Section NR 10.08 - Possession and transportation of game(1) OPENING DAY LIMITS. On the first day of the open season, no person may possess or control more than one daily bag limit of any game species for which a bag limit is established.(2) DAILY BAG LIMIT. (a)Generally.1. Daily bag limits are established on a per-hunter basis, are not transferable, and cannot be shared, except as provided in s. 29.324, Stats. No person may take, or attempt to take, any game for another person, unless in compliance with s. 29.324, Stats.2. If an animal is required to be registered under s. NR 10.086, no person may gift game to any person until after it has been registered under s. NR 10.086.3. No person may gift game to any person while afield. All gifted game remain counted toward the daily bag limit of the original harvester.(b)Exceeding daily bag limit. No person may: 1. Take, or attempt to take, any game for which a daily bag limit is established and restricted to an issued harvest authorization or tag without holding the proper valid harvest authorization or tag.2. Take, or attempt to take, any game in excess of one daily bag limit in any one day.(3) POSSESSION AND POSSESSION LIMIT. (a)Generally. No person may:1. Exceed an established possession limit unless otherwise authorized by the department.2. Possess game killed by unlawful or unknown means, unless otherwise authorized by the department.3. Except when in compliance with subds. 4. and 5., possess game without also possessing all required approvals for that game.4. While afield, possess game taken by another unless accompanied by the original harvester.5. Possess game taken by another unless the person provides the registration confirmation number, or name and address or customer ID number of the source, to a warden upon demand.(b)Specific possession limits. Except where otherwise provided in s. NR 10.01, the following possession limits are established:1. Turkey. The possession limit corresponds to the number of harvest authorizations issued.2. Deer. The possession limit corresponds to the number of harvest authorizations issued.2m. Otter. The possession limit corresponds to the number of harvest authorizations issued.3. Bobcat. The possession limit corresponds to the number of pelt tags issued.3m. Fisher. The possession limit corresponds to the number of harvest authorizations issued.4. All other game which have a daily bag limit established. The possession limit is 3 times the established daily bag limit.(4) FIELD POSSESSION LIMIT. No person may possess more than one daily bag limit while at or between the place killed and the place to which the bag limit is taken. Note: This rule does not authorize a person to take more than one daily bag limit. Further, it does not prohibit possession of double the daily bag limit when transporting game between a person's temporary abode and his or her permanent abode.
(5) KILLING REQUIREMENTS. Except as otherwise provided, no person may possess any live game. All game taken during the open season shall be killed immediately and made part of the daily bag.(6) FIELD DRESSING. No person may completely dress any game bird while in the field or during transportation from the field. The head or one fully feathered wing, shall remain attached to all game birds while in the field or during transportation from the field to the person's permanent abode or a preservation facility.(6m) HARVEST AUTHORIZATIONS AND TAGS. (a) Every harvest authorization and tag is identified by a unique number, which represents a singular game harvest approval issued to the person, regardless of the number of reprints generated, or duplicates issued.(b) Only the person who has been issued the harvest authorization and tag may exercise its privilege, except as provided in s. 29.324, Stats.(c) A harvest authorization or tag is valid only when all of the following apply:1. Game has not already been harvested under the authority of the harvest authorization or tag.2. The person and game are both located in the zone, unit, and land type specified on the harvest authorization or tag, when such restrictions are designated.3. The season is open, and no time period restrictions are in effect.4. The target game matches the type of animal specified on the harvest authorization or tag.5. The harvest method is permitted by the harvest authorization or tag.6. The harvest authorization or tag is not expired.