Section 10.41. Wildlife disease management.

 

(1)   Purpose. Pursuant to s. 29.063 (1) , Stats., the natural resources board establishes this section to provide guidelines for the department to manage chronic disease in wild cervids in this state.

(2)   State parks and other closed areas. State parks, refuges and closed areas identified in chs. NR 11 , 15 and 45 may be opened to deer hunting to assist in the control of CWD.

(3)   CWD-affected area.

(a) Establishment. The department may establish a CWD-affected area around the location of known positive cases of CWD.

(b) Population objectives. Entire counties, or portions of counties, located within the boundaries of a CWD affected area shall be managed toward a population objective established after seeking comment from county deer management advisory councils under s. NR 10.104 (5) .

(c) CWD affected area. The CWD-affected area consists of the counties identified on the department's website after following the procedures established in par. (f) .

(d) Population monitoring. The department shall monitor deer populations in a CWD-affected area with information obtained by surveys that may include registration data and aerial surveys.

(e) Tags. Pursuant to s. NR 12.06 , the department may issue free deer hunting permits or tags to hunters or landowners, lessees, occupants or their duly authorized agents of a single parcel of land at least 5 acres in size, all within the CWD-affected area, which authorizes the individual to hunt deer in the CWD-affected area or a portion of the area.

(f) E xpansion of the affected area.

1. The department may include additional counties or portions of counties in the CWD affected area where and when additional CWD-positive deer are found. The department may add adjacent counties or portions of counties if they are within a 10-mile radius of the known location of a captive or free-roaming domestic or wild animal that has been tested and confirmed to be positive for CWD.

2. Affected area expansion under this subsection shall become effective upon issuance of an order by the secretary of the department and publication in the official state newspaper. In addition, a notice of the order shall be provided to newspapers, legislators, and hunting license outlets in the area affected.

CR 03-016 : cr. Register August 2003 No. 572 , eff. 9-1-03; CR 04-020 : r. and recr. Register August 2004 No. 584 , eff. 9-1-04; correction in (3) (e) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register September 2004 No. 585 ; CR 08-013 : am. (1) (b) and (3), cr. (3) (b) and (f), r. (4) Register August 2008 No. 632 , eff. 9-1-08; CR 09-024 : am. (3) (b) 1. Register May 2010 No. 653 , eff. 6-1-10; CR 13-071 : r. and recr. Register July 2015 No. 715 , eff. 8-1-15.