Section 10.09. Guns, ammunition and other devices.

 

(1)   Prohibited methods. No person shall:

(a) Shotshells.

1. `Slugs or balls.' Possess or have in control, while hunting any gamebird, any shotshells loaded with single slug or ball except during the open gun season for deer, elk or bear.

2. `Size.' Possess or have in control, while hunting, shells containing shot larger than no. BB during the period commencing on June 1 and continuing through the last day of any deer season or hunt established in s. NR 10.01 (3) (e) , (es) , or (et) , whichever season is later, except in any of the following circumstances:

a. During the open season established in s. NR 10.01 (1) (b) , (c) and (g) when nontoxic shot size BBB and T may be used for hunting migratory game birds listed in s. NR 10.01 (1) (b) , (c) and (g) .

b. A person holding a valid permit to harvest a bobcat and an unfilled pelt tag issued under s. NR 10.145 may possess and use shotshells containing shot larger than no. BB for the purpose of hunting bobcat during the open season established in s. NR 10.01 (3) (d) .

3. `Game bird hunting.'

a. Hunt any game bird with a rifle or shotgun loaded with single ball, pellet, BB or slug or shot larger than no. BB.

b. Use or possess shot or shells containing shot larger than no. 2 steel or no. 4 for lead or other no. 4 non-steel shot while hunting wild turkeys.

(b) Incendiary shells. Possess or have in control, while hunting, any shell, cartridge or ammunition known as tracer shells, or incendiary shells or cartridges. Distress flares are exempt from this section.

(c) Guns and devices.

1. `Type.' Hunt with any means other than the use of a gun designed to be fired from the shoulder utilizing the energy of gun powder or compressed air, bow and arrow, crossbow, or by falconry except:

a. Muzzleloaders may be used for hunting, except that any muzzleloader used in the muzzleloading season described in s. NR 10.01 (3) (es) shall have a solid breech plug attached with threads, be capable of being loaded only from the muzzle, use black powder or other black powder substitute, and may include a mounted telescopic sight.

b. Hare, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon, fox, coyote, bobcat and unprotected wild animals may be hunted with handguns or pellet guns of .17 caliber or larger. Handguns shall have a minimum barrel length of 4 inches measured from the muzzle to the firing pin with the action closed.

c. Deer or bear may be hunted with handguns loaded with centerfire cartridges of .22 caliber or larger and that have a minimum barrel length of 5 ½ inches measured from the muzzle to the firing pin with the action closed.

d. Deer or bear may be hunted with cylinder loading black powder muzzle-loading handguns which are not less than .44 caliber, do not use cartridges, and have a minimum barrel length of 7 inches measured from muzzle to breech face that fire a single projectile weighing not less than 138 grains.

2. `Deer or bear hunting.' Hunt any deer or bear with any air rifle, rim-fire rifle, any center-fire rifle less than .22 caliber, any .410 bore or less shotgun or handgun loaded with .410 shotgun shell ammunition or with ammunition loaded with nonexpanding type bullets or ammunition loaded with shot other than a single slug or projectile.

(d) Automatic firearms. Hunt with a fully automatic firearm.

(e) Handguns. Persons possessing a class A or C disabled permit may use handguns chambered for .410 or larger shot shells for hunting all species except deer, elk, bear, turkey, and migratory game birds.

(3)   Bows, crossbows, bolts and arrows. No person may:

(b) Special restrictions. Use, possess, or have under control while hunting, any arrow or bolt that is designed or modified to explode or deliver poisons or drugs.

(c) Arrow standards. Use, possess or have under control while deer or bear hunting, any arrow or bolt unless tipped with a well sharpened broad-head blade no less than seven-eighths of an inch in width. Expandable tips shall be measured in a deployed state.

(d) Bow and crossbow size. Hunt deer or bear with a bow having a pull of less than 30 pounds or a crossbow having a pull of less than 100 pounds. A compound bow equipped with a device that holds the bow at full draw but that is not constructed with a stock and designed to be shot from the shoulder with one hand is a crossbow that shall have a pull of not less than 30 pounds.

1-2-56 ; 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 Sep tember 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.

Note

Hunters using handguns must comply with all state and federal laws respecting handguns, including s. 941.23 , Stats., respecting concealment, and s. 29.597 , Stats., respecting transportation. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 For a complete history of s. NR 10.09 from 1-2-56 through 1-31-02 see the History note following s. NR 10.09 published in Register January 2002 No. 553 . Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1