Permit Me Please 

I haven't done one of these in a long time... shame on me. Here are some of the more obscure permit and license requirements for the State of Wisconsin. Today I'm featuring permits from the DNR.

Bait Dealers:

It shall be unlawful for any person, except licensed bait dealers to have in possession or under control more than 600 minnows at any time. A licensed bait dealer must be present while employees are collecting bait and the licensed bait dealer must have their license available for inspection.

It shall be unlawful for any person to take, gather or collect (or attempt to do so) for the use or sale as bait by himself or others any of the larvae or nymphs of aquatic insects in or from any stream or spring hole tributary thereto inhabited by trout.

BAIT DEALER LICENSE FEES.

(a) RESIDENT BAIT DEALER, CLASS A. The fee for a Class A bait dealer license is $50.
(b) RESIDENT BAIT DEALER, CLASS B. The fee for a Class B bait dealer license is $10.

Heaven forbid you have too many minnows. Do I need a permit for a large aquarium too? What makes a minnow in need of more protection than a gold fish?

Wild Ginseng Dealers:

Any person who buys at least eight ounces of wild ginseng in Wisconsin for the purpose of resale is considered a dealer and is required to have a Wisconsin Dealer's License. Paid employees or family members of a licensed dealer who are working at the primary place of business for that dealer will be covered by the licensed dealer.

All dealer's licenses are valid July 1 to June 30. Three classes of resident dealer's licenses allow dealers to choose the license that best fits their needs:

Class A ($100) - allows transactions up to 100 pounds
Class B ($500) - allows transactions up to 1000 pounds
Class C ($1000) - allows unlimited amounts of transactions

Non-residents may purchase a non-resident dealer's license ($1000) for unlimited amounts of transactions.

There are wild Ginseng trees all around where I live, that drop every couple of years. Apparently it's considered a delicacy in the Hmong Community... and they come around and collect it off the curbs to prepare it. The stuff smells incredibly bad. That has nothing to do with the permits really, I just thought I'd mention it.

Guide License:

Resident Required to guide, direct, or assist other persons in hunting, trapping or fishing in Wisconsin. This is one guide license, it is not broken down into hunting vs. fishing vs. trapping. Someone licensed, is licensed in all. Fee $40.00.

Non-Resident Required to guide, direct or assist other persons in fishing in Wisconsin (for any compensation). Only allows guiding for fishing. A nonresident cannot be licensed as a guide for hunting or trapping. Fee $100.00.

Mind you... there are no other substantive requirements other than you be 18. No training, no reporting requirements on who you guided or what they caught, just pay your money.

Fish Stocking in Private Ponds :

In order to stock fish in a pond, you must submit a fish stocking permit application (form 9400-060) to the DNR fish biologist who manages the waters where you wish to stock the fish. This permit is required under Chapter 29.736 of the Wisconsin State Statutes.
...
As of January 2002, a fish health certificate is required for all fish stocked in state waterbodies, including ponds. When you contact a fish farm to order fish, ask for a copy of the most recent fish health certificate. You will need to attach a copy of the certificate to your stocking permit application. DNR cannot issue a stocking permit unless the fish health certificate is submitted along with your application. This certification is required under Chapter 29.736 of the Wisconsin State Statutes.

That's right... for private ponds. And yes, you have to certify the health of all your fish. From what I can tell, the DNR doesn't certify the health of anything coming out of Lake Michigan... which would be impossible given the amount of raw sewage that the MMSD is allowed to dump. But of course, the government never has a problem holding you and I to a higher standard compared to itself.