Just got back from a trip and...

[Guest Danne941]

So my brother and I go to Northeast Iowa to visit family (97% of my family lives there still) and we decided to head to Cabela's in Prairie du Chen, WI. After we spend some time there looking I was able to get a decent deal on some .223 ammo and it was a cool enough store. On the way back through town I see an older sporting good store called "Starks" and we stop in but this is not just any old sporting goods store sure they sold all of the typical things guns, licences, and fishing items but what really caught my eye was not the fine Wisconsin cheese thrown in the mix but the HUGE selection of liquor they sold right along with everything else, it was pretty wild. Wisconsin must have some lax gun and liquor laws good for them! (err for the gun laws that is...)

Edited October 13, 2009 by Danne941

[JeffL]

Cool. WI doesn't issue handgun carry permits, so they're not entirely lax. Your post needs more sentences w/ periods and everything.

[Guest Swamprunner]

Ya, sure, you can buy liquor in the grocery stores up dare in WisCONsin, too, eh?

[Guest Danne941]

Ya, sure, you can buy liquor in the grocery stores up dare in WisCONsin, too, eh?

Yea I always have to laugh at the accent!

[Guest db99wj]

They have it all in the stores, you just can't own any of it...ok it's not that bad, but yea, no permits, no carry privileges. Have a Jeep forum friend that lives up there, Marine, and he just picked up a HK, he is hopeful, according to his congressman, that carry laws are close to being passed up there.

[Kegger]

They say open carry is legal. Though you will be arrested rather quickly if you do it.

I hope the can push the Gov. to sign a carry law, it's about damn time they do.

[Guest Brad_Krause]

Hopefully I can address a few misunderstandings, as I'm from Wisconsin and carry daily.

Most of us would not say, "Yah, joost poot dat over der, hey." The closer to "Canadia" you get, the more the accent.

Wisconsin has some restrictive laws, such as the vehicle, school zone, bar, public building, and concealed carry bans. Before a person decides to carry in any state they should know the related laws.

With some limitations, if you can legally poses a firearm in Wisconsin you can openly carry it in public. The other day a fellow from Michigan was surprised to learn he could carry in Wisconsin, and didn't need his Michigan permit to do so. He then said, "But my pistol hasn't been inspected," so I told him to make sure it was functioning properly. Unlike in Michigan, an individual is responsible for their own property.

Police detention is a separate issue. Every state has at least one case of a person who lawfully carried a sidearm being wrongfully detained or arrested. Wisconsin Attorney General Van Hollen said the following: "It is not unlawful, barring other facts and circumstances, to openly carry a firearm in Wisconsin." "This is offered as guidance to Wisconsin's prosecutors when making charging decisions. It will also assist Wisconsin law enforcement in the exercise of their duty to keep the peace, protect rights and enforce the law."

See the full text here:

http://www.doj.state.wi.us/news/files/FinalOpenCarryMemo.pdf

It may be the case that some police departments choose to break the law by unlawfully detaining and possibly even arresting individuals where there is no lawful reason to do so. There's probably a better chance of getting that resolved than in a state such as Louisiana, for instance, but only if individuals take a stand, which is the same in every state (and Washington DC).

If you decide to carry while in Wisconsin, please first understand state statutes, and then do so safely and within the legal limitations. The state preempts county and local branches of government from enacting ordinances that are more stringent than state statues, so if you understand state laws you should be fine.

Brad Krause

AACFI Certified Basic Handgun Instructor

MN Department of Public Safety Certified Permit To Carry Instructor

National Rifle Association Certified Firearms Instructor

Wisconsin Civil Rights Advocate