Hello Michael,
Thank you for bringing this back up, because we in Wildlife Management were given information from our policy warden that does fall into line with what Warden Higgins describes. Previously the interpretation of the quartering rule was that once the deer was registered a hunter could divide the carcass into as many pieces as desired, even to facilitate remove from “afield.”
Our warden staff must have made what the call a policy directive, which is how they will enforce the rule. Their directive is that until you have all of the carcass back to the vehicle you cannot quarter into more than 5 pieces. I’m very sorry for the confusion since we were both given incorrect answers. The written administrative rule, is copied here:
NR 10.106 Recording deer and bear.
(1) Carcass condition and transportation. Deer and bear shall be intact and may not be removed from the area specified in this section unless the harvest has been reported in the manner required by the department and a registration tag has been affixed by the department or its agents, or the validated deer carcass tag displays the harvest registration verification number provided by the department and the number is legible and discernible on the tag except that:
(a) The entrails may be removed and disposed of while afield by field dressing.
(b) Deer and bear may be skinned, and the lower legs of a deer from the hooves up to the tarsus joint on the hind legs and from the hooves up to the carpus joint on the front legs may be removed. The hide and lower legs must be removed from the field along with the deer and exhibited at the time of registration when in-person registration is required, and disposed of in a manner in compliance with s. 287.81 (2), Stats., after the deer or bear is registered.
(c) A deer or bear may be divided into not more than 5 parts, not including the hide and the lower legs of a deer, only to facilitate removal from the field. The head and neck shall remain attached to one of the other parts of the animal, not including the hide. A person who divides a deer or bear while afield prior to or after registration:
1. May not allow the deer or bear to be stored or transported with any other deer or bear that has been divided prior to registration or while afield.
2. May not divide any bear in a manner that does not keep one part of the bear intact to allow it to be measured in a straight line from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, to determine it was an adult bear of 42 inches or greater.
3. Must remove all parts from the field except the entrails and dispose of all parts not retained in a manner that is in compliance with s. 287.81 (2), Stats.
4. Shall exhibit all parts except the entrails at the time of registration when in-person registration is required by the department.
Note: Common terms for the tarsus or second major joint on the rear legs up from the hoof include "hock" and "ankle" and common terms for the carpus or second major joint on the front legs up from the hoof include "knee" and "wrist".
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I’m glad we’re both on the right page with our law enforcement staff. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Derek Johnson
Assistant Big Game Ecologist – Bureau of Wildlife Management
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
101 S. Webster Street WM/6
P.O. Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921
Phone: (608) 264-6023
derekj.johnson@Wisconsin.gov
