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2026-27 seasons · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Wisconsin Hunting
1,404 public hunting properties from the Chequamegon-Nicolet to the kettle moraine, all 72 counties and 301 hunting towns, the four deer zones and their units, bear, elk and turkey drawings, Go Wild licenses and the law, read from DNR sources on October 19, 2026.
Photo: royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Wisconsin hunting by the numbers
Nearly seven million acres open to hunting (state wildlife/fishery/natural areas, forests, MFL/FCL, VPA, WDACP). County forests are the largest block: 2,405,155 acres in 30 counties, ahead of the 1,526,925-acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Deer is the Deer Metrics registered total; the DNR harvest report prints a slightly different figure for 2025. Sources: public land summary; county forest acres; Forest Service; Deer Metrics; Bear Harvest 2025; bonus availability; bear drawing summary, read on October 19, 2026.
Biggest public ground in Wisconsin, by kind
288 state wildlife areas cover 608,232 acres of marsh, sedge meadow and oak savanna. The north adds the national forest, the Northern Highland-American Legion and Flambeau River state forests and 30 county forests; private MFL land designated open adds 883,583 acres more.
| Kind of land | Pages | Acres (top-level records) |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife and habitat areas | 347 | 660,522 |
| State natural areas | 450 | 80,730 |
| State fishery areas | 253 | 97,446 |
| Waterfowl production areas | 105 | 21,480 |
| State parks and recreation areas | 56 | 92,170 |
| State forests | 25 | 542,501 |
| County forests | 31 | 2,405,155 |
| National forest, refuges, lakeshore, Fort McCoy | 21 | 1,791,624 |
| Managed Forest Law open land | 1 | 883,583 |
| VPA-HIP and THAP leases | 2 | 21,612 |
| Easements, riverways, trails and other DNR land | 113 | 519,044 |
Acres count only records with no parent, so natural areas and waterfowl production areas that sit inside a larger property are not counted twice. County forest acres are the DNR July 2021 report. Sources: DNR county layer; DNR managed lands GIS; MFL report, read on October 19, 2026.
Four deer zones and their units
Four deer management zones since 2014. Farmland and Central Forest DMUs follow county lines (some counties split into a Central Farmland and a forest unit); Northern Forest DMUs 101-126 are habitat-based units bounded by major roads (realigned for 2025). Metro sub-units are parts of a DMU with longer seasons and extra antlerless authorizations. Farmland Zone licenses include 1-5 free Farmland antlerless authorizations depending on the unit; forest units get none free. DMU 116 is the one unit with no bonus antlerless tags this year.
| Deer zone | Units | Metro sub-units | Antlerless quota 2026 | Initial bonus tags | Free Farmland tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Forest | 26 | 1 | 21,990 | 97,155 | none |
| Central Forest | 6 | 0 | 4,425 | 10,825 | none |
| Central Farmland | 40 | 8 | 199,640 | 117,225 | 1 to 5 |
| Southern Farmland | 20 | 5 | 78,950 | 48,065 | 1 to 4 |
Holiday Hunt counties were read from the DNR 2026 Farmland season structure map. Sources: Deer Harvest 2025; 2026 quota and initial permit availability; baiting and feeding; CWD, read on October 19, 2026.
31 Wisconsin species, one guide each
Whitetails lead, then bear by drawing, the Clam Lake and Black River elk, spring and fall turkey, ruffed grouse in the aspen, stocked pheasants, the duck and goose zones, and furbearers from bobcat to otter. Wolves and sharp-tailed grouse have no 2026 season.
Ring-necked Pheasant · Bobwhite Quail · Gray (Hungarian) Partridge · Sharp-tailed Grouse · Gray and Fox Squirrel · Cottontail Rabbit · Snowshoe Hare · American Crow · Geese · American Coot · Mourning Dove · American Woodcock · Virginia Rail and Sora · Wilson's Snipe · Common Gallinule · Raccoon · Red and Gray Fox · Bobcat · Fisher · River Otter · Beaver · Mink and Muskrat · Coyote · Unprotected Species · Gray Wolf
Wisconsin seasons open now and opening next
Built on Oct 21, 2026 from the 83 season rows of the 2026-27 regulations. The Today column reads your own device date, so it stays right after the page was built.
