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 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; 2021 a. 240 s. 30.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 29 - Wild animals and plants.
29.011 - Title to wild animals.
29.014 - Rule-making for this chapter.
29.016 - Department authority; deer hunting seasons and license restrictions.
29.020 - Deer management assistance program.
29.024 - Approvals; forms; issuing agents.
29.03 - Wildlife violator compact.
29.035 - Report of department.
29.036 - Sporting heritage council.
29.037 - Fish and wildlife restoration.
29.038 - Local regulation of wild animals.
29.040 - Deer management report rules.
29.041 - Department to regulate hunting and fishing in interstate waters.
29.042 - Agreements to retire licenses.
29.045 - Interstate license privileges.
29.047 - Interstate transportation of game.
29.053 - Specific open and closed seasons.
29.055 - Wild animals; possession in closed season or in excess of bag limit.
29.057 - Wild animals; possession in open season.
29.063 - Management of chronic wasting disease.
29.071 - Wildlife on Indian reservations protected.
29.075 - Hunting, trapping and fishing by American Indians.
29.079 - Deer hunting by practitioners of Ho-Chunk religion.
29.083 - Interference with hunting, fishing or trapping.
29.084 - Incentives for recruitment.
29.088 - Use of poison and explosives; pole traps.
29.089 - Hunting, fishing, and trapping on land in state parks and state fish hatcheries.
29.091 - Hunting or trapping in wildlife refuge.
29.095 - Hunting on land in a school forest.
29.161 - Resident small game hunting license.
29.164 - Wild turkey hunting approvals.
29.171 - Resident archer hunting license.
29.172 - Resident crossbow hunting license.
29.173 - Resident deer hunting license.
29.177 - Special deer hunting permits.
29.179 - Transfer of approvals to minors and disabled persons.
29.180 - Transfers of approvals upon death.
29.181 - Bonus deer hunting permits.
29.182 - Elk hunting licenses.
29.183 - Deferral of certain approvals.
29.185 - Wolf harvesting licenses.
29.192 - Regulation of takings of certain wild animals.
29.193 - Approvals for disabled persons.
29.194 - Resident approvals for certain nonresidents and members of the armed forces.
29.1945 - Approvals for veterans and military members.
29.195 - Disabled veterans, Great Lakes Naval Hospital.
29.197 - Waivers of certain approvals.
29.199 - Authorizations for certain patients and institutionalized persons to fish.
29.201 - Waiver of fishing license requirement for groups of disabled persons.
29.204 - Nonresident annual small game hunting license.
29.207 - Nonresident 5-day small game hunting license.
29.211 - Nonresident deer hunting license.
29.213 - Nonresident fur-bearing animal hunting license.
29.216 - Nonresident archer hunting license.
29.217 - Nonresident crossbow hunting license.
29.219 - Resident fishing licenses.
29.228 - Nonresident fishing licenses.
29.2285 - Fishing stamps and tags.
29.229 - Fishing approvals issued by the Lac du Flambeau band.
29.2295 - Department approvals issued on the Lac du Flambeau reservation.
29.2297 - Federal approvals for hunting, trapping, and fishing.
29.235 - Conservation patron license.
29.236 - Annual disabled veteran recreation card.
29.237 - Sturgeon spearing license.
29.301 - General restrictions on hunting.
29.304 - Restrictions on hunting and use of firearms by persons under 16 years of age.
29.307 - Hunting with aid of aircraft prohibited.
29.311 - Shotshell restrictions.
29.312 - Rules regulating the sighting of a firearm.
29.317 - Taking homing pigeons.
29.322 - Taking certain wounded animals.
29.327 - Regulation of waterfowl blinds.
29.334 - Hunting and trapping; treatment of wild animals.
29.335 - Feeding wild animals for nonhunting purposes.
29.337 - Hunting and trapping by landowners and occupants.
29.341 - Duties on accidental shooting.
29.345 - Hunting, fishing or trapping accident; failure to report.
29.346 - Registration information.
29.347 - Possession of deer and elk; heads and skins.
29.349 - Animals killed by motor vehicles.
29.351 - Skins of fur-bearing animals.
29.354 - Possession of game birds and animals.
29.357 - Transportation; general provisions.
