Good to Know Info

NEW 2017 Deer Season Laws!

Assembly Bill 528 – This bill restores a prohibition (from 2015 Act 100) revoked by 2017 Act 59, which eliminated deer carcass tags from being required under law and thereby re-legalized the harvest of antlerless deer by adults using a youth antlerless deer hunting license under group hunting circumstances. This bill re-establishes the 2015 Act 100 prohibition for adults from harvesting antlerless deer using a youth antlerless carcass tag under group hunting allowances. Authored by Senator Terry Moulton (R—Chippewa Falls) and Representative Kathy Bernier (R—Lake Hallie), the bill passed the Senate on a voice vote and was concurred by the Assembly on a voice vote. This is 2017 Act 61.

Assembly Bill 455 – This bill eliminates the requirement that a person be at least ten years of age to hunt under the hunting mentorship program, leaving it up to parents to decide. The bill also eliminates the current limit of one (1) hunting device that a mentor and a mentee may have while hunting. They both may now carry hunting devices. Finally, the bill prohibits a person who is serving as a mentor in a group hunting party from killing a deer for the mentee or using a deer carcass tag issued to the mentee, in line with other statutes with youth hunting. Authored by Senator Terry Moulton (R—Chippewa Falls) and Representative Rob Stafsholt (R—New Richmond), the bill passed the Senate by a vote of 21-12 and was concurred by the Assembly by a vote of 57-32. This is 2017 Act 62.

• As of Monday, November 13, 2017, any person age 11 and under is able to purchase a mentored hunting license.  The mentored hunting law continues to require those hunters to hunt within arm’s reach of a qualified mentor.

• The new law provides that both the mentor and the mentored hunter may be in possession of a firearm, bow or crossbow. 

• The mentored hunting license for those age 11 and under can be purchased for $7.00.  The license can be purchased through the Go Wild website, at DNR Service Centers or at one of the many sales locations around the state.

• As with all new customers, new hunters 11 and younger will need to have a Social Security Number to establish a Go Wild customer ID and to purchase a license.  Parents/guardians should be prepared to provide that information when making an initial license purchase for their child.  (Once a customer ID is established, a SSN will not need to be provided in the future.)