Section 10.145. Bobcat, fisher, and otter.

  No person may hunt or trap, or attempt to hunt or trap, any bobcat, fisher or otter unless he or she possesses a current and valid permit from the department and any associated pelt tags for the area or unit in which he or she is hunting or trapping.

(1)   Harvest quotas. The number of bobcat, fisher and otter permits issued annually shall be determined by the department. The department shall base its determination upon:

(a) Population estimates and trends.

(b) The population goal established in sub. (2) if a goal has been established.

(c) Trends in hunter or trapper success rates.

(2)   Population goals.

(a) Fisher. The preharvest population goal for fisher management zones A, B, C, and D described under s. NR 10.01 (4) (dm) is one fisher per 2 square miles of fisher range.

(b) Bobcat. The preharvest population goal north of the state highway 64 is 2,500 bobcat plus-or-minus 20%.

(c) Otter . The statewide preharvest population goal is 13,000 otter.

(3)   Application and issuance procedures.

(a) Forms. Applications for permits shall be made on forms provided by the department.

(b) Deadlines. All permit applications shall be postmarked no later than the deadline dates indicated on the form or received by a department service center location on those dates to be considered for selection. The annual application deadlines may not be sooner than July 1.

(c) Application limit. No person may apply for more than 1 permit for each species.

(d) Random selection. If the number of applications for permits exceeds the number of permits available, successful applicants shall be randomly selected.

(e) Pelt tag issuance. The department shall issue pelt tags to successful permit applicants as follows:

1. `Oversubscribed zones.' If the number of applications for permits is equal to or more than the number of permits available, each successful applicant shall be issued a pelt tag.

2. `Undersubscribed zones.' If the number of applications for permits is less than the number of permits available, the department may:

a. Randomly issue successful applicants additional pelt tags; or

b. Make available to any person the remaining permits on a first-come, first-served basis; or

c. Use both procedures described in subd. 2. a. and b.

(f) Validity. All permits are valid only in the area and for the time period specified on the permit during the open season established for bobcat.

(4)   Tagging requirements.

(a) Field tagging. When a bobcat, fisher or otter is killed and before it is carried by hand or transported in any manner, the person who trapped or killed the bobcat, fisher or otter shall immediately validate their pelt tag by slitting, tearing, or punching the pelt tag in the manner indicated by the department and attach and seal the pelt tag to the animal in the manner indicated by the department. Failure to validate and attach and seal the pelt tag invalidates the permit. No person may tag a bobcat, fisher, or otter that was trapped or killed by another.

(b) Transportation and possession. No person may transport or possess an unskinned bobcat, fisher, otter carcass, or a raw pelt of these species unless it has been tagged in accordance with par. (a) .

(c) Tag retention. The pelt and registration tag shall remain attached to the pelt until removed by a fur dresser or taxidermist at time of preparation.

(5)   Recording of harvest.

(a)

1. `Bobcat, fisher and otter.' Unless authorized by the department, each person who has killed a bobcat, fisher or otter during the respective open season shall exhibit the pelt, separated from the rest of the carcass, to an authorized department representative no later than 5 days after the month of harvest.

(b) The department may require each person exhibiting a bobcat, fisher or otter pelt to exhibit and provide the skinned carcass to the department.

(c) Department tagging. The department shall inspect the pelt, and attach and lock a registration tag to the head portion of the pelt of all lawfully taken and possessed bobcat, fisher and otter.

(d) Mounting. Persons who intend to have a bobcat, fisher or otter mounted by a taxidermist may exhibit the bobcat, fisher or otter to the department for registration in whole carcass condition without separating the pelt and shall surrender the skinned carcass to the department within 30 days of registration.

(6)   Possession and transfer restrictions. No person may:

(a) Possess raw bobcat, fisher or otter pelts after the 5th day following closure of the open season for each species and the respective opening date of the next trapping or hunting season without a registration tag attached and locked to the head of the animal.

