29.591 Hunter education program and bow hunter education program.

(1) Establishment; contents.

(a) The department shall establish a hunter education program and bow hunter education program. The department shall conduct these courses of instruction in cooperation with qualified individuals, organizations, groups, associations, public or private corporations and federal, state and local governmental entities. The hunter education program shall provide for a course of instruction in each school district or county. The bow hunter education program need not provide for a course of instruction in each school district or county.

(am) The department shall offer an online course of instruction under the hunter education program for persons who are at least 18 years of age.

(b) The courses of instruction under these programs shall provide instruction to students in the responsibilities of hunters to wildlife, environment, landowners and others, how to recognize threatened and endangered species that cannot be hunted and the principles of wildlife management and conservation.

(c) In addition to the topics specified in par. (b), the course of instruction under the hunter education program shall provide instruction in the commonly accepted principles of safety in handling firearms and bows and arrows used in hunting and their associated equipment.

(d) In addition to the topics specified in par. (b), the course of instruction under the bow hunter education program shall provide instruction in hunting with bows and arrows and their associated equipment.

(2) Administration.

(am) The department may appoint county, regional and statewide directors and categories of hunter education instructors necessary for the hunter education program and the bow hunter education program. These appointees are responsible to the department and shall serve on a voluntary basis without compensation. This paragraph does not apply to the online course of instruction under sub. (1) (am).

(b)

1. If the online course of instruction under the hunter education program requires field testing for a person to demonstrate successful completion of the course, the department shall make field testing available through each department service center at least once every 2 months for persons who are at least 18 years of age.

2. If the online course of instruction under the hunter education program requires a written test for a person to demonstrate successful completion of the course, the department shall offer the test at each department service center at least once every 2 months to persons who are at least 18 years of age.

(3) Instruction fee. The department shall promulgate a rule establishing a fee for the course of instruction under the hunter education program and the bow hunter education program. If the department offers an advanced hunter education course or an advanced bow hunter education course, the rule may authorize the department to charge an additional fee for those courses. The instructor conducting a course under this subsection shall collect the instruction fee from each person who receives instruction. The instructor may retain up to $5 for each person who receives instruction from that instructor for allowable costs of instruction, as determined by the department. The instructor shall remit the remainder of the fee, or if nothing is retained, the entire fee, to the department.

(4) Certificate of accomplishment.

(a) Issuance.

1. The department shall issue a certificate of accomplishment for free to a person who successfully completes the course of instruction under the hunter education program or the bow hunter education program and who pays the instruction fee.

2. A resident may use the certificate of accomplishment issued to him or her for successfully completing the course of instruction under the hunter education program for the first time in place of a small game hunting license.

(am) Authorization for antlerless deer. The department may authorize a person to whom it issues a certificate of accomplishment for successfully completing the course of instruction under the hunter education program for the first time to use the certificate in place of a permit issued under s. 29.177 to take one antlerless deer in specific areas identified by the department. The authorization for group deer hunting under s. 29.324 shall not apply to a person hunting an antlerless deer as authorized under this paragraph.

(ar) Period for hunting antlerless deer. A certificate of accomplishment issued under this section that the department has authorized to be used in place of a permit under s. par. (am) is valid for the hunting of one antlerless deer during the deer hunting season immediately following the date of issuance of the certificate.

(b) Duplicate. The department shall issue a duplicate certificate of accomplishment to a person who is entitled to a duplicate certificate of accomplishment and who pays the fee specified under s. 29.563 (12) (c) 2.

History: 1983 a. 420; 1997 a. 12, 197; 1997 a. 248 ss. 175, 420 to 426; Stats. 1997 s. 29.591; 1999 a. 9, 32; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 25; 2011 a. 168.