(7) CARCASS TAGS. No person may:(a) Hunt or trap any of the species enumerated in s. NR 10.085 (1) unless in possession of a valid, unique carcass tag that has not already been used to harvest an animal. A tag is not valid when hunting or trapping in a zone, management unit, or land type that is not authorized by the tag, or if the tag is expired. A tag is not valid when hunting with a weapon that is not authorized for use with the tag.(b) Upon harvesting any of the species enumerated in s. NR 10.085 (1), fail to immediately validate the carcass tag that authorized the harvest.(c) Possess or transport the carcass of any of the species enumerated in s. NR 10.085 (1) unless also in possession of the validated carcass tag that authorized the harvest.(d) Fail to keep a validated carcass tag in good, legible condition so as to permit meaningful inspection by the department. Carcass tags shall remain intact except that part of a tag may be separated as designated by the department on the tag as a means of validation.(e) Transport or possess an unskinned bobcat or wolf carcass, or a raw pelt of these species unless it has been tagged in accordance with s. NR 10.085.(f) While afield, possess or transport the carcass of any of the species enumerated in s. NR 10.085 (1) that is tagged with or possessed under the authority of a validated carcass tag of another person unless accompanied by the person issued the carcass tag. After the animal is registered it may be transported by vehicle on a public roadway or possessed at a dwelling or business establishment by a person who is not hunting without the need to be accompanied by the person who tagged and registered it. A dwelling for the purposes of this subsection includes permanent residences as well as temporary residences, such as an established hunting cabin or camp site.(g) While afield, hunting, or trapping, possess a validated carcass tag, or any copy of a unique carcass tag already used to harvest an animal, for any of the species enumerated in s. NR 10.085 (1) unless the person is also in possession of the legally killed animal corresponding to that carcass tag.(h) Validate or attach a carcass tag to an animal trapped, killed, or harvested by another.(i) Possess more than one copy of a unique carcass tag while afield or hunting or trapping.(8) RESEARCH. The department may require that any part of animal shall be collected, sampled, or submitted to the department for research purposes. No person may fail to comply with any collection, sampling, or submission procedure required by the department. Note: Additional requirements for the transportation of deer species from chronic wasting disease affected areas in this state and from other states and countries where CWD has been identified are established in s. NR 10.105.
Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 10.08
1-2-56; r. (2), Register, August, 1956, No. 8, eff. 9-1-56; r. and recr. (3), Register, August, 1968, No. 152, eff. 9-1-68; renum. to be NR 10.21; am. (3) (a) and (b), Register, June, 1970, No. 174, eff. 7-1-70; am. (3) (a), Register, August, 1973, No. 212, eff. 9-1-73; r. and recr. (3), Register, August, 1978, No. 272, eff. 9-1-78; renum. from NR 10.21, Register, September, 1983, No. 333, eff. 10-1-83; r. and recr. Register, September, 1985, No. 357, eff. 10-1-85; am. (2), Register, October, 1990, No. 418, eff. 11-1-90; CR 13-021: cr. (6) Register October 2013 No. 694, eff. 11-1-13.Amended by, CR 17-061: am. (title), (6), cr. (7) Register February 2018 No. 746, eff. 3/1/2018Amended by, EmR1902: emerg. r. and recr. (2), (3), cr. (6m), am. (7) (h) eff. 1-18-19; CR 19-005: r. and recr. (2), (3), cr. (6m), am. (7) (h) Register September 2019 No. 765, eff. 10-1-19; (2) (b) (title), (3) (a) (title) created under s. 13.92(4) (b) 2, Stats., and correction in numbering in (6m) made under s. 13.92(4) (b) 1, Stats., and correction in (6m) (b) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register September 2019 No. 765, eff. 10/1/2019Amended by, CR 19-017: cr. (3) (b) 2m., am. (7) (e) Register January 2020 No. 769, eff. 5/1/2020Amended by, correction in (Removal of effective date notes) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register April 2020 No. 772, eff. 5/1/2020Amended by, CR 20-087: am. (2) (a) 2., cr. (3) (b) 3m., am. (7) (e), renum. (7) (j) to (L) to NR 10.087(4) (d) to (f) and am., renum. (8) from NR 10.085(8) and am. Register August 2021 No. 788, eff. 9/1/2021Amended by, correction in (6) (Note) made under s. 3.92 (4) (b), Stats., Register February 2024 No. 819, eff. 4/1/2024The department lacks authority to issue wolf carcass tags while the wolf is listed on the federal endangered list or the state endangered list. See s. 29.185, Stats.