Section 10.40. Disabled hunters; special hunt authorizations.

 

(1)   Purpose. Pursuant to s. 29.053 (3) , Stats., the natural resources board establishes this section to provide additional recreational hunting opportunities to the citizens of Wisconsin and to establish procedures for conducting special hunts that will encourage greater hunting participation by persons with physical and visual disabilities.

(2)   Definition. "Special gun deer hunt" means a department authorized local firearm season for deer conducted outside the regular gun deer hunting seasons established under s. NR 10.01 (3) (e) .

(3)   Special gun deer hunts.

(a) Application requirements.

1. All applications to conduct a special gun deer hunt shall be on department forms and be submitted to the designated department office for the county within which the hunt will be conducted by June 1.

2. All applications shall include:

a. The authorization of the host landowner to conduct a special gun deer hunt; and

b. A legal description of the lands on which the hunt is to be conducted.

3. The applicant shall provide a final list of the names, addresses and Class A or C permit numbers of all participating hunters and the names of their designated assistants to the department by September 1.

(b) Participation limits. No person may participate in more than one special gun deer hunt in the same calendar year and all participants must possess a valid gun deer license and either a valid Class A permit, valid Class B permit which authorizes hunting from a vehicle that is issued for more than one year, or valid Class C permit issued pursuant to s. 29.193 (2) , Stats., that was issued on or after August 9, 1989.

(c) Participant selection. No person may be refused participation based on their age, race, religion, color, handicap, sex, physical condition, development disability, creed, sexual orientation or national origin.

(d) Dates. All special gun deer hunts shall be conducted during the 9 consecutive day period that begins on the first Saturday of October.

(e) Hunter participation limits. The department may not authorize a special gun deer hunt if the number of participating hunters is less than 3 or if the hunter density will exceed 2 per 40 acres of land described on the application.

(f) Rule compliance. Unless otherwise provided by the department, all disabled hunters and accompanying persons shall comply with all hunting rules and laws applicable to the regular gun deer season specified under s. NR 10.01 (3) (e) . The bag limit is one buck deer per valid gun buck deer carcass tag and additional antlerless deer per current valid antlerless deer permit. An antlerless deer permit that is issued under s. NR 10.104 (7) may be used by a participant in this special hunt in any unit statewide. Other hunters, hunting on the lands described on the application during the special gun deer hunt, shall comply with the blaze orange clothing requirements in s. 29.301 (2) , Stats., except waterfowl hunters.

(g) Authorizations to assistant. The designated assistant of the special gun deer hunt participant may use a firearm while retrieving a deer shot by a participant provided the assistant possesses a current valid deer hunting license.

(i) Posting requirement. The applicant shall post, at intervals not to exceed 100 yards, the boundary of all lands open to public hunting at least 7 days prior to the start of the hunt with a notice that indicates the dates on which the special gun deer hunt will be conducted on those lands and the dates and hours during which hunting by nonparticipants is prohibited. All such notices shall be removed by the applicant within 2 days of the close of the special gun deer hunt.

(j) Reports. If requested by the department, the applicant shall complete a special gun deer hunt report on forms supplied by the department.

(k) No fees. The landowner or applicant shall not charge any form of a fee to a person participating in a special gun deer hunt.

(5)   Disabled turkey hunts on private lands.

(a) Application requirements.

1. All applications to conduct a disabled turkey hunt on private land shall be on department forms and be submitted between September 10 to December 10 of the year prior to the hunt to the department office designated on the application form for the county within which the hunt shall be conducted.

2. An application shall include all of the following:

a. The written authorization of the host landowner to conduct a disabled turkey hunt; and

b. The turkey management zone and a legal description of the lands on which the hunt is to be conducted, including government lot or quarter-quarter section, section, township, range and county; and

c. A list of the names, addresses and Class A permit, valid Class B permit which authorizes hunting from a stationary vehicle that is issued for more than one year, or C permit numbers of all participating hunters and the names of their designated assistants.

