29.182 Elk hunting licenses.

(1) Department authority. The department may issue elk hunting licenses and may limit the number of elk hunters and elk harvested in any area of the state. The department may establish by rule closed zones where elk hunting is prohibited.

(1m) Open season requirement. The department may not establish an open season for hunting elk that begins earlier than the Saturday nearest October 15.

(2) Application. A person who applies for an elk hunting license under this section shall pay the processing fee under s. 29.553 at the time of application.

(3) Authorization.

(a) A resident elk hunting license authorizes a resident of this state to hunt elk with a firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow.

(b) A nonresident elk hunting license authorizes a nonresident of this state to hunt elk with a firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow.

(4) Issuance.

(a) Except as provided in pars. (c) and (d) and sub. (4m), if the department issues elk hunting licenses, the department shall issue a resident or nonresident elk hunting license to any person who applies for such a license, and who pays the fees required for the license.

(b) In issuing resident elk hunting licenses and nonresident elk hunting licenses under this section, the department shall determine the number of licenses it will issue in a given elk hunting season and shall allocate the licenses to residents and nonresidents in the following manner:

1. If the total number of licenses to be issued is 100 licenses or less, the licenses shall be allocated for issuance only as resident elk hunting licenses.

2. If the number of licenses to be issued is more than 100 licenses, the first 100 licenses and 95 percent of the amount over 100 shall be allocated for issuance as resident elk hunting licenses and the remaining licenses shall be allocated for issuance as nonresident elk hunting licenses.

(c) If the number of applicants for resident elk hunting licenses exceeds the number of resident elk hunting licenses that are available under par. (b), the department shall select at random the residents to be issued the licenses. If the number of applicants for resident elk hunting licenses is less than the number of resident elk hunting licenses available under par. (b), the department shall reallocate the unissued licenses to be issued as nonresident elk hunting licenses under par. (d).

(d) If the number of applicants for nonresident elk hunting licenses exceeds the number of nonresident elk hunting licenses that are available under par. (b), the department shall select at random the nonresidents to be issued the licenses. If the number of applicants for nonresident elk hunting licenses is less than the number of nonresident elk hunting licenses available under par. (b), the department shall reallocate the unissued licenses to be issued as resident elk hunting licenses.

(e) In addition to any other elk hunting license that the department issues under this subsection, the department shall issue one resident elk hunting license in an elk hunting season to an organization known as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation if the organization applies for the license for that season and pays the required fees for the license. The organization may apply for the license only during the first 5 elk hunting seasons for which licenses are issued under this section.

(f) The organization known as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation shall award the license that is issued under par. (e) as a prize in a raffle conducted by a subunit of the organization that is licensed to conduct raffles under ch. 563.

(g) The organization known as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation shall transfer the license awarded under par. (f) only to a person who is qualified to receive a resident elk hunting license and shall transfer to that person the carcass tag that was issued by the department to the organization under sub. (6).

(h) If the organization known as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation fails to transfer the license under par. (g), the license shall become invalid, and the department may issue another resident elk hunting license under this subsection.

(i) The organization known as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation shall use the proceeds from the raffle under par. (f) in this state to promote elk management, to promote the reintroduction of eastern elk, or to further elk research.

(4m) Limitation of one license. A person may be issued, or transferred under sub. (4) (g), only one resident elk hunting license in his or her lifetime, and the resident elk hunting license shall be valid for only one elk hunting season. The issuance, or transfer under sub. (4) (g), of the license to the person is subject to ss. 29.024 and 54.25 (2) (c) 1. d.

(5) Fees. Fees received from the issuance of licenses under this section shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (1) (hq).

(6) Carcass tag. The department shall issue an elk carcass tag to each person and organization who is issued an elk hunting license under this section.

History: 2001 a. 109; 2003 a. 321; 2005 a. 387; 2011 a. 252; 2013 a. 20, 165; 2015 a. 222.