Section 10.25. Wild turkey hunting.

 

(1)   Licenses, stamps and carcass tags.

(a) Authorization to hunt.

1. Except as provided under subd. 2. , no person may hunt wild turkey unless he or she possesses a wild turkey hunting license and stamp issued by the department and turkey carcass tag issued by the department or Ft. McCoy military reservation. All licenses, stamps, and carcass tags shall be valid for the current hunting season.

2. Persons possessing a senior citizen recreation card issued prior to January 1, 1992 do not need to possess a turkey hunting license or stamp.

(b) Landowner preference. Qualified Wisconsin resident landowners or persons assigned eligibility under s. 29.164 , Stats., may request first preference when applying for authorization to hunt wild turkeys provided the zone applied for:

1. Is open to wild turkey hunting.

2. Contains at least 50 acres in one parcel owned by the Wisconsin resident applicant.

(c) License application procedures. Persons applying to hunt wild turkeys on the Ft. McCoy military reservation shall apply to that facility. All other applicants shall apply for a turkey hunting license as follows:

1. Application for authorization to purchase a turkey hunting license shall be made on forms provided by the department.

2. All fall and spring hunting season 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 deadlines may not be sooner than July 1.

3. If a maximum of 4 persons wish to hunt together, each shall complete an application form for individual licenses. The group application shall be treated as one application for purposes of random selection or consideration for a license. Landowner preference may be requested by group applicants provided all individuals are eligible under par. (b) .

(d) Licensee selection procedures. If the number of applications for licenses for a wild turkey hunting zone and time period exceeds the available quota of licenses, successful applicants shall be randomly selected in accordance with any statutorily established landowner preference system.

(e) License purchase requirement. Except for persons who purchase a license in accordance with par. (f) 2. , no person may purchase a turkey hunting license without presenting the license vendor with the department-issued purchase authorization.

(f) Carcass tag issuance.

1. `Oversubscribed zones and time periods.' Each successful applicant for a turkey hunting license shall be issued a carcass tag by the department.

2. `Undersubscribed zones and time periods.' If the number of applications for licenses for a wild turkey hunting zone is less than the available quota of licenses, the department may make available to any person the remaining carcass tags for the zone and time period for purchase at a rate of no more than one carcass tag per day per person.

(g) License and carcass tag restrictions.

1. Except for youths participating in the youth turkey hunt established in s. NR 10.01 (2) (f) 4. , licenses and carcass tags issued under this section are only valid for the zone and time period indicated on the carcass tag. Carcass tags used during the youth turkey hunt are valid only for the zone indicated on the carcass tag, but are not limited to the time period indicated on the carcass tag.

2. Licenses or carcass tags issued under this section may not be transferred to or used by any person other than licensee.

3. Persons successful in obtaining a turkey license and tag for any numbered zone and time period under par. (f) 1. are not eligible to receive a Ft. McCoy military reservation turkey hunting license.

(2)   Tagging procedure.

(a) Carcass tag use. In wild turkey hunting zones, when a wild turkey is killed and before it is carried by hand or transported in any manner, the hunter shall:

1. Validate the license and carcass tag by tearing or cutting the carcass tag in the manner indicated by the department. Failure to follow the validation procedure in this manner invalidates the license and carcass tag.

2. Attach the carcass tag to the leg of the turkey using a wire, string, or similar fastener.

(b) Transportation and possession.

1. No person may possess or transport a wild turkey taken in any wild turkey hunting zone established in s. NR 10.29 unless the person has lawfully killed and tagged it as required.

2. No person may remove or allow the removal of the validated carcass tag from the turkey prior to registration.

3. No person may possess a validated turkey carcass tag while hunting that is not attached to a lawfully killed wild turkey.

(3)   Registration. A person who possesses a wild turkey killed in a wild turkey hunting zone shall exhibit and register the bird with the department as follows:

(a) Spring season. A wild turkey taken during the spring seasons established in s. NR 10.01 (2) (f) shall be registered no later than 5:00 p.m. on the day after it was killed.

(b) Fall season. A wild turkey taken during the fall season established in s. NR 10.01 (2) (f) , shall be registered no later than 5:00 p.m. of the day after it was killed.

(4)   Restrictions. No person may hunt wild turkeys:

(a) By any means other than a shotgun or muzzle-loading shotgun fired from the shoulder, a crossbow, or a bow and arrow.

