Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program Information

Wisconsin has had a wildlife damage program since 1931. The current Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program (WDACP) was created in 1983 by the legislature, in response to concerns from the agricultural community and with input from farmers, hunters, landowners, and wildlife damage specialists.

WDACP Program Report for 2006 [PDF 83KB] - Read more about the final program statistics and highlights for the year 2006.

WDACP Agricultural Deer Damage Shooting Permits for 2006 [PDF 61KB] - Read more about deer damage and agricultural permit statistics for the year 2006.

Local Control

Each county administers the WDACP to provide local control and minimize costs. The WDNR only manages the program. The WDACP emphasizes wildlife damage prevention, but also offers partial compensation for damage caused by wild deer, bears, turkeys, and geese. Currently 70 of the 72 counties in Wisconsin participate in the WDACP. The only counties that currently do not participate in the program are Kenosha and Menominee.

Funding

The WDACP is funded by a $2 surcharge on hunting licenses, and the sale of unit specific antlerless deer carcass tags valid in "Regular" deer management units ($12 each for resident and $20 each for nonresidents). Revenues from the sale of unit specific antlerless deer carcass tags can only be spent for county WDACP expenses (administration, damage prevention, and damage compensation). The WDNR cannot spend unit specific antlerless permit revenues for other management purposes.

Recent Changes

The state legislature revised the WDACP in 1997 to improve hunting access and increase the maximum allowable damage payments.

For more information on this topic, send mail to: Assistant Wildlife Damage Biologist

Questions for Wildlife Management