2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5636/1
EHS:amn&skw
2023 SENATE BILL 965
January 26, 2024 - Introduced by Senators QUINN, FELZKOWSKI and TESTIN,
cosponsored by Representatives GREEN, SAPIK, BODDEN, CALLAHAN, EDMING,
O'CONNOR, SUMMERFIELD and SWEARINGEN. Referred to Committee on
Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage.
1 AN ACT to repeal 29.016 (4); and to create 29.016 (4) of the statutes; relating
2 to: the regulation of deer hunting in the northern forest zone.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill imposes certain restrictions on the Department of Natural Resources's
regulation of deer hunting in the northern forest zone deer management area.
Specifically, the bill prohibits DNR from establishing an open season for hunting
deer in the northern forest zone during which only the hunting of antlerless deer is
authorized. In addition, the bill prohibits DNR from issuing authorizations to kill
antlerless deer in the northern forest zone.
The bill prohibits DNR from issuing to a person more than one authorization
to kill an antlered deer in the northern forest zone during either an open season for
hunting deer with a muzzle-loading firearm or an open season for hunting deer with
a firearm. However, the bill provides that if a person is issued such an authorization
but does not use it for the season for which it was issued, the person may use it during
the other season.
Similarly, the bill prohibits DNR from issuing a person more than one
authorization to kill an antlered deer in the northern forest zone during either an
open season for hunting deer with a bow and arrow or an open season for hunting
deer with a crossbow. If a person is issued such an authorization but does not use
it during the season for which it was issued, the person may use it during the other
season.
 2023 - 2024 Legislature -2- LRB-5636/1
EHS:amn&skw
SENATE BILL 965
The bill sunsets these restrictions after four years.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
1 SECTION 1. 29.016 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
2 29.016 (4) If the department establishes a northern forest zone as a deer
3 management area, all of the following apply to the regulation of deer hunting in the
4 northern forest zone:
5 (a) The department may not establish an open season for hunting deer in the
6 northern forest zone during which only the hunting of antlerless deer is authorized.
7 (b) The department may not issue authorizations to kill antlerless deer in the
8 northern forest zone.
9 (c) The department may not issue to a person more than one authorization to
10 kill an antlered deer in the northern forest zone during either an open season for
11 hunting deer with a muzzle-loading firearm or an open season for hunting deer with
12 a firearm. If a person is issued an authorization to kill an antlered deer in the
13 northern forest zone during an open season for hunting deer with a muzzle-loading
14 firearm but does not use the authorization, the person may use the authorization
15 during an open season for hunting deer with a firearm in the northern forest zone,
16 and vice versa.
17 (d) The department may not issue to a person more than one authorization to
18 kill an antlered deer in the northern forest zone during either an open season for
19 hunting deer with a bow and arrow or an open season for hunting deer with a
20 crossbow. If a person is issued an authorization to kill an antlered deer in the
21 northern forest zone during an open season for hunting deer with a bow and arrow
 LRB-5636/1
2023 - 2024 Legislature -3- EHS:amn&skw
SENATE BILL 965 SECTION 1
1 but does not use the authorization, the person may use the authorization during an
2 open season for hunting deer with a crossbow in the northern forest zone, and vice
3 versa.
4 SECTION 2. 29.016 (4) of the statutes, as created by 2023 Wisconsin Act .... (this
5 act), is repealed.
6 SECTION 3.0Initial applicability.
7 (1) The creation of s. 29.016 (4) first applies to an application for a hunting
8 approval submitted on the effective date of this subsection.
9 SECTION 4.0Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication,
10 except as follows:
11 (1) The repeal of s. 29.016 (4) takes effect on the first day of the 49th month
12 beginning after publication.
13 (END)