(b) By the use or aid of recorded or electrically amplified bird calls or sounds or imitations thereof, or while in possession of any type of device that produces recorded or electronic amplifications of bird calls or sounds. This paragraph does not apply to hunters possessing a Class A or B disabled hunting permit which authorizes hunting from a stationary vehicle and which is issued for more than one year.

(c) With the aid of dogs, except during the fall season for hunting turkeys described in s. NR 10.01 (2) (f) 2.

(d) With live or electronic decoys for the purposes of enticing wild turkeys.

(5)   Harvest quota. The number of wild turkey hunting licenses or carcass tags issued annually for the spring and fall seasons shall be determined by the department. The department shall base its determination for each wild turkey hunting zone upon;

(a) The abundance and distribution of wild turkeys;

(b) Trends in hunter success rates;

(c) Hunter distribution and density; and

(d) Zone size and forested acreage.

Cr. Register, March, 1966, No. 123 , eff. 4-1-66; r. and recr. Register, March, 1967, No. 135 , eff. 4-1-67; am. (3), (5) and (7) (a), Register, March, 1968, No. 147 , eff. 4-1-68; renum. to be NR 10.25, Register, June, 1970, No. 174 , eff. 7-1-70; r. and recr., Register, November, 1982, No. 323 , eff. 12-1-82; am. (1) (c) 2. and (3), Register, March, 1985, No. 351 , eff. 4-1-85; r. and recr. (1) (c), Register, August, 1986, No. 368 , eff. 9-1-86; am. (1) (a), (2) (a) (intro.), (b) and (3), Register, July, 1988, No. 391 , eff. 8-1-88; r. and recr. (1) (c) 2. and 3. and (3), cr. (1) (c) 4., Register, October, 1988, No. 394 , eff. 1-1-89; am. (1) (a), r. and recr. (1) (c) (intro.), cr. (1) (e) 3., Register, March, 1989, No. 399 , eff. 4-1-89; cr. (4) (e), Register, July, 1990, No. 415 , eff. 8-1-90; am. (1) (c) 2. and 3., Register, January, 1991, No. 421 , eff. 2-1-91; cr. (5) Register, June, 1991, No. 426 , eff. 7-1-91; am. (1) (c) (intro.), Register, September, 1991, No. 429 , eff. 10-1-91; r. and recr. Register, June, 1992, No. 438 , eff. 7-1-92; am. (1) (c) 3. and (3) (a), Register, August, 1994, No. 464 , eff. 9-1-94; am. (3) (a), r. and recr. (4) (e), Register, September, 1998, No. 513 , eff. 10-1-98; CR 02-018 : r. (1) (a) 3., am. (1) (c) 3. Register September 2002 No. 561 , eff. 10-1-02; CR 04-046 : am (2) (a) 1. and 2., cr. (4) (f) Register September 2004 No. 585 , eff. 10-1-04; CR 05-017 : am. (4) (d) Register October 2005 No. 598 , eff. 2-1-06; CR 05-031 : am. (1) (c) 2., r. and recr. (2) (b), and r. (4) (e) Register October 2005 No. 598 , eff. 11-1-05; CR 06-012 : am. (1) (d), (e), (f) 2. (intro.), (g) 1. and 3., r. (1) (f) 2. a. to c., r. and recr. (4) (b) Register December 2006 No. 612 , eff. 2-1-07; CR 07-015 : am. (4) (c) Register September 2007 No. 621 , eff. 10-1-07; CR 08-011 : am. (4) (c) Register September 2008 No. 633 , eff. 2-1-09; CR 09-015 : am. (1) (f) 2., (3) (intro.), (4) (b) and (c) Register October 2009 No. 646 , eff. 11-1-09, except (4) (c), eff. 2-1-10; CR 10-051 : r. (4) (f) Register December 2010 No. 660 , eff. 1-1-11; CR 13-071 : am. (4) (a) Register July 2015 No. 715 , eff. 8-1-15.

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 Any person may apply for a state and Ft. McCoy wild turkey hunting license simultaneously. The Ft. McCoy drawing of successful applicants will occur after successful state applicants are listed by the department. As a result, Ft. McCoy officials will be able to reject Ft. McCoy applicants appearing on the department list. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1