Statement of Scope
Department of Natural Resources
Relating to: | The 2023 Wildlife Management Spring Hearing Rule |
1. Finding/nature of emergency (Emergency Rule only):
These rules are permanent
2. Detailed description of the objective of the proposed rule:
These rule changes are proposed for inclusion on the 2023 Wildlife Management Spring Hearing rules package and questionnaire. This rule package will modify regulations for hunting, trapping, and target shooting found in ch. NR 10 Game and Hunting and ch. NR 45 Miscellaneous Fur, Fish, Game and Outdoor Recreation. Specifically, these rules may;
1. Allow the use of F-shot while hunting small game and game birds.
2.
Expand the October youth deer hunt to 4 days. 3. Simplify the rules for quartering deer, bear and elk.
4. Make youth antlerless permits valid on either public or private lands.
5.
Increase the student registration fee for trapper education6.
Allow individuals to aid disabled trappers in the field without holding specific harvest permits or authorizations for that animal. 7.
Allow the issuance of an either sex diseased deer replacement permit.8.
Allow landowners to shoot a bear in the act of killing, wounding, or biting a domestic animal without the need for written authorization from DNR. Additional rule changes may be pursued which are reasonably related to those discussed here.
3. Description of the existing policies relevant to the rule, new policies proposed to be included in the rule, and an analysis of policy alternatives:
All the policies in this rule would be generally consistent with past board policies of regulating fish and game harvest and managing department lands for conservation purposes. Some of these proposals originated as Wisconsin Conservation Congress citizen resolutions that received support at prior spring hearings.
The largest shot size allowed while hunting game birds and small game animals is T. This proposal would allow F-shot, which is larger than T, to be possessed and used while hunting. F-shot is currently allowed when hunting furbearers.
Currently the youth firearm deer season is 2 days long. This proposal may lengthen the season to 4 days, beginning on the Thursday prior to the 2nd Saturday in October.
This would simplify the deer and bear quartering restrictions by removing the requirement that the deer/bear be split into no more than five parts and that the head stay attached to one of the five parts.
Currently youth deer hunters are issued an antlerless deer harvest authorization that is valid statewide. But the hunter must select whether they want the authorization valid for public or private land. This rule proposal would explore eliminating the public/private designation, making the authorization valid on all property types.
Trapper education became mandatory in May 1992. The fee for the basic in person and correspondence course was originally $8. The fee for the basic and correspondence course was last increased to $12 in 2008. Fourteen years later, the $12 fee no longer covers the cost of the program. This proposal would set the basic in person and correspondence course fee at $20. The trapper education program now has an online course and this proposal will include a $20 course fee for that option.
This proposal would make it legal for a trapper without a bobcat permit or harvest authorization for river otter or fisher to assist and individual who has a bobcat permit or river otter or fisher harvest authorization and also holds a class A, B, C or D hunting permit. Current rules require that anyone engaged is assisting disabled trappers for these species must also hold the appropriate harvest approval.
The department may provide a free replacement permit to hunters who harvest deer that are suspected of being diseased, provided that the entire deer is surrendered to the department or is disposed of as directed by the department. That permit may only be issued for the same type of deer authorized on the approval used to harvest the suspect deer. This proposal would allow individuals to receive an either sex replacement permit if they harvest a diseased antlerless deer.
This administrative code change would make it legal for landowners or occupants to shoot bear in the act of killing, wounding, or biting a domestic animal without the need for written authorization from DNR. This would be consistent with the authority provided in administrative code for landowners or occupants of private lands to shoot wolves or cougar in the act of depredation
4. Detailed explanation of statutory authority for the rule (including the statutory citation and language):
