29.347 Possession of deer and elk; heads and skins.

(2) Elk carcass tags; deer and elk registration. Any person who kills an elk shall immediately validate an elk carcass tag. Except as provided under sub. (2m), no person may possess, control, store, transport, transfer, or dispose of an elk carcass unless an elk carcass tag has been validated in the manner required by the department. A person who kills a deer or an elk shall register the deer or elk in the manner required by the department. No person may possess, control, store, transport, transfer, or dispose of a deer or elk carcass unless in compliance with rules promulgated by the department under s. 29.063 (3).

(2m) Removal and retention of tags.

(a) The person who killed or obtained an animal shall ensure that the validated carcass tag under sub. (2) and a registration tag or confirmation number issued by the department accompany the carcass until the time of butchering. After butchering, the person who killed or obtained the animal shall retain all tags and the confirmation number until the meat is consumed.

(b) Subject to sub. (6), any person who retains a tag under par. (a) or who complies with s. 29.349 (2) (bm), if applicable, may give deer or elk meat to another person. The person who receives a gift of elk meat is not required to possess a tag.

(3) Heads and skins. Except as provided in sub. (6), the control or possession of the head or skin of any deer or elk lawfully killed, when severed from the rest of the carcass, are not subject to this chapter.

(4) Antlers removed or broken. Any deer from which the antlers have been removed, broken, shed, or altered so as to make determination of the legality of the deer impossible is an illegal deer if the deer is taken during an open season for hunting only antlered deer or during an open season for hunting only antlerless deer. Any elk from which the antlers have been removed, broken, shed, or altered so as to make determination of the legality of the elk impossible is an illegal elk if the elk is taken during an open season for hunting only antlered elk or during an open season for hunting antlerless elk.

(6) Control of carcasses. No person may transport, possess, store, butcher, or control the carcass of a cervid in violation of rules promulgated by the department under s. 29.063 (3) or (4).

History: 1975 c. 97, 199; 1983 a. 546; 1991 a. 269, 316; 1995 a. 79, 126; 1997 a. 248 s. 504; Stats. 1997 s. 29.347; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16, 56, 109; 2003 a. 247, 321; 2005 a. 286; 2011 a. 251; 2015 a. 55, 89; 2017 a. 59; 2017 a. 365 s. 110.

Only the tag of the person who kills the deer may be attached under sub. (2). State v. Skow, 141 Wis. 2d 49, 413 N.W.2d 650 (Ct. App. 1987).