FAQs: Proof of registration, milk jugs as trap markers, trout
March 29, 2013
By: Bureau of Law Enforcement
The Frequently Asked Questions features recent warden-related questions taken by the DNR Call Center. The Call Center is staffed daily, 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., and offers bilingual service in Spanish and Hmong. The number is 1-888-936-7463.
Question 1: Is it legal to carry a photo copy or an electronic copy of an ATV/UTV or snowmobile registration certificate instead of the original application when operating the machine before the registration and decals arrive by mail to verify it has been registered?
Answer: The law says a person must possess the “receipt issued by the department” when operating an ATV/UTV or snowmobile prior to receiving the actual registration and decals. The law does not say the issued receipt must be in a hard copy form, but it must be the receipt issued by the department or license agent. If what is provided to the applicant is an electronic validated registration receipt, which clearly shows that the person has submitted an application as well as the required fee, it would meet the elements of the law.
Question 2: Can milk jugs be used as the required floats for marking the location of crayfish traps? The rules say that the marker floats may not exceed 5 inches in size. Is that in reference to length, width or circumference of the float marker?
Answer: A typical 1 gallon or ½ gallon milk jug would not be a legal floating marker because it would normally exceed 5 inches in any dimension, which means length, width or height. Additionally, it is important to be aware that a floating marker cannot be orange or any fluorescent color and must plainly and clearly display in the English language the name and address of the owner or operator.
Question 3: I want to fish for trout on a stream that flows into the Wisconsin River. Are the regulations different for the Wisconsin River and Little Green River in Grant County? If so, how does one determine the boundary between these two rivers?
Answer: You will need a fishing license and trout stamp to fish for trout in either of these rivers. In this case, the same regulations apply to the Wisconsin River and the Little Green River in Grant County. On page 22 of the Trout Regulations, it shows the Little Green River as green which is category 3 trout stream (page 9). Category 3 streams have a minimum length of 9 inches and a daily bag limit of 3 trout. Page 7 states that all waters not specifically listed as a color- coded stream or stream segment are also category 3 trout waters. The Wisconsin River is, therefore, a category 3 trout water; hence both rivers have the same regulations for trout. As far as determining the boundary where one stream ends and another it is connected to begins, is normally fairly identifiable. It can be viewed by drawing and imaginary line along the shore of the main stream and continuing across the mouth of the tributary stream that enters it. There are usually some defining characteristics. If a person is uncertain, they should contact their local conservation warden and ask for what is considered the boundary between the two water bodies. In the case of the Lower Wisconsin River in Grant County, this water body is defined to include the portion of the tributaries entering into it up to the upstream to the first highway bridge.