Wisconsin Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting the Harassment of Outdoorsmen
OutdoorHub Social 04.08.16
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed SB 338 which increase protections for hunters against harassment.
Before the new bill was signed it was already illegal to interfere with lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping. The new law expands those protections to people engaging in scouting, target shooting, dog training, and animal baiting. It also further defines what types of activities constitute harassment.
According the Wisconsin State Legislature, this bill makes changes to the laws prohibiting certain activities that interfere with hunting, fishing, and trapping. Current law prohibits a person from engaging in certain intentional conduct that interferes with lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping. The conduct prohibited under current law (prohibited conduct) includes harassing a wild animal, impeding or obstructing a person who is engaged in lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping, or impeding a person who is engaged in an activity associated with lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping. Current law generally defines an activity associated with lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping, as travel, camping, or other acts that are preparatory to lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping. This bill expands this definition so that it also includes scouting, target shooting, dog training, and animal baiting or feeding.
The bill also expands the prohibitions in current law so that a person may not interfere or attempt to interfere with an activity associated with lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping by engaging in prohibited conduct. The bill also expands the types of conduct prohibited to include disturbing a lawfully placed hunting stand, disturbing lawfully placed bait or other feed, using a drone under certain circumstances, and engaging in a series of acts (serial conduct) that are intended to impede or obstruct a person engaged in lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping or an activity associated with lawful hunting, fishing, or trapping. The types of serial conduct prohibited include maintaining a visual or physical proximity to the person, approaching or confronting the person, or photographing the person.
