 584, eff. 9-1-04; CR 04-046: am. (1) (a) 2., (c) 1. b., d. and 2. Register September 2004 No. 585, eff. 10-1-04; CR 05-031: am. (1) (a) 3. a. and (1) (c) 2. and 3., renum. (1) (c) 1. d. to be (1) (c) 1. e. and am., cr. (1) (c) 1. d. Register October 2005 No. 598, eff. 11-1-05; CR 07-015: am. (1) (a) 1., r. and recr. (1) (a) 2. Register September 2007 No. 621, eff. 2-1-08; CR 08-021: am. (3) (b) Register November 2008 No. 635, eff. 12-1-08; correction in (1) (a) 2. made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register November 2008 No. 635; CR 09-015: am. (1) (c) 1. (intro.) Register October 2009 No. 646, eff. 2-1-10; CR 09-024: am. (1) (c) 2. and (2) Register May 2010 No. 653, eff. 6-1-10; CR 10-020: am. (1) (c) 1. a. Register October 2010 No. 658, eff. 11-1-10; CR 10-051: am. (1) (c) 2. Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11; CR 13-021: r. (1) (c) 3. Register October 2013 No. 694, eff. 11-1-13; correction in (1) (c) 1. e. made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register March 2014 No. 699; EmR1420: emerg. am. (1) (c) 1. (intro.), r. (1) (c) 1. e., am. (3), eff. 9-12-14; CR 13-071: am. (1) (c) 1. (intro.), r. (1) (c) 1. e., (2), am. (3) Register July 2015 No. 715, eff. 8-1-15; CR 19-017: am. (1) (c) 1. b., c., d. Register January 2020 No. 769, eff. 2-1-20; CR 19-146: r. and recr. Register June 2020 No. 774, eff. 7-1-20; CR 23-013: am. (2) (a) 1. Register February 2024 No. 818, eff. 3-1-24; CR 23-025: am. (1) (d) Register March 2024 No. 819, eff. 4-1-24; 2023 Wis. Act 116: am. (1) (d) Register March 2024 No. 819, eff. 4-1-24.

NR 10.10 NR 10.10 Deer and bear hunting.

NR 10.10(1) (1) Hunting with dogs prohibited. No person may hunt deer or bear with the aid of dogs, except that dogs may be used for hunting bear during the season established in s. NR 10.01 (3) (g) 1. in black bear hunting zones A, B and D as described in s. NR 10.30.

NR 10.10(2) (2) Illegal game. Any deer killed during the open season for hunting deer with bow and arrow or crossbow only or that is killed under the authority of an archer or crossbow license and showing evidence that it was shot with a firearm shall be an illegal game animal and no person may have such animal in possession.

NR 10.10 History History: 1-2-56; am. (2), Register, August, 1963, No. 92, eff. 9-1-63; am. (2), Register, August, 1966, No. 128, eff. 9-1-66; renum. to be NR 10.10, Register, June, 1970, No. 174, eff. 7-1-70; r. and recr. Register, August, 1972, No. 200, eff. 9-1-72; emerg. am. (2), and cr. (6) to (11), eff. 8-2-74; am. (2), cr. (6) to (11), Register, December, 1974, No. 228. eff. 1-1-75; am. (7) and r. (9), Register, May, 1976, No. 245, eff. 8-15-76; am. (1), (7) and (8), r. (5) and (6), Register, May, 1977, No. 257, eff. 6-1-77; r. and recr. Register, May, 1978, No. 269, eff. 6-1-78; r. (1) (a), Register, April, 1981, No. 304, eff. 5-1-81; (2) renum. from NR 10.11 (2), Register, September, 1983, No. 333, eff. 10-1-83; r. and recr. (1) (b), Register, September, 1984, No. 345, eff. 10-1-84; am. (2), Register, September, 1985, No. 357, eff. 10-1-85; am. (1) (b), Register, June, 1986, No. 366, eff. 7-1-86; r. and recr. (1) (b), Register, August, 1994, No. 464, eff. 9-1-94; CR 03-018: r. and recr. (1) (b) Register November 2003 No. 575, eff. 1-1-04; CR 05-017: am. (1) (b) Register October 2005 No. 598, eff. 2-1-06; CR 07-015: am. (1) (b) Register September 2007 No. 621, eff. 11-1-07; EmR1420: emerg. am. (2), eff. 9-12-14; CR 13-071: am. (2) Register July 2015 No. 715, eff. 8-1-15; correction in (1) (title) and repeal of (1) (b) (title) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 2., Stats., and (1) (intro.) and (b) cons. and renum. to (1) under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats., Register January 2020 No. 769.

NR 10.101 NR 10.101 Bear hunting.

NR 10.101(1) (1) Prohibited methods. No person may:

NR 10.101(1)(a) (a) Denned bear. Hunt or shoot a bear in a den.

NR 10.101(1)(b) (b) Restricted areas. Hunt bear in any dump or sanitary landfill.

NR 10.101(1)(c) (c) Non-adult bears. Shoot, shoot at or kill a bear that is accompanied by a bear that is not an adult bear.

NR 10.101(2) (2) Dog use restrictions.

NR 10.101(2)(a) (a) Identification. No person shall hunt or pursue bear with any dog unless such dog is tattooed or wears a collar with the owner’s name and address attached.