(b) Participation limits. No person may hunt in more than one disabled turkey hunt in the same calendar year and all special hunt permit applicants shall possess a valid turkey hunting license and stamp and either a Class A permit, valid Class B permit which authorizes hunting from a stationary vehicle that is issued for more than one year, or C permit as defined in s. 29.193 , Stats., that was issued on or after August 9, 1989. Participants may hunt only on the land described in the application and only during the time period described in the application. A person who is on the list of participating hunters for a disabled turkey hunt may not apply for a permit through the regular spring turkey hunting drawing in that year.

(c) Participation selection. No person may be refused participation based on their age, race, religion, color, handicap, sex, physical condition, developmental disability, creed, sexual orientation or national origin.

(d) Dates. Each disabled turkey hunt shall be conducted during any one of the 5 day time periods listed in s. NR 10.01 (2) (f) 1. The dates of the disabled turkey hunt shall be listed on the application.

(e) Hunter participation limits. The department may not authorize disabled turkey hunts once the number of participating hunters exceeds a total of 1,000 statewide in a calendar year. The department shall approve applications in the sequence in which they are received.

(f) Rule compliance. Unless otherwise provided by the department in a written condition of the application approval, all disabled hunters and designated assistants shall comply with all hunting rules and laws applicable to the regular spring turkey season specified under s. NR 10.01 (2) (f) 1.

(g) Authorizations to assistant. The designated assistants of a disabled turkey hunt participant shall possess a valid hunting license for hunting of any species and may use the participant's firearm in compliance with s. NR 10.09 (1) while retrieving a turkey shot by a participant hunter.

(h) Other hunting prohibited. No person other than the disabled turkey hunt participant may hunt on the lands described on the application during the disabled turkey hunt.

(i) Reports. If requested by the department, applicants shall complete a turkey hunt report on forms supplied by the department.

(k) No fees. The landowner or applicants shall not charge any form of a fee to a person participating in a disabled turkey hunt.

Cr. Register, July, 1990, No. 415 , eff. 8-1-90; cr. (4), Register, June, 1991, No. 426 , eff. 7-1-91; am. (3) (e), Register, May, 1993, No. 449 , eff. 6-1-93; am. (3) (d), Register, August, 1996, No. 488 , eff. 9-1-96; am. (4) (a), (d) and (e), Register, October, 1997, No. 502 , eff. 1-1-98; cr. (5), Register, August, 1999, No. 524 , eff. 9-1-99; am. (3) (f), Register, September, 2000, No. 536 , eff. 10-1-00; correction in (3) (f) was made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register January 2002, No. 553 , eff. 2-1-02; CR 05-017 : am. (3) (b) and (f), r. (3) (h) Register October 2005 No. 598 , eff. 2-1-06; 05-031: am. (4) (b) 1. Register October 2005 No. 598 , eff. 11-1-05 ; CR 05-086 : am. (3) (f) Register June 2006 No. 606 , eff. 7-1-06; correction in (3) (f) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register November 2008 No. 635 ; CR 09-015 : am. (4) (a), (b) 2., (5) (a) 2. c. and (b) Register October 2009 No. 646 , eff. 11-1-09; CR 09-024 : am. (5) (e) Register May 2010 No. 653 , eff. 6-1-10; CR 10-051 : am. (3) (f), (g), (4) (g) Register December 2010 No. 660 , eff. 1-1-11; CR 13-108 : r. (4) Register August 2014 No. 704 , eff. 9-1-14; CR 13-071 : am. (3) (f) Register July 2015 No. 715 , eff. 8-1-15.

Note

Application forms may be obtained at department region and service center offices. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Blaze orange clothing meeting the requirements of s. 29.301 (2) , Stats., must be worn by all disabled hunters and accompanying persons. Participants must use their regular gun deer season license, backtag, and carcass tag. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Applications may be obtained from department regional offices and the department license section. The department license section address is 101 South Webster St., P.O. Box 7924, Madison, WI 53707. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1