Is it legal to set on the dam in WI?

I thought it was legal but met a fella last weekend that told me it wasn’t.

Can I set traps on a dam?
Yes. Anyone may trap on or around a beaver dam. There is no longer a 15-foot setback.
https://widnr.widen.net/content/m10ch9z9t4/pdf/beaverdamage.pdf

Thanks Eagleye
When I googled it I found this

Only the landowner or his or her family members may set a trap on a beaver dam. This privilege cannot be transferred from the landowner to an agent or employee; the landowner cannot authorize another person to trap on a beaver dam.

I thought the law was changed, and for the better I would add, but the guy I met in the woods had me second guessing.

Then I googled it and got mixed messages.

I can't remember if it showed up in the "What's New Section" of the Wisconsin Trapping Regulations upon approval but if someone hung onto the older regs it may be in there also.

I believe it did. Thanks again

Online doesn't always show the Date the write up was written or valid.

This is all I could find on the subject in the current reg's

It is illegal to:


Clear as mud, right? There is nothing about beaver dams on page 6 either.

they have been changing regs so I went to look I searched beaver dam and I find 2 spots in the 2022-2023 regs that apply

the answer appears to be if you are the land owner do anything you want as long as you don't shoot your neighbor or his house.

however if you are just a trapper you may not disturb or molest the dam , with no actual reg saying you can't trap on the dam only that you can not molest the dam.

welcome to how WI regs are written and hugely left to the discretion of the individual warden

thus the answer becomes call your warden and ask his Opinion on trapping dams you should find out fairly easily his OPINION on the matter
and what he/she/they consider Molestation of a Dam.

Beaver Damage control
Landowners, occupants and family members living with them may hunt or trap beaver
on their land at any time without a license and may remove beaver dams without a
permit. If beaver are taken by firearm, the landowner, occupant or family member
harvesting the beaver must comply with firearm possession and hunting mentorship
program restrictions if applicable. See DNR publication WM-007 (Beaver Damage Control
Guidelines), or contact the DNR call center at 888-936-7463 for more information.


it is illegal to
Disturb or molest any mink den, muskrat house, muskrat feeding house or beaver dam
(see page 6 for landowner exception for beaver dams);

page 6 basically says don't be a felon or shoot anyone or other persons property other than that anything the land owner wants.

since the land owner can hunt trap or remove the dams at any time with no license , they can basically do anything they want.

but yes like so many WI DNR regs Clear as mud is par for the game.

Was expecting a thread on Beaver Dam Tip ups..in Wisconsin....

Here's the Wisconsin Regs for those Beaver Dams

HA!!!

Written to Trip you up.
Like GCPete said^^^
Find out the "view" of the warden that would pinch you.

Have a good relationship with him/ her goes a long way I've found.

I have had some good discussions with my warden and found things that tripped him up.

hey you want a interesting mix of poorly written township ordinance that relies on other state policy that changed.

one of the townships I hunt has a prohibition of the use of rifles other than rimfire 22 caliber or larger during the traditional 9 day gun deer season , youth season ,any antlerless hunts and holiday hunt deer seasons making it Shotgun and Pistol for deer during the firearms deer seasons.

well that worked for them until the state dropped the requirement for 22cal or larger center fire guns for deer

so now you can hunt deer in the township legally with an AK-74,a 20 tactical , 204 ruger but not a 30-30 or even a 357mag lever gun.

I think you meant AK-47^^^

I figure a heavy foot walking on a dam is not molesting it. If I choose to put a trap in the break created by my heavy foot there is no prohibition to trapping on the dam.

I absolutely did not mean an AK-47 in 7.62x39 that is larger than 22cal. I definitely meant an AK-74 the 1974 variation of the AK in 5.45x39

confusing isn't it.

I mean technically an AK-109 in 5.45x39 would also be legal if left in semi auto mode or for greater confusion the AK-12 the 2018 to current Russian service weapon also 5.54x39 how ever none of them have been imported with the arms trade agreement with Russia.

there are a few exceptions that there were some former com-block countries that have very similar clones to the AK109 that can import them as 10 round guns then when they get here have the mag well milled out and 922 compliance parts added.

and a few US shops that build from parts and make their own fresh US made receivers

Is there not some references to..... Acting as an agent for land owners?? Did that change??

Mac

I think there was an agent exception in a past year but I can not find it now

here is 2019
land owner statement were is does clearly say trap on beaver dams

Landowners, occupants and family members living with them may hunt or trap beaver
on their land at anytime without a license and may remove beaver dams without a permit.
Landowners may also trap on beaver dams. If beaver are taken by firearm, the landowner,
occupant or family member harvesting the beaver must comply with firearm possession and
hunting mentorship program restrictions if applicable (see the 2019 Small Game Regulations).
See DNR publication WM-007 (Beaver Damage Control Guidelines), or contact the DNR
call center at 888-936-7463 for more information.

it seems every time the regs come out something has changed in some small way that could have a big impact

Wasn’t that way 4-5 years ago. As an agent of landowner I could trap on the dam and tear them apart.

If they took that out of regulations that leaves Wildlife Services as the sole entity to damage control beaver. WS has always received exemptions that no one else can get. Good luck.