Section 19.12. Tagging the carcasses of wild animals, birds and fish taken on Indian reservations.

 

(1)  

(a) Each authorized person who has taken a protected wild animal, bird or fish on an Indian reservation, under provisions of the reservation's treaty rights during the off-reservation closed season for such game set by the department of natural resources, shall before removing the carcass or part thereof of such animal, bird or fish from the reservation, contact and exhibit it during ordinary working hours to a conservation warden of the department of natural resources or to any tribal member authorized by the particular tribe and designated by the department of natural resources.

(b) The conservation warden or designated tribal member shall inspect all such carcasses, attach and lock a special lettered and numbered tag to each carcass or part thereof, and maintain a record book containing the following information: the date, the reservation, the name and address of the person being issued the tag, the species and description of the wild animal, bird or fish being tagged, the destination, and the name and address of the person issuing the tag. Such record book shall be exhibited to the department of natural resources at reasonable hours for inspection and duplication. Failure to maintain and exhibit such a record book containing the above information shall be sufficient cause for the department of natural resources to revoke the authority of the official to issue any more tags. The secretary of the department of natural resources may take such revocation action without requiring that a hearing be held on the matter.

(c) The special lettered and numbered tag shall be distributed to the conservation warden or designated tribal member by the department of natural resources at such times and in such numbers as it deems appropriate. During the off-reservation closed season for such wild animal, bird or fish, no person shall remove any such carcass or part thereof from an Indian reservation without such a tag being attached and locked. No person shall remove the tag prior to consumption of the animal, bird or fish carcass tagged. No endangered species shall be tagged. No person other than a conservation warden or designated tribal member shall have unused tags in his or her possession.

(d) If a Wisconsin tribe has a tagging and registration system similar to the department's and an approved memorandum of understanding with the department pertaining to the system, tagging requirements under this section may be waived by the department. Tribal tags shall be validated and affixed to the carcass.

Cr. Register, April, 1976, No. 244 , eff. 5-1-76; CR 08-021 : cr. (1) (d) Register November 2008 No. 635 , eff. 12-1-08.