Be Aware of Trespassing Laws this Hunting Season

Thursday, November 19th, 2020 -- 12:00 PM

(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -The state's largest farm organization says it wants to make sure hunters and rural landowners are aware of Wisconsin's trespass law for the upcoming deer hunting season.

According to Karen Gefvert, who is the Wisconsin Farm Bureau's Director of Governmental Relations, good communications between hunters and rural landowners can help ensure a safe and enjoyable hunting season.  "One of the biggest ways to ensure a safe and enjoyable hunting season is good communication between hunters and rural landowners," Gefvert said. "If landowners are having issues with trespassers, they should call their county sheriff's office as DNR wardens do not have the authority to investigate trespassing complaints."  State law says individuals who wish to hunt on land owned by someone else must obtain written or verbal permission.

There are two exceptions to when permission is needed to enter private land. If the property is enrolled as 'open' in the Managed Forest Law program; or if its considered 'inholdings,' which is private land that is surrounded by public land. Landowners must post a sign to prevent hunting by the public on such land.  Meanwhile, hunters are also required to make a reasonable effort to retrieve game they have killed or injured, hunters may not trespass to retrieve such game.

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