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2026-27 · County forest
Price County Forest, a hunter's guide
Who runs it, which deer unit and bear zone cover it, what it holds (whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys and ruffed grouse), and the public land and towns around it in Price County.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Price County Forest
What the record says about Price County Forest
On paper it is a county forest under the County Forest Law; on the map it is in Price County. DNR staff of the Northern Region cover this part of the Northwoods. Manager: Price County Forestry Department. Its 92,294 acres rank 12th of the 30 Wisconsin county forests with an acreage on file. From Hawkins, our closest town page, it is roughly 10 miles to the northeast. Parent property: Wisconsin County Forest System.
From the source page (WI DNR Forest Tax report "Wisconsin County Forest Acres as of July 01, 2021" (total incl. special use lands)); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Price County Forest
Price County Forest in the agency's words
Unedited text from the official page.
Part of the 30-county Wisconsin county forest system (more than 2.4 million acres, the largest public land ownership in the state).
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Price County Forest rules and licenses
Access rules at Price County Forest
Hunt under state regulations and the county forest ordinance, which covers stands, blinds, ATV use and camping; closed areas come from the county office.
State law on Price County Forest
Orange or pink, 50% above the waist and 50% of the head covering, is the rule while gun deer seasons run; duck and goose hunters are exempt. By 5 p.m. the following day, register the deer on GameReg (online, phone or station).
Which licenses Price County Forest needs
Get licenses on Go Wild or at an agent. Antlerless tags are unit-specific and labelled public or private land.
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.
Price County Forest: DMU, bear zone and turkey zone
Deer management: DMU 115, DMU 116, DMU 113 and DMU 112, Northern Forest zone. The Natural Resources Board set 1,430, 1,155 and 625 antlerless deer as the 2026 quota there. Bear Zone A has a 2026 harvest target of 1,100 with 1,675 Class A permits drawn; it took 11 preference points to win one. Baiting deer is lawful in Price County, at no more than 2 gallons a site.
Deer units that cover Price County Forest
| Deer unit | Zone | Antlerless goal | Public tags left | Private tags left | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 115 | Northern Forest | 1,430 | 637 | 3,517 | — |
| DMU 116 | Northern Forest | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| DMU 113 | Northern Forest | 1,155 | 1,369 | 2,244 | — |
| DMU 112 | Northern Forest | 625 | 1,437 | 1,333 | — |
Zones beyond deer for Price County Forest
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear A | Dogs legal | 1,100 target, 1,675 permits | 11 points | 1,235 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey zone 6 | 6,001 spring tags (2025) | 23% success | 1,362 gobblers | — |
| Turkey zone 4 | 34,997 spring tags (2025) | 24% success | 8,472 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Turkey zone 7 | 4,401 spring tags (2025) | 16% success | 726 gobblers | — |
| Grouse zone A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose zone | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Elk range | Northern (Clam Lake Elk Range) | 8 bulls, subject to 50% declaration by the Ojibwe tribes (ceded territory) | Public land approximately 68% | |
| Wolf zone 1/3 | No season | Listed endangered |
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.
Price County Forest: species with bag limits
Listed game at Price County Forest: whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, woodcock, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
White-tailed deer
Black bear
Wild turkey
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Small game
Furbearers
The Price County calendar below covers the rest.
Species from the property record (General county forest hunting opportunities (DNR County Forests page; WCFA grouse/woodcock management areas). Bear/elk subject to zone.); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Season dates that cover Price County Forest
Price County Forest sits in the Northern Forest 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/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 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Elk | Elk, all weapons | Northern Elk Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | 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.
Linked units of Price County Forest
It shares Wisconsin County Forest System with 29 sibling units.
