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Hunting base, Jackson County
Hunting around Merrillan, Wisconsin
Merrillan in west-central Wisconsin: public hunting land in reach, the county’s zones and quotas, recent deer harvest and the processors, taxidermists and gun shops nearby.
Photo: Jackson County Forest, the closest listed land we have a photo of (0.5 mi). aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The village of Merrillan belongs to Jackson County, whose seat is Black River Falls. Hunters bound for Jackson County Forest use Merrillan as a base; the boundary is 0 miles off. The Census Vintage 2024 estimate puts 549 people in Merrillan, on 1.3 square miles of land. The GIS measure finds about 64,264 public acres inside 10 miles of Merrillan. The first public land you reach is Jackson County Forest, whose boundary is under a mile away.
Town point, land area and population from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; public acreage and boundary distances within 10 miles are a GIS measure over the DNR managed lands layer, county forest, USFS, USFWS, NPS and DoD boundaries. Checked October 19, 2026.
Jackson County deer units near Merrillan
Wisconsin deer rules follow the zone and the deer management unit, so Merrillan hunters work the Jackson County units below.
Jackson County does not sit in a single deer zone; by area it is Central Farmland 52%, Central Forest 48%. Buy a license, choose Jackson (Central Farmland), and 2 antlerless tags are included. The DNR set a combined antlerless quota of 5,450 for these units in 2026. Bonus tags for public land in Jackson (Central Farmland) had sold out by October 19. Jackson County holds the antlerless-only Holiday Hunt, Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Bow and crossbow seasons stretch to Jan 31, 2027 here under extended archery.
| Unit | Deer zone | Antlerless goal | Bonus at sale (pub / priv) | Unsold Oct 19 | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson (Central Farmland) | Central Farmland | 5,000 | 0 / 1,500 | 0 / 1,481 | 2 |
| DMU 203 | Central Forest | 450 | 1,125 / 750 | 0 / 268 | – |
Hunters in Jackson County hunt without bait, under the DNR ban. 3,127 Jackson County deer have gone through CWD testing since 1999 (4 positive). 2025 testing found 1 positive deer in 198 samples.
The 2025 registration for Jackson came to 4,911 deer (2,333 bucks, 2,578 antlerless). That ranks 25th among the county-named units; the 2016-2025 average is 5,619. Early-season 2026 registrations to date, preliminary: Jackson (Central Farmland) 394 and DMU 203 79.
Units and zones from counties.json and the DNR 2026 antlerless quota and permit table; bonus counts listed on the DNR bonus availability page on October 19; Holiday Hunt and extended archery from the DNR 2026 map; CWD from the DNR CWD county summary; baiting from the DNR baiting page; harvest from DNR Deer Metrics and the preliminary 2026 harvest page. Checked October 19, 2026.
Wisconsin public land closest to Merrillan
12 properties on the map and table. Pins drawn bold have a boundary inside 10 miles of Merrillan.
Nothing inside 10 miles outsizes Clark County Forest, listed at 134,742 acres. For a state wildlife area from Merrillan, drive past the 10-mile mark. For forest hunting, Jackson County Forest comes first. Upper Black River State Natural Area is the closest State Natural Area. Rooster hunters can try Northfield Lakes (Beaver Creek) Fish Rearing Station, a stocked public field with 180 birds planned for 2026.
| Property | Kind | To boundary | To mapped point | Acres | Game listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County Forest southeast Anchor area | County forest | 0.5 mi | 21 mi SE | 122,685 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Clark County Forest north | County forest | 1.6 mi | 12 mi N | 134,742 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Halls (Stockwell) Creek Fishery Area northwest | Fishery area | 2.5 mi | 7.0 mi NW | 814 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Black River State Forest southeast | State forest | 5.2 mi | 14 mi SE | 68,861 | deer, turkey, bear |
| S Branch Trempealeau River Fishery Area (Remnant) southwest | Fishery area | 6.3 mi | 6.7 mi SW | 180 | – |
| Upper Black River State Natural Area southeast | Natural area | 7.0 mi | 7.0 mi SE | 1,533 | – |
| Arbutus Oaks State Natural Area east | Natural area | 7.2 mi | 7.2 mi E | 214 | – |
| North Branch Trempealeau River Fishery Area southwest | Fishery area | 7.9 mi | 9.0 mi SW | 306 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Tank Creek Fishery Area southwest | Fishery area | 8.0 mi | 8.4 mi SW | 503 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Waazija Haci State Natural Area southeast | Natural area | 8.5 mi | 8.5 mi SE | 142 | – |
| East Fork of the Black River State Natural Area east | Natural area | 9.1 mi | 9.1 mi E | 513 | – |
| Komensky Barrens State Natural Area southeast | Natural area | 9.2 mi | 9.3 mi SE | 1,831 | – |
Lands, acreage and species from DNR property pages and federal hunting pages; boundary distances inside 10 miles from places.json (DNR managed lands, county forest, USFS, USFWS, NPS and DoD layers); centre distances are straight lines from the Census point for Merrillan. Checked October 19, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Processing and shops in reach of Merrillan
Businesses Merrillan hunters use most, grouped by trade and sorted by distance. To donate venison, OMG Butchering takes deer for the DNR donation program.
| Kind | Listings 15 mi | Listings 35 mi | Nearest business | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venison processing | 0 | 6 | Tom's Custom Meat Processing 22 mi south | Sparta |
| Taxidermy studios | 4 | 14 | Hixton Ridge Taxidermy 8.1 mi southwest | Hixton |
| Guides and preserves | 0 | 1 | Woods and Meadow – Hunting Preserve 22 mi southeast | Warrens |
| Gear shops | 7 | 23 | County Line Archery PRO Shop 4.5 mi northwest | Humbird |
Venison processing
Taxidermy studios
Guides and preserves
Gear shops
Processors from the DNR deer donation list, DNR CWD sampling stations and Yellow Pages; shops from the DNR license sales locations (license-only agents left out) and Yellow Pages; guides and preserves from Yellow Pages. Checked October 19, 2026; hours were not checked.
