Wisconsin Statutes

Wis. Stat. § 169.01 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of July 2026

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169.01169.01 Definitions. In this chapter:

169.01(1)(1) “Animal” means any mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, mollusk, or arthropod or any egg of any bird, reptile, amphibian, mollusk, or arthropod except that “animal” does not include any mollusk or arthropod, or any egg of any mollusk or arthropod, if the mollusk or arthropod is regulated under s. 93.07 (12) or (13), 94.01, 94.02, 94.03, or 94.76.

169.01(2)(2) “Captive” means any of the following:

169.01(2)(a)(a) Restrained by a cage, pen, fence, or other enclosure.

169.01(2)(b)(b) Restrained by physical alterations that limit movement or facilitate capture.

169.01(2)(c)(c) Restrained by a leash or a tether or otherwise tied.

169.01(2)(d)(d) Held in a controlled environment that is designed to prevent the departure from the controlled environment.

169.01(3)(3) “Carcass” means the dead body of any wild animal including the head, hair, skin, plumage, skeleton, meat, or any other part thereof.

169.01(4)(4) “Circus” means a scheduled event staged by a traveling company with mobile facilities in which entertainment consisting of a variety of performances by acrobats, clowns, or trained animals is the primary attraction or principal business.

169.01(5)(5) “Conservation warden” means a warden appointed under s. 23.10.

169.01(6)(6) “Department” means the department of natural resources.

169.01(7)(7) “Domestic animal” means a farm-raised deer, a pet bird, a farm-raised game bird, or an animal that is listed as a domestic animal by rule by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection.

169.01(8)(8) “Dressed fur” has the meaning given in s. 29.501 (1) (a).

169.01(9)(9) “Endangered or threatened species” means those species of wild animals that are indigenous to the United States or Canada and are identified on the federal list of endangered and threatened species or on the Wisconsin list of endangered and threatened species.

169.01(11)(11) “Exhibit” means to display for the purpose of public viewing, regardless of whether a fee is charged.

169.01(12)(12) “Farm-raised deer” has the meaning given in s. 95.001 (1) (ag).

169.01(12m)(12m) “Farm-raised game bird” means a bird of a wild nature that is not native and that is held captive, but that is not possessed under the authority of a license issued under s. 169.15, 169.19, 169.20, or 169.21.

169.01(13)(13) “Free-roaming” means not captive.

169.01(14)(14) “Fur-bearing wild animal” includes badger, beaver, bobcat, coyote, fisher, red fox, gray fox, lynx, marten, mink, muskrat, opossum, otter, raccoon, skunk, weasel, and wolf.

169.01(15)(15) “Harm to the environment” includes adversely affecting the natural population dynamics of wild animals or wild plants, adversely affecting the habitat of wild animals or wild plants, or displacing wild animals or wild plants from any part of their habitat.

169.01(15m)(15m) “Harmful wild animal” means a wild animal designated under s. 169.11 (1) (a).

169.01(16)(16) “Humane officer” means an officer appointed under s. 173.03.

169.01(18)(18) “Introduce” means to release for the purpose of allowing the animal to establish a population in an area in the wild where that species of animal is not naturally present at the time the wild animal is released.

169.01(19)(19) “Law enforcement officer” has the meaning given in s. 165.85 (2) (c) and does not include a conservation warden.

169.01(20)(20) “License year” means the year during which a license is valid.

169.01(20m)(20m) “Migratory bird” means a bird of a species on the list in 50 CFR 10.13 that is promulgated under 16 USC 701 to 715s.

169.01(21)(21) “Municipality” means a city, village, or town.

169.01(22)(22) “Native” means indigenous and occurring or having occurred naturally within the boundaries of this state.

169.01(23)(23) “Nonnative wild animal” means a wild animal that is not native.

169.01(24)(24) “Nonresident” means a person who is not a resident of this state.

169.01(25)(25) “Person” means any individual, partnership, firm, joint stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, or other legal entity.

169.01(25m)(25m) “Pet bird” means a bird that is either a psittacine or a soft bill and that is not native, not identified on the federal list of endangered and threatened species, and not a migratory bird.

169.01(26)(26) “Possess” means to own, control, restrain, transport, or keep.

169.01(27)(27) “Propagate” means to breed, encourage, or facilitate for the purpose of generating offspring.

169.01(28)(28) “Public zoo or aquarium” means a zoo or aquarium that is operated by the state or by a city, village, or county or that is an accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

169.01(29)(29) “Purchase” means to acquire through a sale or through an exchange for consideration.

169.01(30)(30) “Raw fur” has the meaning given in s. 29.501 (1) (e).

169.01(30m)(30m) “Rehabilitate” means to provide care or treatment to an orphaned, sick, or injured wild animal for the purpose of releasing it back into the wild.

169.01(31)(31) “Sell” means to transfer or exchange for consideration.

169.01(32)(32) “State resident” has the meaning given “resident” in s. 27.01 (10) (a).

169.01(33)(33) “Stock” means to release for the purpose of increasing or maintaining a population of the animal.

169.01(34)(34) “Take” means to capture, but does not include killing.

169.01(35)(35) “Veterinarian” means either of the following:

169.01(35)(a)(a) A veterinarian who is licensed in this state to practice veterinary medicine under ch. 89 and who is certified under rules promulgated by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection.

169.01(35)(b)(b) A veterinarian who is licensed by another state to practice veterinary medicine and who is accredited under 9 CFR ch. I subch. J.

169.01(36)(36) “Wild amphibian” means a wild animal that is an amphibian.

169.01(37)(37) “Wild animal” means any animal of a wild nature that is normally found in the wild and that is not a domestic animal.

169.01(38)(38) “Wild bird” means a wild animal that is a bird.

169.01(39)(39) “Wild reptile” means a wild animal that is a reptile.

169.01 HistoryHistory: 2001 a. 56; 2011 a. 258; 2015 a. 55; 2015 a. 197 s. 51.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 1 case, 2004–2004 · leading case: Wisconsin Citizens Concerned for Cranes & Doves v. Wisconsin Dep't of Nat. Resources, 2004 WI 40 (Wis. 2004).

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Wisconsin Citizens Concerned for Cranes & Doves v. Wisconsin Dep't of Nat. Resources, 2004 WI 40 (Wis. 2004). · cites it 4× “19 WCCCD directs our attention to Wis. Stat. § 169.01 (34) (2001-02), which provides that" '[t]ake' means to capture, but does not include killing.”

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