Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 29.931 (2026)
Seizures
✓ current as of July 2026
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29.931(1)(1) Seizure and confiscation of wild animals or plants. The department and its wardens shall seize and confiscate any wild animal, carcass or plant caught, killed, taken, had in possession or under control, sold or transported in violation of any of the laws for which the department and its wardens have enforcement authority under s. 29.921. The officer also may, with or without warrant, open, enter and examine all buildings, camps, boats on inland or outlying waters, vehicles, valises, packages and other places where the officer has probable cause to believe that wild animals, carcasses or plants that are taken or held in violation of any of these laws are to be found.
29.931(2)(a)(a) The department and its wardens shall seize and hold, subject to the order of the court for the county in which the alleged offense was committed, any vehicle, boat or object declared by this chapter to be a public nuisance, or which they have probable cause to believe is being used in violation of any of the laws for which the department and its wardens have enforcement authority under s. 29.921. If it is proven that the vehicle, boat or object is a public nuisance or that within 6 months previous to the seizure the vehicle, boat or object was used in violation of any of the laws for which the department and its wardens have enforcement authority under s. 29.921, it shall be confiscated if the court directs in its order for judgment.
29.931(2)(am)(am) If the department or its wardens seize any net or similar fishing device under par. (a), the owner shall reimburse the department for all costs associated with the seizure within 20 days after the department gives written notice to the owner of the owner’s obligation to reimburse the department. The notice shall include the amount of the costs required to be reimbursed by the owner. If the owner does not reimburse the department as required under this paragraph, the owner shall forfeit not more than $1,000 in addition to the costs of reimbursement. All reimbursement costs collected under this paragraph shall be credited to the appropriation under s. 20.370 (3) (mi).
29.931(2)(b)(b) Any perishable property seized by the department or its wardens under this section may be sold at the highest available price, and the proceeds of the sale turned into court for disposition as the court directs.
29.931(3)(3) Entire shipment affected. Confiscation of any part of a shipment under this section shall include the entire shipment.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2
cases, 2005–2017 · leading case: State v. Robert Joseph Stietz, 2017 WI 58 (Wis. 2017).
State v. Robert Joseph Stietz, 2017 WI 58 (Wis. 2017). “And Wis. Stat. § 29.931 orders "[t]he department and its wardens" to "seize and confiscate any wild animal, carcass or plant caught, killed, 9 See Wis.”
State v. Warrichaiet, 695 N.W.2d 903 (Wis. Ct. App. 2005). “§ 29.931 allows a warden "with or without [a] warrant" to inspect a building where the warden believes an animal carcass may be held in violation of WIS.”
— Wis. Stat. § 29.931(1) — 1 case
State v. Robert Joseph Stietz, 2017 WI 58 (Wis. 2017). “And Wis. Stat. § 29.931 orders "[t]he department and its wardens" to "seize and confiscate any wild animal, carcass or plant caught, killed, 9 See Wis.”
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