Is it legal for a convicted felon to be a member of a gun deer hunting party?
No. All members of a group deer hunting party must have a gun deer license and possess a firearm. Since convicted felons may not possess a firearm, they may not be a member of a “group deer hunting party”. However, convicted felons may be present in the field and participate in activities, such as deer drives, which do not require the possession of a firearm. Wisconsin laws prohibit a felons from tagging any deer, bear or other game killed with a firearm. Under normal circumstances, felons can hunt with a bow and arrow, however, “group hunting” is not allowed for archery deer hunting. The prudent felon would likely avoid being in the proximity of any group deer hunting party so as to avoid being held to possess a firearm, even if that firearm belongs to another person. Remember, possession is the key word; a person is considered to possess a firearm by merely handling the gun, whether or not the gun is locked, loaded or assembled.
