This is a little bit of a gripe session and a little bewilderment at the thought process of those who created this abomination of a course. I've moved around a lot in my adult life for work, and a few years ago moved back to Wisconsin. I've trapped in a couple of the other states when my location allowed for that opportunity, and have taken and hold trapper education per those states requirements. This winter I decided it would be fun to run a little water line near the house and went to buy a trapping license. I discovered that they did not accept other states trapper ed courses but that an online course was available, that was an annoyance but I said what the heck I'll take the course. You can't epay so I mailed a check in to get registered and then get sent the coursework. There are by my tabulation 771 questions in the homework before you can take the test. That's not a typo and also does not include multiparty questions. Holy barrier to entry Wisconsin Trappers association and WIDNR.

LOL, its the weirdest class. Print out the questions and fill them out, take a picture and e-mail it in. Thought I could do it from my phone and sent in a check last year. I haven't been able to figure out a way to get through it. Like you, I have trapped multiple states and Wisconsin is by far the oddest steps to get a nonresisdent license. Some one else can catch their problem beaver and skunks.

I know many people that have trapping license in other states and they allow them to have trapping license so idk what ya did wrong lol

I signed up and took the in person class near Oshkosh WI in the fall of 2023. Absolutely a top shelf production.
Wisconsin Trappers have it dialed in right.

The in person class is a lot easier than the online one if it's what you say it is.

I read the regulations though after reading your post I did find on the website that out of state trapper education was acceptable but that's not how the trapping egulations are written.

Homework assignment 1 the answer key sheet is 5 pages and some change. 4 homework assignments before you can take the test.

I've prepared my tax returns on my phone the last few years but not this course, lol.

Yeah, take the two day class.

I didn’t come to WI until 2002, I had trapped 25 years in MN and 5 in SD, I was legal when I first moved here then Illegal for a few years, the legal again. I took the online course early this fall because there was no course anywhere near me. It’s a tough course, I thought about selling my traps and quitting, well that’s stretching it, and I hate homework and tests. But they set it up so up have to watch the videos in order to do the homework. Otherwise people would just wing it and take the test 20 times. I thought it was a great course for beginners, and well put together. I never counted questions but am not surprised at nearly 800.

I didn't think it was that bad But I did the mail-in type course

I took the in person class with D10 in Delavan at the sportsmen's club When my son was 10.

a 10 year old kid was able to pass fine.

I work most weekends. I will do the mail in over the course of this winter.

I served as a statewide coordinator for several years. Yes the correspondence course is long and not easy. ( I took that course even though I was certified so I knew what it was like). It is designed that way so that it would encourage people taking the live courses. Now with online about 20 times as many take the online versus the correspondence. Sure it is hard but there is convienence in not having to mail stuff in or drive to attend a class. Makes it easier for youth and working adults and families with children. As to being a barrier to trapping? I say no. WI is almost always in the top 3-5 in trapping licenses sold and we don't have as large a population as most of the states in that group. As to accepting courses from other states. That we reviewed every year at one of our meetings. It has been a nearly a decade since I was involved but I believe the TE program still evaluates many state's programs. The WI progam has been the base for many other states TE programs.

Bryce

Oh my, what a whiner! You've trapped in other states and taken trapper ed in other states, and the thought of tackling 771 multiple choice questions in the quest of passing them with an 85% has you . . . . bewildered?

Take a deep breath, read the student manual and trapping regulations, and see what you can do with these multiple choice questions. Enjoy the videos! Fill out the questions as you watch each one. If you don't earn an 85%, in any of the homeworks, you may retake sections until you've earned that 85%.

Thousands of students have graduated from the online course, most of 'em with little to no trapping experience. I understand the coordinator helps those who have difficulty in taking the course. Do keep us posted on your progress!

I took the outdoor class in Boscobel. Muskrat(Mike) was one of the instructors, had a great time and learned a few things. Cut my teeth in jr high and high school trapping around Wauzeka.

I liked & recommend the 'in person' class, but was ~surprised when they let us out several hours early the 2nd day.

If you didn't have access to a computer with a scanner and/or printer you might have elected to take the correspondence course through the mail. From what I've heard, you get the homework assignments and the test in the mail. Fill 'em out, mail 'em back. Not too odd or challenging, eh? Oh, I do believe someone else IS catching those problem beaver and skunks . . .

Did you try to contact the coordinator to explain your predicament with the phone? You might try that. You could investigate if it's possible to convert over to the mail in course with the funds you've already sent in. Might be additional for shipping and other materials. Try that and get back to us with your findings!

That all seems complicated just to get a trapping license.
How many states have a mandatory trapper ed course?

Nah, that's not complicated. What's complicated is when someone who thinks they know it all winds up killing someone's dog in an illegal set. Then it becomes complicated . . to the point we may have to engage politicians in Madison to save what tools we have in our packbasket.

Here's what most folks either don't understand or don't care to understand. Trapping is different from hunting and fishing. If a dog is shot during gun deer season, you're not going to see a groundswell to ban rifles in Wisconsin. But a dead dog in a #220 could lead to further restrictions on bodygrips, a ban on all bodygrips, or maybe even eliminate trapping as we know it today.

If taking a trapper ed course educates the newbie or seasoned nonresident to our trapping laws and ways of doing things here in Wisconsin, then that just might help to eliminate the possibility of us losing what we already have worked hard to keep and maintain. Maintaining solid relationships with caring legislators and DNR personnel doesn't happen by itself. There's an entire network of trappers in Wisconsin that stay "on top of things" to keep the lid on what we have. To ask the newcomer to take a course to learn what's ethical and legal here in Wisconsin isn't just complicated . . it's what's necessary for all of us to continue trapping here in Wisconsin as we know it today.