Other units of Wisconsin County Forest System
| Name | Type | County | Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | County forest | Douglas | 281,853 |
| Marinette | County forest | Marinette | 229,978 |
| Bayfield | County forest | Bayfield | 175,557 |
| Iron | County forest | Iron | 175,343 |
| Washburn | County forest | Washburn | 150,196 |
| Clark | County forest | Clark | 134,742 |
| Langlade | County forest | Langlade | 130,717 |
| Jackson | County forest | Jackson | 122,685 |
| Sawyer | County forest | Sawyer | 115,196 |
| Burnett | County forest | Burnett | 111,516 |
| Lincoln | County forest | Lincoln | 100,843 |
| Rusk | County forest | Rusk | 89,284 |
| Oneida | County forest | Oneida | 82,960 |
| Eau Claire | County forest | Eau Claire | 52,712 |
| Oconto | County forest | Oconto | 43,792 |
Public property near Price County Forest
The large pin is Price County Forest; the others are the 10 closest public properties. Together they hold 102,153 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac Sault Dore | Access site | 24 | 4.3 mi | northeast |
| Spring Creek | Wildlife area | 914 | 7.7 mi | southeast |
| Niebauer Springs | Fishery area | 199 | 8.2 mi | north |
| Kimberly Clark | Wildlife area | 8,701 | 8.2 mi | north |
| Skinner Creek Hardwoods | State natural area | 228 | 8.7 mi | west |
| Flambeau River | State forest | 89,772 | 9.5 mi | northwest |
| Flambeau River Hardwood Forest | State natural area | 266 | 9.6 mi | northwest |
| Bass Lake Peatlands | State natural area | 954 | 9.7 mi | north |
| Lake of the Pines Conifer-Hardwoods | State natural area | 53 | 11 mi | northwest |
| Swamp Lake | State natural area | 1,042 | 12 mi | north |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR Public Land GIS, County Forests layer (polygon centroid) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
How the land around Price County Forest hunts, by the numbers
Harvest for this part of Price County comes from the 2025 forest DMU counts. 2026 so far, still changing: DMU 115, 288, DMU 116, 113 and DMU 113, 140. CWD sampling in Price County, CWD year 2025: 42 wild deer sampled, 0 positive. Overall: 1,757 samples and 0 positives. Price County: 215 bears in 2025. The DNR reports deer by unit, not by property: read these as the Price County picture.
Price County bucks and antlerless
| Deer unit | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 115 | 1,549 | 1,464 | 3,013 |
| DMU 116 | 917 | 301 | 1,218 |
| DMU 113 | 990 | 786 | 1,776 |
| DMU 112 | 813 | 585 | 1,398 |
Price County CWD sampling
| Year | Sampled | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 42 | 0 |
| 2024 | 39 | 0 |
| 2023 | 47 | 0 |
| 2022 | 61 | 0 |
| 2021 | 62 | 0 |
Price County bears
| Year | Bears registered | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 270 | 138 | 132 |
| 2025 | 215 | 124 | 91 |
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.
Price County Forest: nearest ranges
No range sits on Price County Forest; the nearest on the DNR public range map is Cranberry Creek, about 9 miles away.
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Home bases for a Price County Forest trip
Closest towns, measured as the crow flies, then the businesses around them.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawkins | Rusk | 10 mi | 327 | 58,148 |
| Phillips | Price | 11 mi | 1,489 | 45,856 |
| Prentice | Price | 17 mi | 565 | 14,704 |
| Park Falls | Price | 22 mi | 2,375 | 47,202 |
Read up on the county: Price County.
Taxidermy and supplies for Price County Forest hunters
Phone numbers for Price County Forest questions
The DNR service center listed for Price County is DNR Woodruff Service Center, 715-356-5211.
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.
Price County Forest: legal shooting time, table by date
Big game and small game hunters get 20 minutes after sunset in Wisconsin, not 30. Waterfowl and spring gobbler hunters quit at sunset.
| Date | Hunt | Northern Area hours | Southern Area hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, 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 90.61 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Straight answers on Price County Forest
Where in the state does Price County Forest lie?
Price County holds it, 10 miles from Hawkins.
What is Price County Forest hunted for?
The agency names whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, woodcock, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes; other legal game follows the county dates.
Which deer management unit holds Price County Forest?
The Northern Forest zone, DMU 115, DMU 116 and DMU 113. Quota for 2026: 1,430, 1,155 and 625 antlerless.
Is bear hunting possible at Price County Forest?
Zone A; hounds are legal there.
Can I turkey hunt Price County Forest in spring?
Zone 6; 2025 saw 1,362 birds registered in the zone.
When can I hunt ducks at Price County Forest?
Northern for ducks, Northern for geese. The regular Northern Zone duck season opens Sep 26.
Has CWD turned up in the county around Price County Forest?
There is no county baiting ban here; the 2-gallon rules apply. CWD has not been found in this county's wild deer.
Is blaze pink legal at Price County Forest?
Orange or pink, half of the upper clothing, whenever a gun deer season runs (not for waterfowl).
Where do I register game taken on Price County Forest?
Register on GameReg by 5 p.m. the next day; the confirmation number starts with W.
Is there a separate permit for Price County Forest?
The standard license for your game; no landowner permission on public ground.
Which public properties lie near Price County Forest?
Three to try: Lac Sault Dore State Public Access (4 miles), Spring Creek Wildlife Area (8 miles) and Niebauer Springs Fishery Area (8 miles).
Is Price County Forest its own property?
Yes, Wisconsin County Forest System.
How is Price County Forest classified?
County forest under the County Forest Law, under Price County Forestry Department.
Last checks on Price County Forest before you go
Treat this page as a starting point: the manager of Price County Forest has the final say on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS · DNR: AcreageSummary · DNR: CountyForests · WCFA: county contacts; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Don Henise (CC BY 2.0); Intermountain Region US Forest Service (Public domain).