NR 45.04 (2) (a) 2. Hunters or trappers entering department lands during an open hunting or trapping season on the land, provided the entry is no earlier than one hour prior to the opening of hunting or trapping hours established in ch. NR 10 90 minutes prior to sunrise. If the department has not established hunting hours on the land, hunters may enter the land no earlier than one hour prior to sunrise. Section 14. NR 45.09 (2) (a) is renumbered (a) (intro.) and amended to read:
NR 45.09 (2) (a) Except as provided in subd. (1) to (4), construct Construct, occupy, place, or use any elevated or ground blind or other elevated device except: that portable tree stands and blinds may be used provided they are removed from the property each day at the close of hunting hours. Unoccupied tree stands shall have the owner's department customer identification number or the owner's name and address, written in the English language attached to the tree stand in a manner so it is clearly visible to a person standing on the ground, and kept legible at all times.
Section 15. NR 45.09 (2) (a) 1. to 4. are created to read:
NR 45.09 (2) (a) 1. On any land open to hunting not identified in subds. 2. or 3., portable tree stands and blinds may remain placed only during the daily timeframe beginning one hour prior to, and ending one hour after, the shooting hours established in s. NR 10.06. 2. On any land not part of the state park system, open to hunting and located north of State Highway 64, portable tree stands and blinds may remain placed throughout the timeframe beginning September 1 and ending January 31.
3. On any land that is part of the state park system, open to hunting, and located north of State Highway 64, portable tree stands and blinds may remain placed throughout the timeframe beginning seven days prior to, and ending seven days after, an established fall hunting period.
4. Portable tree stands and blinds may be occupied and used while lawfully placed under subds. 1. to 3.
Section 16. NR 45.09 (2) (b) is amended to read:
NR 45.09 (2) (b) Cause damage to trees by the placement or erection of portable tree stands or by any other manner while climbing or hunting from a tree. Careful pruning, flush with the trunk of the tree, of limbs less than 1 inch in diameter on a tree in which a tree stand is used shall not be considered causing damage to the tree. NR 45.09(2)(c)
Section 17. NR 45.09 (2) (d), (e) and (Note) are created to read:
NR 45.09 (2) (d) Place, use, or own an unoccupied tree stand unless the owner's department customer identification number, or the owner's name and address, is written in the English language, attached to the tree stand in a manner so it is clearly visible to a person standing on the ground, and kept legible at all times.
(e) Place more than two portable tree stands or blinds on department lands located in the same county.
Note: Section NR 45.04 (3) (g) prohibits any person from destroying, molesting, possessing without permission, removing or attempting to remove the property of another. NR 45.09(2)(b)
Section 18. Effective Date. This rule shall take effect on the first day of the month following publication in the Wisconsin Administrative Register as provided in s. 227.22 (2) (intro.), Stats. Section 19. Board adoption. This rule was approved and adopted by the State of Wisconsin Natural Resources Board on January 25, 2017 Dated at Madison, Wisconsin.