(b) Transfer, give, trade, sell or purchase a raw pelt or unskinned carcass of any bobcat, fisher, or otter pelt without a registration tag being attached and locked to the head portion of the pelt by the department in accordance with sub. (5) (c) .

(7)   Season closure. The secretary of the department may close a portion or all of any bobcat, otter or fisher season established in s. NR 10.01 , upon a finding by the department that the harvest for that season will exceed the level authorized by the department under sub. (1) . Closure shall become effective upon issuance of an order and publication in the official state newspaper. 

(8)   Reports.

(a) Harvest reports. The department may require each successful bobcat, fisher, or otter permit or wolf harvest license applicant to submit a harvest report in a manner prescribed by the department within 24 hours of harvesting a bobcat, fisher, otter, or wolf. If the department requires a person who has been issued a bobcat, fisher, or otter harvest permit or wolf harvest license to report the harvest under this section, the person shall make the report in the manner required by the department within 24 hours of the time the person kills the bobcat, fisher, otter, or wolf.

Cr. Register, August, 1973, No. 212 , eff. 9-1-73; am. Register, March, 1975, No. 231 , eff. 3-1-75; am. Register, May, 1976, No. 245 , eff. 8-15-76; r. and recr., Register, April, 1980, No. 292 , eff. 5-1-80; renum. (1) to (3) to be (3) to (5) and cr. (1) and (2), Register, October, 1980, No. 298 , eff. 11-1-80; renum. from NR 10.201, Register, September, 1983, No. 333 , eff. 10-1-83; am. (1) (b), Register, October, 1983, No. 334 , eff. 11-1-83; r. and recr. (3), Register, September, 1985, No. 357 , eff. 10-1-85; r. and recr. (1) (b), Register, August, 1986, No. 368 , eff. 9-1-86; r. and recr. (1) (c), Register, July, 1989, No. 403 , eff. 8-1-89; r. and recr. Register, February, 1993, No. 446 , eff. 3-1-93; r. and recr. (5) (a), Register, July, 1995, No. 475 , eff. 8-1-95; am. (intro.), (3) (e) (intro.), 1., 2. a., (4) (a) and (c), Register, August, 1996, No. 488 , eff. 9-1-96; am. (5) (a) 1., Register, October, 1997, No. 502 eff. 11-1-97; r. and recr. (2) (a), Register, October, 1997, No. 502 , eff. 5-1-98; cr. (2) (c) and (7), Register, September, 1999, No. 525 , eff. 10-1-99; except (7), eff. 3-1-00; am. (5) (a) 1., (d) and (6) (b), r. (5) (a) 2., Register, September, 2000, No. 537 , eff. 5-1-01 except (6) (b), eff. 3-1-01; CR 03-015 : am. (2) Register July 2003 No. 571 , eff. 8-1-03; CR 04-046 : am. (4) (c) Register September 2004 No. 585 , eff. 10-1-04; CR 05-031 : am. (intro.), (3) (b), (4) (b), (5) (a) 1. and (c) and (6) (b) Register October 2005 No. 598 , eff. 11-1-05; CR 06-037 : am. (4) (a) Register June 2007 No. 618 , eff. 7-1-07; CR 08-011 : am. (2) (b) Register September 2008 No. 633 , eff. 2-1-09; CR 09-015 : cr. (3) (f) and (8) Register October 2009 No. 646 , eff. 2-1-10; CR 10-051 : am. (8) Register December 2010 No. 660 , eff. 1-1-11; CR 13-021 : am. (8) (a) Register October 2013 No. 694 , eff. 11-1-13; CR 13-067 : am. (1) (b) Register August 2014 No. 704 , eff. 9-1-14.

Note

The department conducts extensive publicity on the application deadlines beginning several months prior to any deadline. Application deadline dates are published in news releases, the department web site at http://dnr.wi.gov , license outlet handouts, and pertinent regulation pamphlets. Department service center hours may vary by location. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1