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Southern Farmland deer zone · West Central
Crawford County Hunting
Crawford County sits in the Southern Farmland deer zone. Here are its 1 deer unit, 2026 antlerless quotas, CWD sampling, bear and turkey zones, public land with acres and the 2026-27 season table.
Photo: chief_huddleston (CC BY 2.0)
In west-central Wisconsin, Crawford County takes in 571 square miles around its seat, Prairie du Chien. Population in 2024 stood at 16,008, down 0.6% from 2020. The whole county is Southern Farmland for deer, with 1 unit on the DNR map. For a DNR desk, hunters here use the DNR La Crosse Service Center. 14 public tracts reach into the county; Upper Mississippi River Refuge – McGregor District is the largest.
Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates (population), DNR region from the DNR staff pages, deer zones from the DNR deer zone layer, service centers from DNR office locations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Crawford County
Deer management units covering Crawford County
Quotas follow units, not county lines: the 1 unit reaching Crawford County carry 4,000 antlerless deer between them in 2026. Buy a deer license and select the Farmland unit here, and 3 antlerless authorizations arrive with it. Bonus antlerless authorizations sell first come, one a day, at $12 for residents and $20 for nonresidents.
| Deer unit | Zone | 2026 quota | Initial public | Initial private | Still for sale Oct 19 | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford | Southern Farmland | 4,000 | 350 | 1,000 | 350 / 1,000 | 3 |
Antlerless Holiday Hunt
Holiday Hunt dates for Crawford County: Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Bucks are off limits for every weapon during it. Bows and crossbows stay legal into January, Jan 4 to Jan 31, 2027.
Gun deer dates
Nov 21 to Nov 29, 2026 is the nine-day gun hunt; the muzzleloader week is Nov 30 to Dec 9, 2026 and the December 4-day antlerless hunt Dec 10 to Dec 13, 2026.
Quotas and initial bonus counts from the DNR 2026 antlerless quota and initial permit availability (approved June 24, 2026); unsold counts and free Farmland tags from the bonus availability page as of Oct. 19, 2026; Holiday Hunt and extended archery from the 2026 season map; dates from the deer regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Crawford County buck and antlerless harvest
The 2025 total for the Crawford unit was 5,420 deer, 58% of them antlerless. The high point of the series, which starts in 1960, was 2008 with 5,725 deer.
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,278 | 3,142 | 5,420 |
| 2024 | 2,312 | 2,755 | 5,067 |
| 2023 | 2,308 | 2,759 | 5,067 |
| 2022 | 2,163 | 2,665 | 4,828 |
| 2021 | 2,027 | 2,300 | 4,327 |
| 2020 | 2,126 | 2,809 | 4,935 |
| 2019 | 1,758 | 2,296 | 4,054 |
| 2018 | 2,160 | 2,778 | 4,938 |
| 2017 | 1,890 | 2,180 | 4,070 |
| 2016 | 1,991 | 2,755 | 4,746 |
Season to date, 2026 (preliminary)
| Row | Antlered | Antlerless | To date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford | 77 | 168 | 245 |
DNR Deer Metrics harvest history (registered deer, all seasons and weapons; values read from the DNR chart), 2025 forest DMU figures from the same source, and the DNR 2026 total harvest to date (preliminary). Checked October 19, 2026.
Crawford County: CWD tests by year
5,216 wild deer from Crawford County have been tested since 1999, and 267 carried CWD. In CWD year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026) 623 deer were sampled and 82 were positive. Deer baiting and feeding are prohibited across Crawford County (a CWD or TB positive in or within 10 miles of the county). Donation rule: test all deer.
| CWD year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 21 | 4 |
| 2025 | 623 | 82 |
| 2024 | 539 | 60 |
| 2023 | 498 | 37 |
| 2022 | 438 | 28 |
| 2021 | 413 | 23 |
| 2020 | 446 | 17 |
| 2019 | 446 | 3 |
| 2018 | 397 | 9 |
| 2017 | 227 | 2 |
| 2016 | 122 | 1 |
| 2015 | 29 | 1 |
CWD testing guide · Baiting and feeding rules
CWD sampling from the DNR CWD summary by county (wild deer, data released through Oct. 18, 2026; CWD year runs April 1-March 31, 2026 partial); baiting from the DNR baiting and feeding page and its map; donation testing from the Deer Donation Program. Checked October 19, 2026.