NR 10.101(2)(b) (b) Training. The training of dogs by pursuing wild bear is prohibited except July 1 through August 31, or as authorized by s. 29.184 (3m), Stats.

NR 10.101 Note Note: Bear dog trials and training are regulated by ch. NR 17.

NR 10.101(2)(c) (c) Pack size. No more than 6 dogs in a single pack may be used to pursue bear regardless of the number of bear hunters assisting the bear harvest permittee and regardless of the dog ownership.

NR 10.101 Note Note: Only a bear hunting licensee assisting a Class A bear license holder may pursue bear during the open season on bear except when engaged in lawful bear dog training as authorized under s. 29.184 (3m), Stats.

NR 10.101(2)(e) (e) Bait use. Persons hunting bear with dogs may use bait in accordance with s. NR 10.07 (2m) during the season established in s. NR 10.01 (3) (g) 2.

NR 10.101 Note Note: This rule does not permit a person to hunt bear over bait without using dogs as a hunting aid.

NR 10.101(3) (3) Possession. No person may possess a bear carcass in violation of the requirements for possession and transportation established under s. NR 10.08 (7), for tagging established under s. NR 10.085 and registration under s. NR 10.086.

NR 10.101 History History: Cr. Register, May, 1978, No. 269, eff. 6-1-78; cr. (1) (b) 5., Register, August, 1979, No. 284, eff. 9-1-79; r. and recr. (1) (b) and (3) (b), Register, April, 1980, No. 292, eff. 5-1-80; am. (3) (b), Register, July, 1985, No. 355, eff. 8-1-85; am. (intro.), cr. (1) (c), (3) (e) and (4), r. and recr. (3) (c), Register, June, 1986, No. 366, eff. 7-1-86; am. (2) (c) 3., Register, July, 1987, No. 379, eff. 8-1-87; cr. (4) (d), Register, August, 1988, No. 392, eff. 9-1-88; am. (3) (b), Register, July, 1989, No. 403, eff. 8-1-89; r. (2), renum. (3) and (4) to be (2) and (3), Register, October, 1990, No. 418, eff. 11-1-90; CR 01-008: am. (1) (c), r. (2) (d), Register October 2001 No. 550, eff. 4-1-02; correction in (3) (d) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register September 2002 No. 561; correction in (2) (e) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Register April 2005 No. 592; CR 13-021: am. (2) (b) Register October 2013 No. 694, eff. 11-1-13; correction in (3) (d) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register November 2015 No. 719; EmR1613: emerg. r. and recr. (3), eff. 3-12-16; CR 17-061: r. and recr. (3) Register February 2018 No. 746, eff. 3-1-18; correction in numbering in (3) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats., Register February 2018 No. 746; CR 20-087: am. (3) Register August 2021 No. 788, eff. 9-1-21.

NR 10.102 NR 10.102 Bear hunting quota and license issuance.

NR 10.102(1) (1) Bear quotas. The department shall establish black bear quotas based on the status of zone black bear populations in relation to population management goals. Quotas shall be approved by the Natural Resources Board.

NR 10.102 Note Note: Population management goals may take into account annual data regarding agricultural damage, nuisance complaints, hunter crowding or conflict, hunter success, hunter satisfaction, and bear disease/health issues.

NR 10.102(1)(b) (b) Quota formula. In each black bear management zone, the number of Class A bear licenses to be issued to harvest the desired numbers of bear shall be based on hunter success rates from previous seasons. In establishing licenses for a zone without an adequate history of licenses, the average success rates of similar zones shall be applied or the department shall estimate an anticipated success rate. The license number formula is:

NR 10.102(1)(c) (c) Success rate formula. Hunter success rates used to compute the number of Class A bear licenses to be issued for each zone shall be those calculated by the department from annual bear season harvest reports except where no previous history of success rates exist. The license rate formula is:

NR 10.102(1)(e) (e) Temporary bear harvest subzones.

NR 10.102(1)(e)1. 1. The department may establish temporary bear harvest subzones within each black bear management zone to increase or decrease harvest within specific subzones to assure maintenance of bear populations at a density level equivalent to that of the bear management zone.

NR 10.102(1)(e)2. 2. The department may require that a portion of the Class A bear licenses available within a bear management zone be specific to a temporary bear harvest subzone to assure maintenance of bear populations at a density level equivalent to that of the bear management zone.

NR 10.102(1)(e)3. 3. Class A bear licenses for the temporary subzones shall be used only within the subzone.

NR 10.102(1)(e)4. 4. Temporary subzone boundaries shall follow game management unit boundaries as identified in s. NR 10.285.

NR 10.102(1)(e)5. 5. Temporary subzones may be established to increase bear harvest when either of the following 2 conditions exist within the area considered for a subzone:

NR 10.102(1)(e)5.a. a. The bear population density within the subzone for the previous 3 year period exceeds by 20% the zone population density goal as indicated by indexes or models, or both.

NR 10.102(1)(e)5.b. b. Bear nuisance or agricultural damage complaints per square mile within the subzone exceed the zone average by 20% or more for the previous 3 year period.

NR 10.102(1)(e)6. 6. Temporary subzones may be established to decrease harvest when either one of the following conditions exist: