Wisconsin Dead Animal and Wildlife Resources
The sources this site relies on, linked so you can open them yourself: the agency's own address where the page is still up, and an archived capture where it is not. Retrieved 2026-09-15. None of them is hosted here, and any of them can change the day the agency decides to change it.
Dead animal on your own property? That case is not on any of these pages. Call (414) 928-2653 or send the details.
State agencies, statutes and administrative code
WisDOT Highway Maintenance Manual 07-15-01, "Carcass Removal" (July 2025)
The state's written policy: car-killed deer contractors clear deer from Interstate, US and state highway shoulders and right-of-way within two business days, never the traveled lane; counties own county highways, and towns, villages and cities own their local roads. The contract covers deer, not every species.
WisDOT: Car-Killed Deer
The public page: 911 for remains on the active, traveled portion of a highway; otherwise report a detailed location to the county highway department or sheriff's department. There is no WisDOT hotline, form or 511 category for a carcass.
WisDOT: county highway department contacts
WisDOT's directory of county highway staff, the contact for a carcass on a county trunk highway. For a state highway shoulder, WisDOT sends motorists to the county sheriff instead.
Wisconsin DNR: Car-killed deer
Any person may claim a deer, bear or turkey accidentally killed by a motor vehicle; the driver has first priority; register before possessing or removing it from the scene, through Go Wild or 608-267-7691.
Wisconsin DNR: Sick or dead deer
Says in DNR's own words that in most cases the department does not have the resources to remove dead animals, including deer, and routes a roadway carcass to the local sheriff's department.
Wisconsin DNR: Wildlife health
The homeowner instruction for any dead wild animal: use gloves or an inverted plastic bag, then bury the carcass on your property or double-bag it into the trash; never handle dead wildlife with bare hands. Also the reporting thresholds for sick or dead wildlife.
Wisconsin DNR: Deer carcass movement and disposal
A landowner's options for a dead deer (bury it, a fall carcass dumpster, leave it, or ask the municipality, which is not guaranteed); the recommendation against moving whole carcasses beyond the county or an adjacent county; the 72-hour rule for carcasses brought in from other states.
Wisconsin DNR: Carcass Disposal FAQ
Deer carcasses are solid waste under § 289.01(33); a single carcass may legally be buried on private property with the landowner's permission; a single road-killed deer may be left on the roadside.
Wisconsin DNR: Baiting and feeding regulations; deer carcass disposal sites
The county ban list is published as a map, so this site links it and never transcribes it. The disposal-site map and the Adopt-a-Dumpster program cover deer waste from residents, not business-generated waste, and DNR says to work with your hauler first.
Wis. Stat. § 95.50, Disposal of carcasses
The livestock and domestic-animal disposal statute: no one who owns or controls a carcass, or the land it is on, may leave it exposed to dogs or wild animals for more than 24 hours April through November or 48 hours December through March. Read the definition in (1)(a) before applying it to anything else; § 95.99 carries the penalties and § 95.72 licenses dead-animal haulers.
Wis. Stat. § 29.349 and § 29.347
Animals killed by motor vehicles (who may take a deer, bear or turkey, and the notice to DNR), and the rule that a deer carcass may only be possessed, transported or disposed of under DNR's rules.
Wis. Stat. § 59.54(21), County disposition of dead animals
A county board "may" remove any dead animal found upon public or private property within the county, at public expense, or contract for it. A permission, not a duty; § 60.23(20) is the town equivalent.
Wis. Admin. Code NR 506.07 and NR 506.095
Landfill operations: animal carcasses "shall be immediately compacted and covered"; the prohibited-items list (batteries, appliances, oil, yard waste) does not include carcasses. Whether a given landfill accepts them, and at what fee, is that landfill's rule.
DATCP: Carcass disposal
The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection's restatement of the § 95.50 deadlines for livestock and domestic animals, and its disposal guidance for farms.
What each city actually publishes
Each city page quotes the pages that were opened for it word for word, and lists what those pages leave unsaid. The card is the short version; the quotes are on the city page.
Milwaukee: City of Milwaukee DPW Sanitation Services (reports through the Unified Call Center)
Milwaukee publishes a curb-scope service, not a private-property one. The Department of Neighborhood Services says dead animals, including road kill, are picked up by DPW Sanitation 'either at the curb, in street or wrapped in plastic and placed in cart', reported through the Unified Call Center at (414) 286-CITY (2489). Published contact: (414) 286-CITY (2489).
Madison: City of Madison Engineering Division (Dead Animal Collection)
Madison publishes no price for its pickup and no private-property service. City of Madison Engineering will pick up a dead animal from a city street or from the terrace in front of your property after 3 PM on weekdays, reported through Report a Problem or 608-266-4430, but its page never uses the word free and names no price. Published contact: 608-266-4430.
Green Bay: City of Green Bay Department of Public Works, Street Section
No Green Bay or Brown County page publishes a dead-animal pickup, free or paid, for any property class. On September 15, 2026 we reviewed the city's Animal Control, Public Works, Garbage, Street & Sign Maintenance, Bulk Household Items, Public Works FAQs and Parks pages, the GB Services request portal (17 categories, none for a dead animal) and the 2026 DPW Information Guide, plus the Brown County Highway, Sheriff and Resource Recovery pages, and found no service, no fee and no curb rule. Published contact: (920) 448-3535; after hours, weekends and holidays (920) 492-3735.
Kenosha: City of Kenosha Department of Public Works, Street Division
Kenosha publishes one dead-animal service, and it is a street service. The Public Works Street Division takes reports of animal carcasses and road kill as street debris at 262-653-4070, weekdays 7 a.m. Published contact: 262-653-4070.
Racine: City of Racine Department of Customer Service (referral published by the City of Racine Public Health Department)
Racine publishes one removal referral and it stops at the roadway: the Public Health Department's animals page sends an animal "domestic or wild, killed on the roadway" to City Customer Service at (262) 636-9171, weekdays 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and no page says whether that pickup is free or which crew does it. For a carcass anywhere else the same page tells the resident to handle it with a shovel and gloves, bag it and put it in the solid waste container. Published contact: (262) 636-9171.
Appleton: City of Appleton Department of Public Works, under Municipal Code Sec. 15-33(i)
Appleton's only dead-animal service sits in the municipal code, not on a web page. Sec.
Oshkosh: City of Oshkosh Public Works, Sanitation Division (Animal Remains Removal Request) and Street Department
Oshkosh publishes one dead-animal service and it stops at the terrace. The Sanitation Division's Animal Remains Removal Request covers 'animal remains in public areas, road ways, terrace, etc.', and the police FAQ sends a dead animal in the roadway or terrace to the Street Department at (920) 236-5380. Published contact: (920) 236-5380 (Street Department); (920) 232-5383 (Sanitation Division office, 639 Witzel Avenue).
Eau Claire: City of Eau Claire Community Services Department (Streets Division)
Eau Claire publishes exactly one private-property answer and it is for deer: call Community Services at 715-839-4963 and the City retrieves the deer if it is on the boulevard; a deer that dies in the yard goes on a plastic tarp and is dragged to the boulevard, because the City will not go onto the property. The page never says whether that pickup is free, and it covers no other species. Published contact: 715-839-4963.
La Crosse: City of La Crosse Street Department (wildlife on a city roadway); La Crosse Police Department Animal Control via non-emergency dispatch (dog or cat found deceased on the street)
La Crosse publishes no dead-animal pickup for private property, free or paid, and the word 'free' appears on none of the pages reviewed. The City's only instruction is an archived 311 Knowledge Base entry (the live page returned a 404 on September 15, 2026): small deceased wildlife is bagged into the resident's own garbage cart, wildlife on a city roadway is reported to the Street Department at (608) 789-7340, a carcass on a county highway goes to the County Highway Shop at (608) 786-3810, and a dog or cat found deceased on the street goes to Police Animal Control through dispatch at (608) 782-7575. Published contact: (608) 789-7340 Street Department; (608) 782-7575 non-emergency dispatch.
Every source cited in the guides
Tier 1 is statute and administrative code, tier 2 a state agency's own page, tier 3 a county, city or local body's page. Each guide carries its own list; this is the union.
- Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 506 NR 506.07(1)(d) immediate compaction and cover of animal carcasses at a landfill; NR 506.095 prohibited items, which do not include carcasses
- Wis. Stat. § 289.43(9) DNR may not regulate a carcass buried under §§ 95.35 and 95.50 on the owner's property if the owner is a farmer
- Wis. Stat. § 29.063(3), Management of chronic wasting disease DNR authority to regulate transport, possession and disposal of cervid carcasses
- Wis. Stat. § 29.349(2) Animals killed by motor vehicles; possession after notifying the DNR
- Wis. Stat. § 59.54(21) County disposition of dead animals; a county board may remove and may recover cost from a known owner
- Wis. Stat. § 95.50 Transportation and disposal of animal carcasses; carcass means a livestock or other domestic animal; 24/48-hour exposure rule
- Wis. Stat. § 95.72 Dead animal hauler license; exemption for transport for destruction or burial; closed, leakproof or tarped transport on public highways
- Wis. Stat. § 95.99 Chapter 95 penalties: first-offense fine up to $1,000 or forfeiture of $200 to $5,000
- Wisconsin Town Law Forms, model Public Nuisance Ordinance Legislative Reference Bureau template naming unburied animal carcasses, with the time limit left blank; a model, not binding law
- 511 Wisconsin, report form Feedback types are Compliment, Complaint, Suggestion, Question and Report road hazard; no animal category
- DATCP, Livestock Carcass Disposal Rendering, burial, burning, landfilling; composting recommended; leaving a carcass to rot or be scavenged is illegal
- Go Wild, Report a Car Killed Deer or Turkey Online registration; 9-digit DNR Customer ID and date of birth required
- Wisconsin DNR staff directory, Report car killed deer for pickup County sheriff non-emergency numbers for all 72 counties, linked from the WisDOT page
- Wisconsin DNR, Baiting and feeding regulations County bans renew with each new positive; the current list is the map on this page
- Wisconsin DNR, Carcass movement, processing and disposal Landowner options for a dead deer; municipal pickup not guaranteed; solid waste under § 289.01(33); movement recommendation
- Wisconsin DNR, CWD Volunteer Opportunities (Adopt-a-Dumpster) Sponsored deer carcass dumpsters during deer season at DNR-agreed locations
- Wisconsin DNR, Deer Carcass Disposal in Wisconsin FAQ (PUB-WA-1881, 2024) Deer carcasses are solid waste under § 289.01(33); single-carcass burial where generated; no wetlands; landfilling preferred
- Wisconsin DNR, Deer waste disposal sites Many communities accept single carcasses curbside; work with your hauler first; double bag it; dumpster and facility map
- Wisconsin DNR, Guidance on Possession of Wild Animals (PUB-LE-685A-2021) "This guidance does not apply to domestic animals or their parts."
- Wisconsin DNR, Nuisance Wildlife Guidelines (PDF) Landowner may remove listed species on their own land; animals removed must be disposed of in a sanitary manner
- Wisconsin DNR, Nuisance, Urban and Damaging Wildlife DNR refers unsolved nuisance problems to the Wisconsin Trapper Association referral list; no dead-animal service described
- Wisconsin DNR, What to do if you see a sick or dead deer The department does not have the resources to remove dead animals; roadway deer go to the sheriff
- Wisconsin DNR, Wildlife health Bury on your property or double-bag into the trash; do not handle with bare hands
- Wisconsin DNR, Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions Any person may claim a car-killed deer; register before possessing or removing; Go Wild or 608-267-7691
- WisDOT Highway Maintenance Manual 07-15-01, Carcass Removal (July 2025) CKD contracts, two business days, deer only, contractor exclusions, county and local road responsibility, small animals
- WisDOT, Car-Killed Deer 911 in the travel lane; sheriff for state highways; county for county roads; municipality for local roads; location detail requested
- Appleton Municipal Code (Supp. 100) Sec. 15-33(i) small dead animals collected if bagged; Sec. 12-28 24-hour public health nuisance
- Brown County Highway Department, Services Page reads "Please check back for Services."
- City of Eau Claire Municipal Code, Title 8 8.32.090(C) lists carcasses as unacceptable hauler waste
- City of Eau Claire, Deer Hunting in the City Boulevard pickup only; drag the deer to the boulevard on a tarp; the City will not go onto your property
- City of Eau Claire, PD Animal Control FAQs Eau Claire County Humane Association 715-839-4747 for live animals; nothing published on deceased pets
- City of Eau Claire, SeeClickFix Streets category covers debris or animal carcasses in the right-of-way
- City of Green Bay, Animal Control Wild animals referred to a wildlife removal service or pest control; no dead-animal service published
- City of Green Bay, GB Services request portal Seventeen request categories; no dead-animal or animal-complaint type
- City of Kenosha Public Works, Transportation Street Division takes reports of animal carcasses and road kill as street debris, 262-653-4070
- City of La Crosse 311 Knowledge Base (Internet Archive, February 14, 2026) Street Department (608) 789-7340 for wildlife on a city roadway; small wildlife may be bagged into the cart; live URL now returns 404
- City of La Crosse Police, Animal Control Animal Control Technician 608-789-8697, weekdays 8 AM to 4 PM; dispatch 608-782-7575 after hours
- City of Madison Engineering, Dead Animal Collection After 3 PM weekdays; crews cannot go onto private property; terrace, trash container or private company
- City of Madison, Animal Collection (Deer Killed by Car) Separate form; WDNR contractor has 3 days from notification
- City of Milwaukee DNS, Animal Removal DPW Sanitation pickup at the curb, in the street or wrapped in the cart; 414-286-CITY
- City of Milwaukee DPW, Garbage Guidelines All garbage must be in bags; carts over 200 pounds will not be collected
- City of Oshkosh, Animal Remains Removal Request Sanitation form for animal remains in public areas, roadways and terrace
- City of Racine Public Health, Animal Bites & Rabies Roadway animals to Customer Service 262-636-9171; deceased animals bagged into the solid waste container
- Coulee Region Humane Society, Animal Control "Found Deceased Pet" for Onalaska and county villages and townships; City of La Crosse concerns directed to the police
- Dane County Humane Society, Euthanasia and Cremation Owners may bring a pet that died at home for cremation; appointment at 608-838-0413 ext. 100
- Dane County Landfill, Clean Sweep Animal carcasses routed through the special waste form
- Eau Claire County Highway Department FAQs Deer removed from county highways only when a hazard; state highways reported to the sheriff or the county
- Fox Valley Humane Association, Contracted Municipalities Appleton's contracted animal-control shelter, 920-733-1717; nothing published on deceased pets
- HAWS, Other Services Waukesha County shelter; euthanasia and private cremation by appointment, 262-542-8851; no pickup
- La Crosse County 2026 Solid Waste Permit Guidelines Animal Remains listed as unacceptable waste at the Resource Recovery Facility
- La Crosse County, 2026 Solid Waste Permit Guidelines Animal Remains listed as unacceptable at the Xcel Energy Resource Recovery Facility
- MADACC FAQs No removal of dead animals from roadsides, public areas or residences
- Milwaukee Code of Ordinances, Chapter 78 s. 78-49: 12-hour removal duty on whoever owns or controls a dead animal
- Milwaukee Code of Ordinances, Chapter 79 79-2-5: small dead animals in the public right-of-way collected by the department
- Oshkosh Area Humane Society FAQs Takes in deceased cats and dogs and coordinates cremation; 920-424-2128 ext. 114
- Oshkosh Police Department, stray and wild animals FAQ Street Department (920) 236-5380 for roadway or terrace; police will not remove wild animals from residences
- Public Health Madison & Dane County, wildlife and pests Animal Services is not licensed to remove wildlife
- Waukesha County DPW, Highway Operations Dead Deer Pick-Up FAQ: county highway or right-of-way only; unable to remove a deer on private property
- Winnebago County, Deer Carcass Disposal Program Scale fee waived October 1 to December 31 for county residents who process their own deer, at 100 W County Road Y, Oshkosh
- Wisconsin Humane Society, End of Life Services Cremation "as a standalone resource after your pet has already passed away" at its shelters; drop-off
- Wisconsin Humane Society, Racine Campus 262-554-6699; deceased-pet intake not listed on the campus page
Wisconsin resources: questions
Where is the Wisconsin rule that says the state removes dead animals from highways?
How do I report a dead animal on a Wisconsin highway?
Which DNR pages carry the chronic wasting disease carcass guidance?
Is there a Wisconsin statute for a dead wild animal on private property?
Who registers a car-killed deer in Wisconsin, and when?
Nothing above will come to your yard
The sources above settle whose road it is, and tell a homeowner what to do alone. None of them sends anyone out. Say what the animal is and where it is lying: on a road you get the agency that maintains it, and on your own lot you get a straight answer on whether anyone is available for the address. If someone is, the price comes from them on that same call.