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Northern Region county guide
Lincoln County Hunting
Hunting Lincoln County in 2026-27: the Northern Forest and Central Farmland zone rules, every DMU that crosses the county, bonus antlerless availability, CWD and baiting, public land, towns, services and shooting hours.
Photo: David Jakes (CC BY 2.0)
879 square miles of land make up Lincoln County, and Merrill holds the county offices. Roughly 28,461 residents in 2024 works out to near 32 people a square mile. The deer zone line splits the county: 78% Northern Forest and 22% Central Farmland. DNR walk-in help is at the Rhinelander service center, 26 miles from the middle of the county. Hunters can choose among 19 public properties here, the biggest being Lincoln County Forest.
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.
Lincoln County deer units, quotas and tags
3,935 antlerless deer is the 2026 quota sum for the 6 DMUs on this table, each counted whole. The Farmland unit includes 1 antlerless authorization per license at no extra cost; choose the unit and public or private land when you buy. The Northwoods and Central Forest units here (DMU 116, DMU 119, DMU 120, DMU 121 and DMU 123) rely on bonus sales for antlerless deer; DMU 116 is buck-only for the bonus program. Price of a bonus antlerless authorization: $12 resident, $20 nonresident; buyers are held to one a day.
| Unit | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Bonus (public land) | Bonus (private land) | Remaining Oct 19 | Free tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 116 | Northern Forest | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 / 0 | — |
| DMU 119 | Northern Forest | 1,190 | 1,250 | 4,650 | 487 / 3,743 | — |
| DMU 120 | Northern Forest | 545 | 500 | 1,800 | 124 / 1,163 | — |
| DMU 121 | Northern Forest | 695 | 1,500 | 2,000 | 73 / 864 | — |
| DMU 123 | Northern Forest | 795 | 1,500 | 2,200 | 788 / 1,624 | — |
| Lincoln Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 710 | 0 | 1,900 | 0 / 1,802 | 1 |
Late seasons
Lincoln County is a Farmland county with no additional late season: no Holiday Hunt and no extended archery.
November gun hunt
Firearm deer dates: gun Nov 21 to Nov 29, 2026, muzzleloader Nov 30 to Dec 9, 2026, December antlerless-only 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.
Lincoln County deer, year by year
Lincoln County produced 1,426 registered deer in 2025, 55th among the 61 county-named units. Ten seasons earlier, in 2015, the unit registered 2,437 (-41% since). The 2025 number counts the Farmland unit only. Forest units in the county (DMU 116, DMU 119, DMU 120, DMU 121 and DMU 123) are listed below.
| Harvest year | Antlered | Antlerless | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 718 | 708 | 1,426 |
| 2024 | 1,930 | 1,207 | 3,137 |
| 2023 | 1,694 | 1,107 | 2,801 |
| 2022 | 2,278 | 1,538 | 3,816 |
| 2021 | 1,860 | 1,048 | 2,908 |
| 2020 | 1,664 | 1,258 | 2,922 |
| 2019 | 1,497 | 1,176 | 2,673 |
| 2018 | 2,267 | 1,955 | 4,222 |
| 2017 | 2,468 | 1,878 | 4,346 |
| 2016 | 2,186 | 845 | 3,031 |
Forest units in Lincoln County, 2025
| Forest unit | Antlered | Antlerless | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 116 | 917 | 301 | 1,218 |
| DMU 119 | 1,502 | 1,014 | 2,516 |
| DMU 120 | 726 | 429 | 1,155 |
| DMU 121 | 1,001 | 614 | 1,615 |
| DMU 123 | 1,027 | 699 | 1,726 |
2026 early-season deer, preliminary
| Unit (as DNR lists it) | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 116 | 105 | 8 | 113 |
| DMU 119 | 136 | 100 | 236 |
| DMU 120 | 62 | 48 | 110 |
| DMU 121 | 122 | 91 | 213 |
| DMU 123 | 80 | 55 | 135 |
| Lincoln | 67 | 98 | 161 |
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.
