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Migratory Game Bird Hunting Regulations

Migratory Game Birds

*Be aware that the general hunting regulations also apply, in addition to the species-specific regulations below. Read the info in the General and Licensing Requirements section in the Wisconsin Hunting Regulations.

Guns and Ammunition

While pursuing migratory game birds, it is illegal to:

  • Methods
    • Hunt with anything other than a shotgun fired from the shoulder, bow and arrow, crossbow or by falconry.
  • Other Methods
    • Take migratory game birds with a trap, snare, net, rifle, pistol/handgun, swivel gun, shotgun chambered for a shell larger than 10 gauge, punt gun, battery gun, machine gun, fishhook, poison, drug, explosive or stupefying substance or possess any shot shells larger than 10 gauge.
  • Shotgun Capacity
    • Hunt with a shotgun capable of holding more than 3 shells (magazine and chamber combined), unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler that cannot be removed without disassembling the gun.
  • Shot Type
    • Possess or use any type of lead or toxic shot when hunting ducks, geese, brant, snipe, rails, coot and common gallinule.
    • Possess or use any type of lead or toxic shot while hunting mourning dove on DNR-managed land.
    • Note: Only non-toxic sizes BB, BBB, T, F or smaller are legal. Only non-toxic shot may be possessed or used for hunting migratory and upland game bird species, including wild turkey, on all national wildlife refuges and federal waterfowl production areas.

Structures, Boats and Vehicles

While pursuing migratory game birds, it is illegal to:

  • Hunt from any pier, dam, dock, breakwater or similar artificial structure.
    • Note: Class A Disabled Hunting Permit holders are exempt.
  • Hunt from a sink box (a low floating device that has a depression affording the hunter, a means of concealment beneath the surface of the water).
  • Hunt or shoot from any moving boat other than those propelled by paddle, oars or pole. Motorboats and sailboats must have their motors completely shut off and/or the sail furled and its progress ceased before loading or discharging a firearm.
  • Establish a waterfowl blind on state property, including the bed of any navigable lake, prior to 7 days before the waterfowl season or to leave it established beyond 7 days after the close of the waterfowl season.
  • Occupy or use any blind left on state property during the season unless permanently affixed with lettering 1 square inch or larger that is readily visible and legible at all times and that identifies the owner’s name, address in the English language and DNR customer ID number in the English language.
  • Take migratory game birds from or with the aid or use of any vehicle (not including boats) except by that paraplegics and persons missing one or both legs may take from any stationary motor vehicle or stationary motor-driven land conveyance.
  • Use in any manner any air, water or motor-driven land conveyance, including any unmanned aircraft or drones, for the purposes of concentrating, driving, rallying or stirring up any migratory game bird to put them in the range of hunters.

Devices

While pursuing migratory game birds, it is illegal to:

  • Hunt with decoys that are:
    • Placed beyond 200 feet from the cover in which the hunter is located.
    • Placed in the water prior to 1 hour before the opening of waterfowl shooting hours.
    • Left in the water more than 20 minutes after the close of waterfowl shooting hours.
    • Left in the water unattended. Decoys may be left unattended on dry land.
    • Living, regardless of distance from the hunter.

Note: All live, tame or captive ducks and geese shall be removed for a period of 10 consecutive days prior to hunting and confined within an enclosure that substantially reduces the audibility of their calls and that totally conceals such birds from the sight of migratory wild waterfowl.

  • Hunt with or while in possession of:
    • Electronic bird calls.
    • Recordings or imitations of bird calls while hunting waterfowl.

General Restrictions

Daily Bag Limit

  • It is illegal to take or attempt to take more than the daily bag or aggregate daily bag limit.

Possession Limit

It is illegal to:

  • Possess more than 3 times the daily bag limit.
  • Possess more than the daily bag limit while at or in transit between locations where the game birds were harvested and the hunter’s temporary or permanent abode.

Retrieval

It is illegal to kill or cripple any game bird without making every reasonable effort to retrieve such bird. Until every reasonable effort is made, crippled birds shall be included in the daily bag. Crippled birds should be immediately pursued to prevent loss of the bird.

Open Water Retrieval

Crippled birds that fall or move into open water should be immediately pursued. A hunter may shoot crippled birds from a boat propelled by paddle, oars or pole. A shotgun may be uncased but may not be loaded or discharged while in a boat with the motor running and until all forward motion from the motor has ceased.

Retrieval In Refuges

Dead or crippled game may be retrieved from any refuge or closed area by hand either without a firearm, with an unloaded firearm which is enclosed in a proper carrying case or with the aid of a dog unless posted to prohibit public entry.

Tagging

  • It is illegal to give, put or leave any migratory game birds at any place or in the possession of another person unless the birds are tagged by the hunter with the:
    • Hunter’s signature.
    • Hunter’s address.
    • Total number of birds involved by species and dates that the birds were killed.
  • No person or business may receive or have in custody any migratory game birds belonging to another person unless such birds are properly tagged and a record of such receipt is kept by the person or business.

Possession Of Live Birds

Wounded birds reduced to possession shall be immediately killed and included in the daily bag limit.

Shipment

It is illegal to ship migratory game birds unless the package is marked on the outside with the:

  • Name and address of the person sending the birds.
  • Name and address of the person to whom the birds are being sent.
  • Number of birds, by species, contained in the package.

Transportation

Migratory game birds may be field dressed before they are transported from the field. However, the head or one fully feathered wing must remain attached to all migratory game birds while in the field or being transported from the field to the person’s permanent abode.

Note: This includes birds being transported between a hunting cabin, camp, motel or other temporary abode to the person’s permanent abode or preservation facility.

Baiting

A baited area refers to any area on which salt, grain or other feed has been placed, exposed, deposited or scattered, if it could serve as an attractant or lure for migratory game birds to, on or over areas where hunters are attempting to take them. An area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of bait. While pursuing migratory game birds:

  • It is illegal to hunt waterfowl, coots or mourning dove by the method or aid of baiting on or over any baited area where a person knows or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited.
  • It is legal to hunt over crops that have been planted as a result of normal agricultural planting, normal agricultural harvest or fields post-harvest.
  • It is legal to hunt mourning dove over manipulated agricultural crops or wildlife food plots. Manipulation may not include the distributing or scattering of seeds, grains or other feed after the seed or grain has been harvested or removed from the field where it was grown.

For more information, visit the Baiting and Feeding Regulations webpage and scroll down to “Species Information.” For federal waterfowl and dove baiting regulations, visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website at fws.gov.