Bear, turkey and bird zones in Crawford County
Bear drawing and harvest
Zone E sets the bear rules in Crawford County, a no-hound zone. No bears were credited to Crawford County in 2024 or 2025.
| Zone | 2026 target | Permits drawn | Min points | Applicants | 2025 harvest | Hounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone E | 185 | 2,628 | 1 | 2,628 | 128 | No |
Wild turkey
Crawford County is in turkey zone 1. Spring authorizations are zone and period specific; 2027 levels are not out yet, so the 2025 figures are shown. Zone 1 spring authorizations issued in 2025: 64,574 combined.
| Zone | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Success, 2025 | 2025 birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 61,121 | 60,523 | 62,058 | 62,329 | 64,574 | 21% | 13,813 |
Upland and waterfowl
The Zone B grouse season covers Oct 17 to Dec 8, 2026. The DNR plans to stock 880 pheasants in 2026 on Kickapoo River Wildlife Area – Bell Center Unit and Kickapoo River Wildlife Area – Wauzeka Unit. Goose hunters near the river: west of the BNSF tracks is the Mississippi River zone.
Bear drawing by zone · Turkey zone details
Bear zones from the DNR bear zone layer; targets, permits and points from the 2026 bear drawing summary; harvest from the DNR 2025 bear report and 2024 report; turkey levels from the DNR turkey reports (2025 levels; 2027 not yet published); elk from the DNR elk page; bird zones from the DNR zone layers. Checked October 19, 2026.
Crawford County public hunting land
The list holds every public property touching Crawford County, 14 in all, largest first within each type. Another 1,766 acres of privately owned forest are open to the public under Managed Forest Law. Crawford County has 0 VPA-HIP and 2 turkey access leases on private ground.
- Refuge district (1 here)Upper Mississippi River Refuge – McGregor District (23,685 acres*)
- 2 state wildlife areasKickapoo River Wildlife Area – Wauzeka Unit (5,577 acres), Kickapoo River Wildlife Area – Bell Center Unit (1,670 acres)
- State natural areas, 6 listedRush Creek State Natural Area (3,108 acres), Hogback Prairie State Natural Area (1,182 acres), Richwood Bottoms State Natural Area (935 acres*), Wauzeka Bottoms State Natural Area (879 acres), Kickapoo Wild Woods State Natural Area (635 acres), Limery Ridge Savanna State Natural Area (205 acres)
- State fishery areas (3)Tainter and McGraw Creeks (1,385 acres*), Gordon's Bay Landing Public Acces (28 acres), Knapp Creek Fishery Area (12 acres)
- State habitat area in the county (1)Rush Creek Streambank Protection Area (345 acres*)
- Other DNR land: 1Blackhawk-Kickapoo Watershed (229 acres)
Bigger units that cross the county: Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Upper Mississippi River Refuge – Winona District, Mississippi River Nine-Foot Channel Project Lands (USACE, Wisconsin Pools).
Nearby in other counties: Woodman Lake Sand Prairie and Dead Lake State Natural Area (12 miles, 286 acres), Adiantum Woods State Natural Area (12 miles, 273 acres), Millville Oak Woodlands State Natural Area (13 miles, 1,267 acres), Knapp Creek Fishery Area (Remnant) (15 miles, 52 acres).
Rem-Rush Creek does not allow hunting or trapping.
All Wisconsin public land · Managed Forest Law land · THAP
Public land from the DNR managed lands layer and property pages, DNR state natural area, county forest and federal records; county forest acres from the DNR county forest acreage report (July 1, 2021); MFL open acres from the DNR MFL report; leases from the DNR VPA-HIP and THAP lists. Acres within 10 miles of the county seat are a GIS measure. Checked October 19, 2026.
Crawford County hunting dates, fall 2026 to spring 2027
20 species and 43 segments reach Crawford County. The last column compares each one with today.
| Quarry | Season | Zone | From | To | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery and crossbow | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth and disabled gun deer hunt | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun deer (9-day) | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Statewide antlerless-only (December 4-day hunt) | Statewide | Dec 10, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Crawford | Dec 24, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Extended archery and crossbow | Extended archery | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 1 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 1 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 1 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 1 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 1 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | |
| Pheasant | Pheasant | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Bobwhite Quail | Bobwhite quail | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| Hungarian partridge | Hungarian partridge | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Squirrel | Squirrel | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Cottontail | Cottontail rabbit | Southern cottontail zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Snowshoe Hare | Snowshoe hare | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| American Crow | Crow | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Mar 24, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Youth waterfowl hunt | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck (split 1) | Southern Duck Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck (split 2) | Southern Duck Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 1) | Southern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 1) | Mississippi River Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Southern Goose Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Mississippi River Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (holiday split) | Southern Goose Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 2, 2027 | |
| Canada goose | Early Canada goose | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon (resident) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon (nonresident) | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red and gray fox | Fox (red and gray) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Coyote (hunting) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Bobcat | Bobcat Period 1 (hunting and trapping) | Northern Zone (State Hwy. 64 line) | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat Period 1 (hunting and trapping) | Southern Zone (State Hwy. 64 line) | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat Period 2 (hunting and trapping) | Northern Zone (State Hwy. 64 line) | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat Period 2 (hunting and trapping) | Southern Zone (State Hwy. 64 line) | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Unprotected species | Unprotected species (opossum, skunk, weasel, woodchuck, porcupine, starling, English sparrow, chukar, coturnix quail, etc.) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fall 2026-Spring 2027 hunting regulations and season dates, checked October 19, 2026.
