Wisconsin Deer Baiting and Wildlife Feeding Regulations

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource WM-456-2008

I have been in some serious discussions with hunters in the past two - three years about what is the rule, what is right, and what is wrong with baiting whitetail deer. I have almost done a 360 about ten times and even though I have opinions on what is wrong, it only matters that I follow the restrictions that the Wisconsin DNR provided me. I have included it below to help my fellow hunters get the information they are debating over. Until the rules change, these are what we should and are supposed to follow.


Counties where baiting and feeding IS prohibited (shaded counties):
Remainder of the state – where baiting and feeding deer is NOT prohibited (non-shaded counties):

Baiting Wild Animals - For hunting purposes is prohibited.
No person may place, use or hunt over bait or feed material for the purpose of hunting any wild animals (except deer as provided below and for bear, see Wisconsin Bear Hunting Regulations) unless authorized by a special permit or license issued by the department.

Scents: Scent may be used for hunting deer or other wild animals, but the scent may not be placed or deposited in a manner that it is accessible for consumption by deer, and scents shall be removed daily at the end of hunting hours established for deer. However, two ounces or less of scent may be placed, used or deposited in any manner for hunting game and does not need to be removed daily at the end of hunting hours.

Natural Vegetation and Plantings: You may hunt with the aid of material deposited by natural vegetation or material found solely as a result of normal agricultural or gardening practices, or with the aid of crops planted and left standing as wildlife food plots.

Feeding Wild Animals - For Non-Hunting Purposes is Prohibited.
No person may place, deposit or allow the placement of any material to feed or attract wild animals for non-hunting purposes including recreational and supplemental feeding, except as allowed below for birds and small mammals.

Feeding Birds and Small Mammals: Material may be placed solely for the purpose of attracting and feeding wild birds and small mammals if:

• Placed in bird feeding devices and structures at a sufficient height or design to prevent access by deer, and
• The structures and devices are within 50 yards of a dwelling devoted to human occupancy.
• When deer, bear or elk are found to be utilizing bird feeding devices or structures, the devices or structures shall be enclosed or elevated higher to prevent access by deer.
Note: The placement of plain water for drinking or for birdbaths is allowed.

Feeding Animals by Hand: Feeding of wild animals, other than deer, elk or bear, by hand is not encouraged, but is allowed if:
• Feed is placed not more than 30 feet away from the person feeding.
• The person feeding cleans up the unconsumed feed before moving a distance greater than 30 feet from the deposited feed.

Natural Vegetation and Plantings: Feed that is deposited by natural vegetation or found solely as a result of normal agricultural or gardening practices, as well as standing crops planted and left standing as wildlife food plots that may be used by wild animals, is not considered feeding for the purposes of these regulations and is allowed statewide.

Baiting Wild Animals - For hunting purposes is prohibited. No person may place, use or hunt over bait or feed material for the purpose of hunting any wild animals (except deer as provided below and for bear, see Wisconsin Bear Hunting Regulations) unless authorized by a special permit or license issued by the department.

Scents: Scent may be used for hunting deer or other wild animals, but the scent may not be placed or deposited in a manner that it is accessible for consumption by deer, and scents shall be removed daily at the end of hunting hours established for deer. However, two ounces or less of scent may be placed, used or deposited in any manner for hunting game and does not need to be removed daily at the end of hunting hours.

Natural Vegetation and Plantings: You may hunt with the aid of material deposited by natural vegetation or material found solely as a result of normal agricultural or gardening practices, or with the aid of crops planted and left standing as wildlife food plots.

Deer Baiting – What is Allowed For Deer Hunting Purposes

Amount: No person may place, use or hunt over more than 2 gallons of bait or feed at any feeding site.

Placement: No person may place, use or hunt over:
• More than 2 gallons of bait on each contiguous area of land under the same ownership that is less than 40 acres in size, or for each full 40 acres that make up a contiguous area of land under the same ownership. (Note: Parcels of land that do not touch but are separated only by a town, county or state highway are considered contiguous.) Note: Feed at feeding sites may be spread out or divided into more than one pile as long as the total amount of feed material is not more than 2 gallons per forty acres.
• Any feeding site that is located within 100 yards of any other feeding site located on the same contiguous area of land under the same ownership.
• Any feeding site if the person doing the hunting is within 100 yards of more than 2 gallons of bait or feed located on the same parcel of land.
• Any feeding site that is located within 50 yards of any trail, road, or campsite used by the public, or within 100 yards from a roadway, having a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour or more.

Timing: No person may:
• Place, use or hunt over bait or feed during the closed season for hunting deer, but may start to place bait for deer hunting 24 hours prior to the deer archery and the deer gun seasons. (Note: The 24-hour period is the period from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm on the day immediately before the season.)
• Hunt over bait or a feeding site that is in violation of these regulations, unless the area is completely free of bait or feed material for at least 10 consecutive days prior to hunting, pursuing animals or dog training.

