LRB-1030/1
MGG:wlj:rs
2005 - 2006 LEGISLATURE
February 3, 2006 - Introduced by Law Revision Committee. Referred to Committee
on Natural Resources and Transportation.
SB561,1,3
1An Act to amend 29.327 (1) (b) of the statutes;
relating to: the definition of
2waterfowl that applies to hunting blinds that are used for hunting waterfowl
3(suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Natural Resources).
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulates the
use of blinds that are used in hunting waterfowl on state-owned property. The types
of waterfowl blinds that DNR regulates are those that are used in hunting wild geese,
brant, ducks, rails, coots, gallinules, snipe, woodcock, plovers, sandpipers, and swan.
This bill provides that the provisions regulating waterfowl blinds apply only to
waterfowl blinds that are used in hunting geese, ducks, brant, coots, and gallinules.
For further information, see the Notes provided by the Law Revision
Committee of the Joint Legislative Council.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
Law Revision Committee prefatory note: This bill is a remedial legislation
proposal, requested by the Department of Natural Resources and introduced by the Law
Revision Committee under s. 13.83 (1) (c) 4., stats. After careful consideration of the
various provisions of the bill, the Law Revision Committee has determined that this bill
makes minor substantive changes in the statutes, and that these changes are desirable
as a matter of public policy.
SB561, s. 1
1Section
1. 29.327 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB561,2,32
29.327
(1) (b) "Waterfowl" means wild geese, brant, wild ducks,
rails, coots,
and 3gallinules
, snipe, woodcock, plovers, sandpipers and wild swan.
Note: 1. According to the Department of Natural Resources, rails, jacksnipe,
woodcock, plovers, and sandpipers are shore birds and do not properly fall within the
definition of "waterfowl." The inclusion of these birds in the definition of "waterfowl"
causes confusion because there is a season for woodcock that may start well in advance
of the season for wild ducks. This allows duck hunters to put out their blinds 7 days in
advance of the woodcock season under the authority in s. 29.327 (2) (b), stats., even
though shore birds such as woodcock are not technically waterfowl and are not hunted
from a blind.
2. The Department of Natural Resources recommends the deletion of reference to
"wild swan" because Wisconsin does not have a wild swan season and is unlikely to have
one in the foreseeable future.