Crawford County town guides and adjacent counties
Crawford County has 4 town guides, each with the public land within reach, nearby services and daily shooting hours.
- Prairie du Chienseat · 5,472 residents (2024) · 16,036 public acres close by
- Eastman341 residents (2024) · 17,036 public acres close by
- Wauzeka620 residents (2024) · 20,549 public acres close by
- De Sotopartly here · 326 residents (2024) · 13,122 public acres close by
3 Wisconsin counties surround Crawford County, with Allamakee (IA) and Clayton (IA) over the state line.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Crawford County: legal hunting light
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Crawford County lies in longitude Zone D, so add 12 minutes to each table time.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery, fall turkey and grouse opener | 6:07 a.m. to 7:39 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:38 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:51 a.m. to 6:33 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:12 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:40 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:52 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. | 6:47 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:11 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:13 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
Deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey table times from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources shooting hours tables, plus the Zone D offset of 12 minutes for longitude 90.94 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Burning rules in Crawford County
Today's Crawford County status is on the Wisconsin burn ban list.
- Permit season: Within DNR forest fire protection areas, whenever the ground is not completely snow-covered.
- Counties outside DNR burning-permit authority (per DNR daily restrictions on 2026-10-27): Crawford County is not on this list.
- Who declares bans: The Wisconsin DNR, through daily county burning restrictions and permit suspensions within its forest fire protection areas (NR 30.05 emergency burning regulations; NR 45.07(3) emergency use and burning rules on DNR lands by posted notice).
- Warming fires: DNR-managed lands (NR 45.07): no fire on the ground and no burning refuse except in designated fireplaces or fire rings.
Crawford County ranges and matches
1 range in Crawford County, from the DNR range layer and directory listings checked October 19, 2026.
trap, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader on file
Nearest range on the DNR public range map: Viola Sportsman's Club in Vernon County, about 21 miles from the county center.
Next local shoots
| Date and event | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2027: Prairie du Chien Shootout 3D | NASP | Event details |
| Feb 6, 2027: Prairie du Chien Shootout Bullseye | NASP | Event details |
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
Crawford County processors, taxidermists and shops
Businesses inside Crawford County come first, then those in bordering counties by distance.
DNR and agency offices
DNR service centers keep weekday counter hours, 8:30 to 4; field offices are by appointment only.
Meat processors
Taxidermy
Gun and bow shops
DNR service centers and field offices from DNR office locations; processors from the Deer Donation Program list, DNR CWD sampling station partners and directory listings; shops from the DNR license agent layer and directories. Checked October 19, 2026; call ahead. All Wisconsin hunting services.
Banquets, trials and hunts in Crawford County
2 upcoming events (Learn to Hunt and NWTF banquet), retrieved October 19, 2026.
On the calendar
| Dates | Name | Place | Link | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4–Dec 6, 2026 | Learn to Hunt Deer – Crawford & Grant County / Learn to Hunt | Prairie du Chien Crawford Co. | Sign up | Source |
| Mar 22, 2027 | Bluff Country Long Spurs NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | North Highway K Prairie Du Chien Prairie Du Chien Crawford Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Crawford County hunting questions
How does Crawford County rank for registered deer?
23rd of the 61 county-named units in 2025 (5,420 deer).
How many free antlerless tags come with a license in Crawford County?
3 in the Farmland unit; forest units get none.
Is there a baiting ban in Crawford County?
Yes.
How common is CWD in Crawford County?
267 positives in 5,216 samples since 1999.
What turkey zone is Crawford County in?
Zone 1.
Under which bear zone does Crawford County fall?
Zone E, by the DNR bear zone layer.
How do I register a deer shot in Crawford County?
Through GameReg (online, phone or an in-person station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Which wildlife areas are in Crawford County?
Kickapoo River Wildlife Area – Wauzeka Unit and Kickapoo River Wildlife Area – Bell Center Unit.
Can a Crawford County hunter donate venison?
Yes, through the DNR Deer Donation Program at participating processors; Eastman Locker, Kickapoo Locker Service and The Butcher Shop are nearest.
Is blaze pink legal in Crawford County?
Yes. Fluorescent pink meets the same 50% rule as blaze orange.
Answers from the DNR Fall 2026-Spring 2027 regulations, registration rules, blaze orange rules, DNR harvest and CWD data and the sources cited above. Checked October 19, 2026.
Crawford County trip checklist
Unit lines in Crawford County follow roads and habitat as well as county borders, so confirm your DMU on the DNR map before you buy tags.
Sources: DNR Fall 2026-Spring 2027 hunting regulations, season dates, Wisconsin DNR hunting, Census and the agencies linked in each section. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); Susan Young (Public Domain Mark 1.0); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); Don Henise (CC BY 2.0).