29.361 - Transportation of deer or elk.
29.364 - Transportation of game birds.
29.401 - Possession of fishing equipment.
29.404 - Fishing shanties on ice, regulation.
29.405 - Fishing with bow and arrow or crossbow.
29.407 - Transportation of fish.
29.411 - Cooperation during a fish census.
29.414 - Erection of barriers to exclude rough fish.
29.417 - Permit to take rough fish.
29.421 - Removal of rough fish.
29.424 - Control of detrimental fish.
29.501 - Fur dealers regulated.
29.503 - Wholesale fish dealer license.
29.514 - Outlying water sport trolling licenses.
29.516 - Fishing with nets and setlines.
29.519 - Commercial fishing in outlying waters.
29.522 - Description of nets; use of.
29.523 - Net licenses, Mississippi and St. Croix rivers.
29.526 - Slat net fishing in the Mississippi River.
29.529 - Trammel net fishing in the Mississippi River.
29.531 - Set or bank pole licenses.
29.533 - Setline licenses; inland waters.
29.535 - Shovelnose sturgeon permit.
29.537 - Clams, clamming and commercial clamming.
29.539 - Sale of wild animals.
29.541 - Serving of game to guests.
29.564 - Voluntary contributions; invasive species grants.
29.565 - Voluntary contributions; venison and wild turkey processing and donation program.
29.566 - Collection, retention, and deposit of fees.
29.567 - Voluntary contributions; elk research.
29.591 - Hunter education program and bow hunter education program.
29.592 - Hunting mentorship program.
29.593 - Requirement for certificate of accomplishment to obtain hunting approval.
29.595 - Elk hunter education program.
29.597 - Trapper education program.
29.598 - Outdoors skills training.
29.604 - Endangered and threatened species protected.
29.614 - Scientific collector permit.
29.617 - Public hunting and fishing grounds.
29.624 - Senior citizen recreation card.
29.627 - Domestic fur-bearing animal farms.
29.630 - Raffling lake sturgeon from state fish hatcheries.
29.701 - Propagation of fish; protected wild animals.
29.705 - Propagation of fish; removal of fish.
29.707 - Propagation of fish; department rules.
29.709 - State fish hatcheries.
29.713 - Trespass to state fish hatchery.
29.717 - Trespass on riparian land.
29.733 - Natural waters used in fish farms.
29.734 - Barriers required for fish farms.
29.737 - Permit for private management.
29.738 - Private fishing preserves.
29.739 - Grants for walleye production.
29.740 - Contracts for walleye production.
29.741 - Food in the wild for game birds.
29.749 - Horicon marsh fur farm and dam.
29.753 - Importation of wild elk.
29.875 - Disposal of escaped deer or elk.
29.885 - Removal of wild animals.
29.886 - Management of double-crested cormorants.
29.887 - Wildlife control in urban communities.
29.888 - Wolf depredation program; wolf damage claims.
29.889 - Wildlife damage abatement program; wildlife damage claim program.
29.89 - Venison and wild turkey processing and donation program.
29.921 - Warrants; arrests; police powers.
29.924 - Investigations; searches.
29.934 - Sale of confiscated game and objects.
29.936 - Distribution of fish and game to food distribution services.
29.938 - Use by the department of unclaimed, seized, or confiscated property.
29.941 - Assistance of law enforcement officers.
29.944 - Exemption from liability.
29.947 - Law enforcement aid program; spearfishing.
29.954 - False impersonation of warden.
29.957 - Breaking seals of department.
29.961 - Incorrect information.
29.962 - Worthless checks for approvals.
29.964 - Falsification or illegal possession of approvals.
29.967 - Prohibitions during periods of suspension or revocation.
29.969 - Larceny of wild animals.
29.971 - General penalty provisions.
29.972 - Revocation; failure to comply.
29.973 - Commercial fish reporting system.
29.974 - Penalties; repeaters.
29.977 - Civil actions for damages caused by law violations.
29.981 - Parties to a violation.
29.983 - Wild animal protection surcharges.
29.984 - Commercial fish protection surcharge.
29.985 - Fishing shelter removal surcharge.
29.987 - Natural resources surcharge.
29.989 - Natural resources restitution surcharge.
29.99 - Wildlife violator compact surcharge.