29.924(3) (3) Opening packages. The department and its wardens may examine and open any package in the possession of a common carrier which they have probable cause to believe contains wild animals in violation of this chapter, or carcasses, or is falsely labeled in violation of this chapter. Each common carrier and its agent or employee shall permit the officer to examine and open the package. Any opened package shall be restored to its original condition.

29.924(4) (4) Access to storage places. The owner or occupant of any cold-storage warehouse or building used for the storage or retention of wild animals, or their carcasses, that are subject to regulation under this chapter shall permit the department and its wardens to enter and examine the premises subject to s. 66.0119. The owner or occupant, or the agent or employee of the owner or occupant, shall deliver to the officer any such wild animal or carcass, in the warehouse or building, that the officer has reasonable cause to believe is possessed or was taken in violation of the law, whether taken within or without the state. The owner or occupant, or the agent or employee of the owner or occupant, shall permit the department to examine and copy any record pertaining to the storage or retention of any wild animal either when the owner, occupant, agent, or employee is present or upon 24 hours’ notice.

29.924(5) (5) Access to private land. The department may, after making reasonable efforts to notify the owner or occupant, enter private lands to retrieve or diagnose dead or diseased wild animals and take actions reasonably necessary to prevent the spread of contagious disease in the wild animals.

29.924 History History: 1997 a. 248 ss. 103 to 107, 711; 1999 a. 83; 1999 a. 150 s. 2; 2001 a. 30, 56; 2005 a. 288; 2015 a. 165.

29.927 29.927 Public nuisances. The following are declared public nuisances:

29.927(1) (1) Any unlicensed, untagged or unmarked net of any kind, or other unlicensed, untagged or unmarked device for fishing.

29.927(1m) (1m) Any licensed, tagged or marked net or other device for fishing set, placed, or found in any waters where it is prohibited to be used, or in a manner prohibited by this chapter.

29.927(2) (2) Any unlicensed, untagged or unmarked setline, cable, rope, or line, with more than one fish line attached.

29.927(2c) (2c) Any licensed, tagged or marked setline set, placed, or found in any waters where it is prohibited to be used, or in a manner prohibited by this chapter.

29.927(2g) (2g) Any fish line left in the water unattended, whether having one or more hooks attached.

29.927(2m) (2m) Any long tunnel pound net or similar entrapping net other than the legal fyke net, drop net, submarine trap net and the short tunnel pound net whenever found in outlying waters or on any boat, dock, pier or wharf or in any building or vehicle on or adjacent to outlying waters. Any nets found as described in this subsection shall be sufficient evidence of the use of the nets by the owner.

29.927(3) (3) Any device set in public waters to prevent the free passage of fish, or set in any stream which has been stocked by the state unless authorized by the department.

29.927(4) (4) Any permanent or temporary structure placed, occupied, or used on the ice of any waters in violation of this chapter.

29.927(5) (5) Any trap, snare, spring gun, set gun, net or other device used in violation of this chapter which might entrap, ensnare, or kill game.

29.927(5m) (5m) Any trap without a metal tag attached as required by law.

29.927(6) (6) Any boat, together with its tackle and equipment, used in violation of this chapter.

29.927(6g) (6g) Any lamp, light, gun, firearm, airgun, ammunition, bow, crossbow, bolt, or arrow used in violation of this chapter or s. 167.31 or any rules promulgated under s. 167.31.

29.927(6r) (6r) Any boat, floating raft, box, or blind set in open water and used in hunting game birds.

29.927(7) (7) Any decoys left in the water unattended.

29.927(8) (8) Any dog found running deer or elk at any time, or used in violation of this chapter.

29.927(9) (9) Any ferret, rat, weasel, or guinea pig in possession or used while hunting.

29.927(10) (10) Any blind used in hunting waterfowl in violation of s. 29.327.

29.927(11) (11) Any motor vehicle, boat, aircraft, remote sensing equipment, navigational device, survey equipment, scuba gear or other equipment or device used in the commission of a crime relating to a submerged cultural resource in violation of s. 44.47.

29.927 History History: 1977 c. 443; 1983 a. 192 s. 303 (6); 1985 a. 36; 1993 a. 169; 1995 a. 79; 1997 a. 248 s. 93; Stats. 1997 s. 29.927; 2001 a. 56, 109; 2005 a. 161; 2011 a. 180; 2023 a. 115.

29.931 29.931 Seizures.

29.931(1) (1) Seizure and confiscation of wild animals or plants. The department and its wardens shall seize and confiscate any wild animal, carcass or plant caught, killed, taken, had in possession or under control, sold or transported in violation of any of the laws for which the department and its wardens have enforcement authority under s. 29.921. The officer also may, with or without warrant, open, enter and examine all buildings, camps, boats on inland or outlying waters, vehicles, valises, packages and other places where the officer has probable cause to believe that wild animals, carcasses or plants that are taken or held in violation of any of these laws are to be found.

29.931(2) (2) Seizure and confiscation of objects; sale of perishable property.

29.931(2)(a) (a) The department and its wardens shall seize and hold, subject to the order of the court for the county in which the alleged offense was committed, any vehicle, boat or object declared by this chapter to be a public nuisance, or which they have probable cause to believe is being used in violation of any of the laws for which the department and its wardens have enforcement authority under s. 29.921. If it is proven that the vehicle, boat or object is a public nuisance or that within 6 months previous to the seizure the vehicle, boat or object was used in violation of any of the laws for which the department and its wardens have enforcement authority under s. 29.921, it shall be confiscated if the court directs in its order for judgment.

29.931(2)(am) (am) If the department or its wardens seize any net or similar fishing device under par. (a), the owner shall reimburse the department for all costs associated with the seizure within 20 days after the department gives written notice to the owner of the owner’s obligation to reimburse the department. The notice shall include the amount of the costs required to be reimbursed by the owner. If the owner does not reimburse the department as required under this paragraph, the owner shall forfeit not more than $1,000 in addition to the costs of reimbursement. All reimbursement costs collected under this paragraph shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.370 (3) (mi).