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Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area hunting guide
Everything we could verify about Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area: acreage, zones, property rules, harvest around it and nearby ground.
Photo: wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
The short version on Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
In Portage, Wood and Marathon counties you will find Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area, a DNR-owned State Natural Area. On the DNR map it belongs to the West Central Region. The managing body is the Wisconsin DNR. At 932 acres it sits 55th by area in a field of 449 state natural areas. It is State Natural Area No. 373. About 5 miles north of Milladore. Look up George W. Mead Wildlife Area for the wider property it sits in.
From the source page (WI DNR SNA parcel ownership GIS OWNER_ACRE_AMT, WDNR-owned parcels); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area, as the managers tell it
Word for word from the property page.
Mead Conifer Bogs are extensive areas containing northern wet forests dominated by black spruce and tamarack. Both species are reproducing well. The center of the tract is dominated by black spruce, which is gradually replaced by larger tamaracks at the perimeter. Ground cover is a firm carpet of sphagnum moss dominated by leather-leaf and cotton grass. Poison sumac may be locally abundant. Other species include bog birch, bog-rosemary, Labrador-tea, blueberry, bogbean, yellow blue-bead-lily, bogbean, pitcher plant, bunchberry, Canada mayflower and royal, cinnamon and interrupted fern.
Alder-dogwood shrub-carr dominates on the eastern edge near the uplands. Animal life includes bog lemming, Sandhill crane, American redstart, common yellowthroat and Nashville warbler. Mead Conifer Bogs is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2002.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area: what is allowed
How access works on Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
Hunters and trappers are welcome on DNR-owned SNA acres unless posted; leave vehicles, drones and tents outside and take no plants.
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area: rules from the regulations
From the October youth hunt through the Holiday Hunt, blaze orange or pink covers half of your upper clothing and cap. Mark a ground blind with 144 square inches of blaze orange or pink while firearm deer seasons run. Tree stands: no tree damage, ID on unattended stands, overnight only north of Hwy. 64 during Sept. 1-Jan. 31. Register deer, turkeys and bears through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
What Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area costs in licenses
Buy through Go Wild; the free Farmland tags and bonus tags are marked public-access or private-land, and only public-access ones work here.
Access from the source page; closures from the DNR closed and restricted areas layer; stocking and dove fields from the DNR upland bird layers; rules from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 regulations; prices from Go Wild. Checked October 19, 2026.
Tags and zones for Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
For deer it lies in the Central Farmland zone (Portage, Wood and Marathon). This season the unit quota is 6,000, 4,600 and 6,500 antlerless deer. Zone C bear permits took 2 preference points in 2026; the target is 875 bears. The 2025 spring level for Turkey Zone 3 was 55,612 authorizations; 12,324 birds were registered. Portage, Wood and Marathon counties: CWD found in wild deer, and a CWD-positive deer earns a replacement authorization. No deer bait or feed: Portage, Wood and Marathon counties are a ban county.
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area: antlerless quota and bonus tags
| Deer unit | Zone | 2026 quota | Public bonus left | Private bonus left | Free farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | Central Farmland | 6,000 | 932 | 5,041 | 3 |
| Wood Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 4,600 | 258 | 2,977 | 2 |
| Marathon | Central Farmland | 6,500 | 950 | 3,449 | 2 |
Every other zone Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area touches
| Zone | Detail | Figures | Points or note | Taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bear C | Hounds barred | 875 target, 4,465 permits | 2 points | 663 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey zone 3 | 55,612 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 12,324 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose zone | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Gray wolf zone 4 | No season | Federally listed |
Zones from the DNR zone layers as recorded in lands.json; quotas and bonus tags from the 2026 antlerless quota table; bear figures from the 2026 bear drawing summary and 2025 bear harvest; turkey from the 2025 spring turkey report; CWD and baiting lists from the DNR. Checked October 19, 2026.
Quarry and limits, Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area has no species list on record. Any season open in Portage County is fair game, subject to the property rules.
Below: 44 season rows for Portage County.
Species from the property record (No species list published for this property; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations where hunting is allowed.); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area season calendar, 2026-27
Archery, the nine-day gun hunt, muzzleloader, bear, turkey, upland birds, rabbits, furbearers and the duck and goose splits for Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area.
| Game | Hunt | Zone | First day | Last day | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery and crossbow | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth/disabled gun 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 | December antlerless hunt | Statewide | Dec 10, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Portage | 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 draw | Bear Zone C/F | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 3 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 3 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 3 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 3 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 3 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 3 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 3 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 3 | 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 | |
| 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 | Northern Duck Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 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 | Northern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 1) | Southern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Southern Goose Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| 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 | North of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 1 | South of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | North of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | South of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Unprotected species | Unprotected species | 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.
Units connected to Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area is one of 1 unit that George W. Mead Wildlife Area lists.
