Wisconsin Statutes and DATCP Rules require that any person engaging in the business of keeping farm-raised deer must have an annual farm-raised deer keeper registration from the department. A person or entity with 50% or greater ownership of a deer or herd must register as a separate Farm-Raised Deer Keeper and submit a separate application.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Herd Status program enrollment is free and separate from farm-raised deer keeper registration. CWD Herd Status program application and information can be found
here.
Hunting Ranch Certification is separate from farm-raised deer keeper registration. Information regarding hunting ranch certification can be found
here.
Herd Definition: ATCP 10.01(55) "Herd" means any of the following:
- A commonly owned or controlled group of animals that are maintained on common ground.
- Two or more commonly owned or controlled groups of animals that are maintained at geographically separate locations, if people, animals or equipment move between the locations without taking effective bio-security measures to prevent the spread of disease.
Herd Locations: Herds Kept at Multiple Locations: If you keep farm-raised deer at two or more locations under a single registration, the herd (all animals/all locations) must be enrolled in the CWD Herd Status program and is considered a single herd for movement and disease control purposes.
Commingling of Farm Raised Deer Herds: If separate herds are registered at the same location without medical separation, each owner must enroll its herd members in the CWD Herd Status program in accordance with ATCP 10.46(5)(b) and are considered a single herd for disease control purposes.
Registering Medically Separated Herds at the Same Location: A person(s) may register separate herds at the same location if all of the following apply:
- The department inspects the premises, prior to granting registration, to ensure that there is maintainable medically significant separation between the herds. A fee of $400 per day needed for the inspection is charged.
- A separate registration application is filed for each herd.
- All farm-raised deer movements between the herds comply with the requirements in s. ATCP 10.56 (requiring a CVI with TB and CWD certification) and s. ATCP 10.46(5)(a) (keeping records on movements).
- Appropriate bio-security measures are used.
Click to learn which type of Farm-Raised Deer Keeper Registration to apply for:
