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Burnett County, Wisconsin
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area: the hunter's file
Deer unit DMU 108, bear and turkey zones, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
- Stevens Creek LandingBoat ramp · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 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.
Key facts for St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area is a DNR-owned State Natural Area in Burnett County. The DNR files it under its Northern Region (the Northwoods). Management sits with the Wisconsin DNR. Acreage: 543, which places it 109th of 449 state natural areas. Not every acre is state land: National Park Service also own part of it, and their rules apply there. Listed as SNA 148. The closest covered town is Grantsburg, around 8 miles off as the crow flies. It belongs to Governor Knowles State Forest.
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 St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area by zone and unit
Deer: Northern Forest zone, DMU 108. 2,850 antlerless deer: the 2026 quota for the unit. Bear hunters here apply for Zone D: 6,847 applied for 2026 and 3,855 permits went out. In Zone 4 turkey hunters held 34,997 spring tags in 2025 (spring 2027 levels are not out yet). Burnett County still allows deer baiting, up to 2 gallons per 40 acres with placement rules.
DMU figures for St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
| Unit | Deer zone | Quota | Public-access bonus | Private bonus | Farmland per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 108 | Northern Forest | 2,850 | 3,017 | 7,467 | — |
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area zone table
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone D | Dogs OK | 1,100 target, 3,855 permits | 2 points | 931 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey 4 | 34,997 spring tags (2025) | 24% success | 8,472 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Ruffed grouse A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf 3 | No hunt | Endangered status |
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.
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area: the property description
Copied from the official listing.
St. Croix Ash Swamp features a range of forest types from mesic uplands adjacent to the St. Croix River through extensive low swamps to droughty uplands on the sandy plain above the river valley. The hardwood swamp is composed of basswood, black ash, American elm, yellow birch, white oak, and red maple with scattered white cedar, balsam fir, and white pine. On the forest floor are small pockets of standing water between the mossy hummocks. The flat sandy uplands are wooded with young oaks.
The river valley contains very steep sides that rise nearly 100 feet above the swamp. Small spring-fed streams and seepages have eroded small pockets and tributary valleys providing diverse microhabitats. The primary soils are Omega sand, Cathro muck, Rifle mucky peat, and Emmett loamy sand. Common nesting birds include winter wren, scarlet tanager, veery, ovenbird, red-eyed vireo, and cerulean warbler, the latter here at its northernmost range limit. St. Croix Ash Swamp is owned by the DNR and National Park Service.
It was designated a State Natural Area in 1979 and later expanded to include the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Access, closures and licenses for St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area: open to whom, and how
Expect open hunting and trapping on the DNR-owned parcels, with no camping, motor vehicles, drones or plant collecting allowed. National Park Service owns part of the site, and its rules govern those acres.
Orange, stands and GameReg at St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
Bowhunters too: when a gun deer season is on, 50% of the coat and hat must be orange or pink, unless you are hunting waterfowl. A ground blind on DNR property needs 144 sq in of orange or pink during gun deer seasons. South of Hwy. 64 every stand and blind leaves with you; north of it, two portable stands per county may stay out Sept. 1-Jan. 31. Use GameReg (online or 844-426-3734) before 5 p.m. the day after the harvest.
Tags and licenses for St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
Licenses sell on Go Wild. On public land, antlerless deer need a public-access authorization for the unit.
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.
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area: parent and sister units
Governor Knowles State Forest is the parent; 5 more units share it.
More of Governor Knowles State Forest
| Name | Kind | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway Point Bottomlands | State natural area | Burnett | 3,992 |
| Trade River Forest and Wetlands | State natural area | Polk | 909 |
| Sterling Barrens | State natural area | Polk | 322 |
| Ekdall Wetlands | State natural area | Burnett | 305 |
| Brant Brook Pines | State natural area | Burnett | 150 |
Which animals St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area lists
The agency names no particular game for St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area: all open seasons apply, within the property rules.
The Burnett County dates (40 rows) follow.
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.
Which seasons are open in St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
Deer dates are statewide in Wisconsin; bear, turkey, grouse, cottontail and waterfowl dates follow zone lines, so only the rows for St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area are listed.
| Species | Season | Where it applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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, Burnett | 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 D/A | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D/A | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D/A | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 4/6 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 4/6 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 4/6 | 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 | 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.
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area: county harvest and CWD tests
Hunters registered 2,861 deer in the Burnett County unit in 2025: 1,327 bucks and 1,534 antlerless. High year on the chart: 2017 at 5,290; low year: 2025 at 2,861. Preliminary 2026 count to Oct. 19: 307 in DMU 108. Burnett County CWD testing (2025): 0 positives out of 130 samples. Cumulative total 0 positives in 3,047 tests. Burnett County bear harvest, 2025: 164. Harvest and CWD figures cover Burnett County as a whole.
Burnett County deer by year
| Year | Buck | Antlerless | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,327 | 1,534 | 2,861 |
| 2024 | 2,240 | 1,588 | 3,828 |
| 2023 | 1,922 | 1,571 | 3,493 |
| 2022 | 2,590 | 2,449 | 5,039 |
| 2021 | 2,379 | 2,201 | 4,580 |
| 2020 | 2,560 | 2,315 | 4,875 |
Testing for CWD, Burnett County
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 130 | 0 |
| 2024 | 144 | 0 |
| 2023 | 152 | 0 |
| 2022 | 187 | 0 |
| 2021 | 169 | 0 |
Bears by year, Burnett County
| Year | Bears | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 224 | 93 | 131 |
| 2025 | 164 | 74 | 90 |
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.
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area pinned among its neighbours
Map of St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area and the 10 nearest public places. That is 48,949 acres of public ground.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Lake Meadow | State natural area | 1,880 | 2.5 mi | east |
| Fish Lake | Wildlife area | 13,533 | 4.2 mi | east |
| Fish Lake Pines | State natural area | 43 | 5.0 mi | east |
| Trade Lake | Fishery area | 1 | 10 mi | southeast |
| Alabama Lake | Wildlife area | 12 | 12 mi | southeast |
| Round Lake | Wildlife area | 24 | 13 mi | southeast |
| Twin Lake Public Access Laketown | Fishery area | 8 | 13 mi | southeast |
| Crex Sand Prairie | State natural area | 80 | 14 mi | northeast |
| Crex Meadows | Wildlife area | 29,800 | 14 mi | northeast |
| Reed Lake Meadow/Barrens | State natural area | 3,568 | 16 mi | northeast |
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) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Towns, processors and DNR desks near St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a butcher and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grantsburg | Burnett | 7.9 mi | 1,372 | 59,716 |
| Frederic | Polk | 18 mi | 1,141 | 9,929 |
| Luck | Polk | 20 mi | 1,064 | 7,158 |
| Lewis | Polk | 21 mi | — | 20,655 |
For the wider county picture: Burnett County.
Venison, mounts and ammo near St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area: agency contacts
County service center: DNR Spooner Service Center (715-635-2101).
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.
Practice before hunting St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
Owen-Anderson Rifle Range in Barron County is the nearest DNR-map range, 48 miles out. Two nearby club ranges follow.
rifle on file
trap, skeet, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
sporting clays, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
First and last legal minute at St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
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.
| Date | Season moment | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 6:15 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:59 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:20 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:48 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 7:00 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:19 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:21 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:06 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 F offset of 20 minutes for longitude 92.82 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Questions hunters raise about St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area
Is there other public ground around St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
By straight-line distance: Fish Lake Meadow State Natural Area (3 miles), Fish Lake Wildlife Area (4 miles) and Fish Lake Pines State Natural Area (5 miles).
What is the parent of St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
Governor Knowles State Forest holds it.
What type of property is St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area on the record?
It is a DNR-owned State Natural Area, managed by the Wisconsin DNR.
What size is St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area on the record?
About 543 acres.
What is the nearest town to St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
Base in Grantsburg, 8 miles away; the ground is in Burnett County.
Which species are allowed at St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
There is no species list. Any season open in the county works here within the rules.
What is the antlerless quota at St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
DMU 108, part of the Northern Forest zone. Antlerless goal for 2026: 2,850.
Which bear permit zone holds St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
D. You need a Class A license from the drawing.
How many turkey permits go to the St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area zone?
Turkey Zone 4. 34,997 spring tags were issued there in 2025.
What waterfowl dates apply at St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
Duck zone: Northern; goose zone: Northern. Northern Zone ducks open Sep 26, 2026-27.
Can I put out corn for deer at St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
Yes, within the state limits on amount and placement. No positive wild deer recorded here.
How much orange do I wear at St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
During any firearm deer season: 50% of your outer clothing above the waist and 50% of any cap, blaze orange or pink. Waterfowl hunters are exempt.
When must I register a turkey from St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area?
Deer: online, phone or station by 5 p.m. next day. Turkeys: online or phone only.
St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area: one more look before the drive
Signs on the ground beat any web page. Read the posted boundaries at St. Croix Ash Swamp State Natural Area when you arrive.
Sources for this page: DNR: StCroixAshSwamp · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); USFWSmidwest (Public domain).