Nearest public ground to Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area, mapped
10 more properties lie close to Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area, shown with smaller pins. Acres across them: 61,818.
| Neighbour | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul J. Olson | Wildlife area | 3,415 | 7.3 mi | southeast |
| Dewey Marsh | Wildlife area | 6,035 | 14 mi | east |
| Marathon | County forest | 30,674 | 14 mi | northeast |
| Dewey Marsh | State natural area | 1,222 | 15 mi | east |
| Rib Mountain Talus Forest | State natural area | 136 | 18 mi | north |
| Rib Mountain | State park | 1,555 | 18 mi | northeast |
| McMillan Marsh | Wildlife area | 5,800 | 19 mi | west |
| Little Plover River | Fishery area | 245 | 21 mi | southeast |
| Buena Vista | Wildlife area | 12,539 | 25 mi | southeast |
| Winding Creek Rearing Station | Fishery area | 197 | 26 mi | northwest |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR State Natural Areas parcel ownership GIS (centroid of WDNR-owned parcels) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Registered deer and bears near Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
The 2025 registered deer total for the Portage County unit was 8,384 (3,648 antlered). 2025 was the busiest year shown (8,384 deer) and 2017 the leanest (5,841). The 2026 season to date shows 749 deer in Portage, 445 deer in Wood Central Farmland and 1,280 deer in Marathon; the DNR calls it preliminary. 465 samples, 3 positive: that is Portage County in CWD year 2025. All years combined: 18 of 5,979. 17 bears came out of Portage County in 2025. These numbers describe the county around Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area, not the property alone.
Deer registered near Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
| Year | Bucks registered | Antlerless registered | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,648 | 4,736 | 8,384 |
| 2024 | 3,626 | 4,015 | 7,641 |
| 2023 | 2,967 | 3,592 | 6,559 |
| 2022 | 3,361 | 4,174 | 7,535 |
| 2021 | 3,053 | 3,697 | 6,750 |
| 2020 | 3,141 | 4,347 | 7,488 |
Portage County CWD by year
| CWD year | Samples | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 40 | 0 |
| 2025 | 465 | 3 |
| 2024 | 434 | 2 |
| 2023 | 401 | 2 |
| 2022 | 388 | 2 |
| 2021 | 393 | 1 |
Portage County bear harvest
| Year | Bear harvest | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| 2025 | 17 | 10 | 7 |
Deer from DNR Deer Metrics harvest history and the 2026 harvest to date; CWD from the DNR CWD summary; bears from the DNR bear harvest reports. Checked October 19, 2026.
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area: nearest ranges
About 11 miles separates Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area from Big Eau Pleine Trap Club, the nearest public map range. Closer club options sit beside it.
trap, shotgun on file
trap, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Towns, offices and services around Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
Towns, then services in this county and the next one over.
| Town | County | Distance | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milladore | Wood | 5.0 mi | 267 | 35,693 |
| Junction City | Portage | 6.5 mi | 418 | 29,083 |
| Knowlton | Marathon | 8.2 mi | — | 35,035 |
| Rudolph | Wood | 12 mi | 428 | 5,989 |
Our county write-ups: Portage County, Wood County, Marathon County.
Butchers, mounts and gun counters near Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
Service centers near Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
For Portage County, the DNR points to its DNR Wausau Service Center.
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 19, 2026. Call ahead.
When the shooting day opens and closes at Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area lies in longitude Zone C, so add 8 minutes to each table time.
| Day | Reason | Northern table | Southern table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, 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 89.84 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area in questions and answers
How far is the drive from Milladore to Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area?
Portage, Wood and Marathon counties, roughly 5 miles out of Milladore.
How large is Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area, in acres?
Acreage on record: 932.
Is Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area forest or farmland deer country?
Portage, Wood and Marathon in the Central Farmland zone. The unit quota stands at 6,000, 4,600 and 6,500 antlerless deer this year.
Is there a game list for Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area?
The record lists none, which means all open seasons, within the property rules.
Is Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area good turkey ground?
Apply for Zone 3; spring periods A-F run in 2027 from April 21.
Are hounds allowed for bear at Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area?
Bear Zone C: 4,465 permits drawn for 2026.
What are the CWD and bait rules for Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area?
Deer bait is illegal in Portage, Wood and Marathon counties. Portage, Wood and Marathon counties: CWD-positive deer on record.
Is Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area in the northern or southern duck zone?
Northern duck zone and Northern goose zone. First regular duck day in the Northern Zone: Sep 26.
How fast must I register a kill on Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area?
GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the animal.
Can pink replace orange at Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area?
Yes while gun deer seasons are open; half your upper clothing and hat in orange or fluorescent pink.
What neighbours Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area?
Closest first: Paul J. Olson Wildlife Area (7 miles), Dewey Marsh Wildlife Area (14 miles) and Marathon County Forest (14 miles).
Is a permit required for Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area?
Your Wisconsin license is enough; residents pay $24 for gun deer, $18 for small game.
Who is the land manager for Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area?
The Wisconsin DNR manages it; the land is a DNR-owned State Natural Area.
Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area, final notes
Print the Mead Conifer Bogs State Natural Area map, carry your tags, and check the manager page the week you go.
Sources for this page: DNR: MeadConiferBogs · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).