Deer disease and baiting, Lincoln County
The DNR CWD summary lists 1 positive wild deer for Lincoln County from 2,880 samples. For CWD year 2025 the county logged 152 samples and 0 detections. Lincoln County is one of 60 counties where baiting and feeding deer are banned. Donation rule: test adult deer.
| Year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 152 | 0 |
| 2024 | 148 | 0 |
| 2023 | 164 | 0 |
| 2022 | 166 | 0 |
| 2021 | 219 | 0 |
| 2020 | 218 | 0 |
| 2019 | 282 | 0 |
| 2018 | 419 | 0 |
| 2017 | 47 | 1 |
| 2016 | 13 | 0 |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 |
Statewide CWD page · Bait rules statewide
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.
Lincoln County bear, turkey and upland zones
Bear numbers
For bears, Lincoln County is zone B (45%), A (45%) and C (11%). Hunting with hounds is permitted there. In 2025 the county gave up 123 bears after 142 in 2024.
| Zone | Target 2026 | Permits | Fewest points | Applicants | 2025 harvest | Hounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone B | 850 | 1,545 | 11 | 5,071 | 841 | Yes |
| Zone A | 1,100 | 1,675 | 11 | 11,648 | 1,161 | Yes |
| Zone C | 875 | 4,465 | 2 | 7,605 | 661 | No |
| Year | Bears | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 123 | 54 | 69 |
| 2024 | 142 | 63 | 79 |
Turkeys in Lincoln County
Zone 4 (50%) and 5 (49%) sets the turkey authorizations in Lincoln County; 2025 is the most recent year with published levels. Spring 2025 brought 47,005 authorizations to zone 4/5.
| Turkey zone | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Success rate | Harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 4 | 34,115 | 34,373 | 34,964 | 34,994 | 34,997 | 24% | 8,472 |
| Zone 5 | 11,999 | 12,000 | 11,998 | 12,010 | 12,008 | 20% | 2,446 |
Zones for birds and rabbits
Zone A grouse dates: Sep 12, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027.
Compare bear zones · All turkey zones
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.
Public land on the Lincoln County map
19 listed properties reach into Lincoln County; acres for properties that cross a county line are the whole property. The county owns 100,843 acres of forest open to hunting, per the 2021 DNR county forest report. The 2026 MFL report lists 57,578 acres open to public hunting in Lincoln County.
- County forest: 1Lincoln County Forest (100,843 ac)
- 1 conservation easementTomahawk Timberlands Conservation Easement (new Wood Trct) (16,923 ac)
- State wildlife areas: 4New Wood Wildlife Area (2,700 ac), Bill Cross Wildlife Area (1,520 ac), Spirit Falls State Habitat Area (489 ac), Rice River Flowage State Habitat Area (330 ac)
- State fishery areas (3 here)Yellow Lake Statewide Habitat Area (2,536 ac*), Big Rib River (727 ac*), Little Haymeadow Creek Fish Area (11 ac)
- 6 ice age trail areasCamp 27 State Ice Age Trail Area (1,929 ac), Knob Creek State Ice Age Trail Area (141 ac), Parallel Ridges State Ice Age Trail Area (64 ac), Prairie River State Ice Age Trail Area (17 ac), Town of Corning State Ice Age Trail Area, Town of Rock Falls State Ice Age Trail Area
- Other DNR land (1)Menard Island Resource Area (1,667 ac*)
- State park, 1 listedCouncil Grounds State Park (493 ac)
- State natural areas in the county (2)Lily Lake State Natural Area (80 ac), Krueger Pines State Natural Area (29 ac)
Multi-county properties here: Wisconsin Forest Legacy Program Easements (unnamed tracts), DNR State-Owned Islands, DNR Gift Lands.
Land by type · County forest system · MFL open lands
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.
Season dates that cover Lincoln County
Lincoln County sits in the Northern Forest and Central Farmland deer zone. These 39 rows are the dated hunting segments the DNR schedule puts there, from the September archery opener into spring turkey.
| Game | Season | Applies in | Begins | Through | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone B/A | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone C | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone B/A | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone B/A | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 4/5 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 4/5 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 4/5 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 4/5 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 4/5 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 4/5 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 4/5 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 4/5 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone A | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| 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 | Northern cottontail zone | Sep 12, 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 | Northern Duck Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose | Northern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| 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.
Lincoln County towns, plus bordering counties
Towns for Lincoln County hunters, starting with the courthouse town.
- Merrillseat of county · 9,445 people · 6,590 mapped public acres nearby
- Tomahawk3,390 people · 41,459 mapped public acres nearby
Lincoln County touches 5 other Wisconsin counties.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Lincoln County: legal hunting light
Deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey: 30 minutes before sunrise until 20 minutes after sunset. Ducks, geese, doves and spring turkey: same start, done at sunset.
| Day | Reason | Northern table | Southern table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery, fall turkey and grouse opener | 6:03 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:47 a.m. to 6:29 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:32 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:08 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:36 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:48 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:07 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:09 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 4:54 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 C offset of 8 minutes for longitude 89.73 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Fires, permits and bans around Lincoln County
Today's Lincoln 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): Lincoln County is not on this list.
- Burn bans come from: 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).
- Campfires while hunting: DNR-managed lands (NR 45.07): no fire on the ground and no burning refuse except in designated fireplaces or fire rings.
Lincoln County: where to shoot
Inside the county line: 2 ranges, from rod and gun clubs to public map ranges and archery lanes.
trap, archery, shotgun on file
About 27 miles away, Village of Athens Sporting Range is the closest range the DNR maps as public.
Upcoming in Lincoln County
| Date and match | Category | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1-3, 2027: Merrill Gun Show | Gun show | Full details |
| May 2, 2027: Participants in the Hermitage Gun Club .410 shoot from . | Trap | Full details |
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
Lincoln County DNR offices and hunting businesses
Gas stations and hardware stores that only sell licenses are left out; these are hunting shops.
DNR service center and offices
Service center counters are open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays; field offices see visitors by appointment.
Butchering and processing
Taxidermists
Guides and preserves
Hunting shops nearby
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.
Lincoln County, dinners, hunts and trials
On file here: 1 upcoming event (hunters ball).
Dates ahead
| When | Event | Location | Tickets or entry | Posted at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 29, 2026 | Hunters Ball at Rockfalls Rod and Gun Club / Hunters ball | Rockfalls Rod and Gun Club Tomahawk Lincoln Co. | Event details | Source |
Lincoln County: short answers
Which deer management units cover Lincoln County?
DMU 116, DMU 119, DMU 120, DMU 121, DMU 123 and Lincoln Central Farmland, per the DNR county-to-unit list.
Are bonus antlerless tags left for Lincoln County?
DMU 116: 0 public, 0 private, DMU 119: 487 public, 3,743 private and DMU 120: 124 public, 1,163 private as of Oct. 19, 2026.
How many deer were registered in Lincoln County in 2025?
1,426: 718 bucks and 708 antlerless.
What happens if my Lincoln County deer tests positive?
You earn a replacement authorization: a statewide buck tag for an antlered deer, a same-unit tag for an antlerless one.
May hunters bait deer anywhere in Lincoln County?
Not here: deer baiting and feeding are prohibited.
What are the bear dates in Lincoln County?
Sep 9 to Oct 13, 2026, with the zone windows in the season table.
How do I register a turkey from Lincoln County?
Online or by phone through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery; there are no in-person stations.
What is the largest public property in Lincoln County?
Lincoln County Forest, 100,843 acres.
Do I register geese shot in Lincoln County?
No. Wisconsin has had no state goose registration since 2017; HIP certification is required.
Do I need blaze orange in Lincoln County?
Yes, during any firearm deer season: 50% of outer clothing above the waist, orange or fluorescent pink.
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.
Last word on Lincoln County seasons
If anything here disagrees with the DNR regulations, the regulations win.
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: ThreeIfByBike (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); chumlee10 (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS Mountain-Prairie (CC BY 2.0).