Content: No person may place use or hunt over any bait or feed material that:
• Contains any animal part or animal by-product.
• Is contained in or deposited by a feeder that is designed to deposit or replenish feed automatically, mechanically, or by gravity.
• Contains or is contained within, metal, paper, plastic, glass, wood or other similar processed materials. This does not apply to bait or feed placed in hollow logs
or stumps (see Wisconsin Bear Hunting Regulations) or to scent materials.
License: No person may use or hunt over bait or feed material placed for deer without possessing an appropriate valid archery or gun deer license and unused carcass tag.

Feeding Wild Animals – Allowed for Certain Species for Non-Hunting Purposes with the Following Restrictions:

FEEDING DEER:
Amount: No person may place or allow the placement of more than 2 gallons of feed material at any feeding site.

Placement: No person may place or allow the placement of:
• More than 2 gallons of feed for each owner-occupied residence or business, regardless of property size.
• A deer feeding site more than 50 yards from an owner occupied residence or business.
• A deer feeding site within 100 yards from a roadway having a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour or more.
• A deer feeding site without the approval of the owner of the owner-occupied residence or business.
• Feed at a deer feeding site that the person knows is being used by bear and elk. If the owner of the residence or business is notified by the department or otherwise
becomes aware that bear or elk have been using a deer feeding site, the owner must discontinue feeding for a period of not less than 30 days.

No person may place any bait or feed material for deer that:
• Contains any animal part or animal by-product.
• Is contained in or deposited by a feeder that is designed to deposit or replenish feed automatically, mechanically, or by gravity.

FEEDING OTHER WILD ANIMALS: No person may place, deposit or allow the placement of any material to feed or attract other wild animals for nonhunting purposes including recreational and supplemental feeding, except as allowed below for feeding birds and small mammals.

FEEDING BIRDS AND SMALL MAMMALS:
Material may be placed solely for the purpose of attracting and feeding wild birds and small mammals if:
• Placed in bird feeding devices and structures at a sufficient height or design to prevent access by deer, and
• The structures and devices are no further than 50 yards from a dwelling devoted to human occupancy.
• If deer, bear or elk are utilizing bird feeding devices or structures, the devices or structures shall be enclosed or elevated higher to prevent access by the deer, bear or elk.
Note: The placement of plain water for drinking or for birdbaths is allowed.

Feeding Animals by Hand: Feeding of wild animals, other than deer, elk or bear, by hand is not encouraged, but is allowed if:
• Feed is placed not more than 30 feet away from the person feeding.
• The person feeding cleans up the unconsumed feed before moving a distance greater than 30 feet from the deposited feed.

Natural Vegetation and Plantings: Feed that is deposited by natural vegetation or found solely as a result of normal agricultural or gardening practices, as well asstanding crops planted and left standing as wildlife food plots that may be used by wild animals, is not considered feeding for the purposes of these regulations and is allowed statewide.

Definitions:
Animal part or animal by-product means honey, bones, fish, meat, solid animal fat, animal carcass or parts of animal carcasses, but does not include liquid scents.
Bait means any material placed or used to attract wild animals, including liquid scent (includes salt and mineral blocks); does not include plain drinking water.
Bird feeding devices and structures means any device or structure that has the primary purpose of attracting or feeding birds or small mammals.
Business means a building used primarily to carry out commercial activities at which regular scheduled business hours are maintained for employees and the public such as restaurants and retail stores, but does not include associated lands, warehouses, outbuildings or other buildings that are not normally open to the public.
Feed means any material that may attract or be consumed by wild animals that is placed for any non-hunting purposes including recreational and supplemental feeding, but does not include plain drinking water.
Feeding site means any location or area in which bait or feed is placed or deposited or that contains bait or feed material used to attract wild animals for recreational
and supplemental feeding or for hunting purposes.
Hunt over means hunting within 100 yards of any feeding site where a person knows or reasonably should know that the area contains a feeding site.
Owner-occupied residence means a dwelling or building devoted to human occupancy when used while feeding deer as a residence by the owner, members of the owners immediate family, or when used as a residence by individuals as a rental property while feeding deer.
Roadway means that portion of a highway between the regularly established curb lines or that portion which is improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, excluding the berm or shoulder.
Scent means any material, except animal parts or animal by-products, used to attract wild animals solely by its odor.
Small mammal means all mammals other than bear, deer and elk.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides equal opportunity in its employment, programs, services and functions under an Affirmative Action Plan. If you have any questions, please write to Equal Opportunity Office, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.
This publication is available in Braille, audio cassette, large print or computer format upon request. To order, call 608-266-8204.

NOTE: Additional Counties may be included in the ban if: 1) A CWD Management zone is established in the county or a portion of the county, or; 2) A new CWD
or bovine tuberculosis positive captive or free-roaming, domestic or wild animal is confirmed in the county, or; 3) The county or portion of the county is within a 10 mile radius of a new captive or free-roaming, domestic or wild animal that has been tested and confirmed to be positive for CWD or bovine tuberculosis.