2012 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
29. Wild animals and plants.
29.347 Possession of deer and elk; heads and skins.
29.347 Possession of deer and elk; heads and skins.
(1) Definition. In this section, "validated" means marked with specified information in the manner required by the department.
(2) Deer or elk carcass tags. Except as provided under ss. 29.324 (3) and 29.349 (2), any person who kills a deer shall immediately attach to the ear or antler of the deer a current validated deer carcass tag which is authorized for use on the type of deer killed. Any person who kills an elk shall immediately attach to the ear or antler of the elk a current validated elk carcass tag. Except as provided under sub. (2m) or s. 29.89 (6), no person may possess, control, store, or transport a deer carcass unless it is tagged as required under this subsection. Except as provided under sub. (2m), no person may possess, control, store, or transport an elk carcass unless it is tagged as required under this subsection. A person who kills a deer or an elk shall register the deer or elk in the manner required by the department. A person who kills a deer or an elk shall possess, control, store, or transport the deer or elk carcass in compliance with rules promulgated by the department under s. 29.063 (3). The carcass tag may not be removed before registration. The removal of a carcass tag from a deer or an elk before registration renders the deer or elk untagged.
(2m) Removal and retention of tags.
(a) A carcass tag attached under sub. (2) and a registration tag attached by the department or a car kill tag attached under s. 29.349 (2) may be removed from a gutted carcass at the time of butchering, but the person who killed or obtained the animal shall retain all tags until the meat is consumed.
(b) Subject to sub. (6), any person who retains a tag under par. (a) may give deer or elk meat to another person. The person who receives the gift of deer or elk meat is not required to possess a tag.
(3) Heads and skins.
(a) Except as provided in par. (b) and sub. (6), the control or possession of the head or skin of any deer or elk lawfully killed, when severed from the rest of the carcass, are not subject to this chapter.
(b) No person may possess or control deer or elk antlers in the velvet or a deer or an elk skin in the spotted coat of a lawfully killed deer or elk unless the person to whom the carcass tag for the deer or elk was issued, or the person who had the deer tagged under s. 29.349 (2), has requested and received authorization from the department to control or possess the antlers or skin. A request for written authorization from the department shall be made within 7 days after the carcass tag has been attached to the deer or elk.
(4) Antlers removed or broken. Any deer from which the antlers have been removed, broken, shed, or altered so as to make determination of the legality of the deer impossible is an illegal deer if the deer is taken during an open season for hunting only antlered deer or during an open season for hunting only antlerless deer. Any elk from which the antlers have been removed, broken, shed, or altered so as to make determination of the legality of the elk impossible is an illegal elk if the elk is taken during an open season for hunting only antlered elk or during an open season for hunting antlerless elk.
(6) Control of carcasses. No person may transport, possess, store, butcher, or control the carcass of a cervid in violation of rules promulgated by the department under s. 29.063 (3) or (4).
History: 1975 c. 97, 199; 1983 a. 546; 1991 a. 269, 316; 1995 a. 79, 126; 1997 a. 248 s. 504; Stats. 1997 s. 29.347; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16, 56, 109; 2003 a. 247, 321; 2005 a. 286; 2011 a. 251.
Only the tag of the person who kills the deer may be attached under sub. (2). State v. Skow, 141 Wis. 2d 49, 413 N.W.2d 650 (Ct. App. 1987).
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