DNR counters near Merrillan
These are the DNR and federal offices in reach of Merrillan. Call the service center before you make the trip.
DNR Eau Claire Service Center, 41 mi northwest
DNR Black River Falls Field Office, 11 mi south
Fort McCoy Permit Sales Office (Natural Resources Branch), 31 mi south
From the DNR office locations and field locations pages and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 19, 2026.
2026-27 seasons for hunters in Merrillan
Merrillan sits in the Central Farmland and Central Forest deer zone. These 42 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 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Jackson (Central Farmland) | 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/C | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Elk | Elk (archery, crossbow and firearm) | Central Elk Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 1/3 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 1/3 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 1/3 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 1/3 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 1/3 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 1/3 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 1/3 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 1/3 | 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 | 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 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 (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.
Merrillan bear and turkey zones
Bear zones A to F and turkey zones 1 to 7 follow roads rather than county lines; Jackson County is listed by share of area.
Zone E bear rules apply around Merrillan; its 2026 harvest target is 185. Hound hunting for bear is not allowed in the zones covering this county. Jackson County bear registrations for 2025: 47. Zone 1 spring hunters succeeded 21% of the time in 2025. Spring turkey, Period A through F: Apr 21 to Jun 1, 2027. Jackson County touches the Central Elk Management Zone (the former Black River Elk Range); the 2026 quota is 6 bull and 6 antlerless.
| Bear zone | County share | Dogs | Target, 2026 | Drawn, 2026 | Points | Bears, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Zone E | 53% | Not allowed | 185 | 2,628 | 1 | 128 |
| Bear Zone C | 47% | Not allowed | 875 | 4,465 | 2 | 663 |
| Turkey zone | Share of county | Spring tags 2025 | Spring success 2025 | Spring harvest 2025 | Fall harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Zone 1 | 83% | 64,574 | 21% | 13,813 | 485 |
| Turkey Zone 3 | 16% | 55,612 | 22% | 12,324 | 848 |
Bear zones from counties.json (DNR layer) and the DNR bear drawing summary; bear harvest from the DNR 2025 bear harvest report; turkey from the DNR spring turkey report; elk from the DNR elk page. Checked October 19, 2026.
Hunting hours for Merrillan
Wisconsin prints its shooting hours as tables. For deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey the day runs from 30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset; migratory birds and spring turkey stop at sunset.
| Date | Season moment | 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 90.83 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Sighting in near Merrillan
Three ranges closest to Merrillan, with the access rule on each.
trap, shotgun on file
sporting clays, shotgun on file
trap, sporting clays, 5-stand, rifle, handgun on file
Sherwood Shooting Range is the nearest DNR-map range, roughly 22 miles out.
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 19, 2026.
Merrillan hunting questions
Are there elk near Merrillan?
Jackson County overlaps the Central Elk Management Zone. The elk drawing decides who hunts. Open: Oct 17 to Dec 13, 2026.
Where do I check in a deer from Jackson County?
Use GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the deer.
Is there public hunting land right next to Merrillan?
Jackson County Forest, whose boundary is under a mile away. Clark County Forest ranks second by distance.
How many bucks came out of Jackson County last season?
2025: 2,333 bucks and 2,578 antlerless.
What DMU do I pick for hunting near Merrillan?
Jackson County is covered by Jackson (Central Farmland) and DMU 203, in the Central Farmland and Central Forest zones. Its 2026 antlerless quota is 5,000.
What is the total public acreage near Merrillan?
The 10-mile ring takes in about 64,264 public acres. 12 properties reach that close.
Is deer baiting legal around Merrillan?
CWD positives in Jackson County to date: 4. The DNR ban on baiting and feeding applies.
What bonus antlerless availability does Jackson (Central Farmland) have?
Initial bonus supply in Jackson (Central Farmland): 0 public, 1,500 private. On October 19, 0 public and 1,481 private were still listed. Check Go Wild for live availability.
Which turkey zone is Merrillan in?
The county sits in Zone 1 and 3. In 2025, 21% of the 64,574 authorizations were filled.
Is Jackson County good for bear?
Zone E and C covers the county. The 2026 draw took 1 points in Zone E. The 2025 county total was 47 bears.
When does shooting time start near Merrillan on the gun opener?
Opening day at Merrillan runs 6:40 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. north of the area line, or 6:35 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. south of it.
When does the nine-day hunt open near Merrillan?
The firearm season is Nov 21 to Nov 29, 2026. Muzzleloader follows, Nov 30 to Dec 9, 2026, then the antlerless-only hunt Dec 10 to Dec 13, 2026. Holiday Hunt: Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above, checked October 19, 2026.
Before leaving Merrillan
The DNR regulations are the final word for hunts out of Merrillan.
Other photos on this page: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); Aaron Volkening (CC BY 2.0); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Rodney Campbell (CC BY 2.0); Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).