Open today, Oct 21, 2026: 24 seasons
| Game | Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson's Snipe | Snipe | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Common Gallinule | Common gallinule | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Mourning Dove | Mourning dove | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Virginia Rail and Sora | Rail | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Cottontail Rabbit | Cottontail rabbit | Northern Zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Gray and Fox Squirrel | Squirrel | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Zone A | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed Deer | Archery and crossbow | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild Turkey | Fall turkey | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Geese | Regular goose | Northern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| American Woodcock | Woodcock | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 | |
| Ducks and Mergansers | Regular duck | Northern Duck Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite Quail | Bobwhite quail | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| Cottontail Rabbit | Cottontail rabbit | Southern Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ducks and Mergansers | Regular duck (split 2) | Southern Duck Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Ducks and Mergansers | Regular duck | Open Water Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 15, 2026 | |
| Elk | Elk (archery, crossbow and firearm) | Northern and Central Elk Management Zones | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Southern Goose Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Mississippi River Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| Gray (Hungarian) Partridge | Hungarian partridge | Statewide except Clark, Marathon and Taylor counties | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Raccoon (resident) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Red and Gray Fox | Fox (red and gray) | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Pheasant | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 |
Next ten Wisconsin openers
| Game | Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raccoon | Raccoon (nonresident) | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| American Crow | Crow | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Mar 24, 2027 | |
| White-tailed Deer | Gun deer (9-day) | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| White-tailed Deer | Metro sub-unit gun | Metro sub-units | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 9, 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 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (holiday split) | Southern Goose Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 2, 2027 | |
| White-tailed Deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Select Farmland Zone counties only | Dec 24, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed Deer | Extended archery and crossbow | Metro sub-units and Farmland counties with extended archery | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Wild Turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Zone of the harvest authorization | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 |
Trapping-only and falconry rows are on the species pages. Sources: deer dates; small game; season dates and deadlines, read on October 19, 2026.
Every mapped Wisconsin public hunting property
862 properties with a map point, from the Apostle Islands to the Illinois line. Larger dots are 20,000 acres or more; each one opens its own page with zones, seasons and access rules.
Wisconsin counties by DNR region
The DNR runs five regions. Each county guide carries its deer zone and units, bear and turkey zone, baiting status, CWD sampling and the nearest public land; the 301 town guides start from county seats and the towns closest to the big wildlife areas and forests.
Northern Region, the Northwoods (18)
Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, Vilas, Washburn
Northeast Region, northeast Wisconsin (16)
Brown, Calumet, Door, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago
West Central Region, west-central Wisconsin (19)
Adams, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Marathon, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Portage, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Wood
Towns with the most public acres inside 10 miles
| Town | County | Acres of public land within 10 miles | Nearby ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clam Lake | Ashland | 173,265 | Great Divide Ranger District (Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest) and 2 more |
| Long Lake | Florence | 142,014 | Eagle River-Florence Ranger District (Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest) and 8 more |
| Goodman | Marinette | 141,454 | Wild Rivers/pine Popple Conservation Easement and 5 more |
| Sayner | Vilas | 123,140 | Northern Highland State Forest and 22 more |
| Drummond | Bayfield | 123,047 | Washburn Ranger District (Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest) and 8 more |
| Solon Springs | Douglas | 122,350 | Douglas County Forest and 7 more |
| Wabeno | Forest | 119,637 | Lakewood-Laona Ranger District (Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest) and 7 more |
| Millston | Jackson | 115,461 | Black River State Forest and 14 more |
| Dunbar | Marinette | 113,583 | Marinette County Forest and 8 more |
| Mercer | Iron | 111,827 | Northern Highland State Forest and 16 more |
| Gordon | Douglas | 111,471 | Douglas County Forest and 11 more |
| Laona | Forest | 111,180 | Wabikon Waters Conservation Easement and 4 more |
Town acreage is a GIS measure of public polygons inside a 10-mile circle, not a published figure. Sources: DNR regions; DNR county layer, read on October 19, 2026.
Wisconsin licenses and law in eight cards
Licenses
Resident gun deer $24.00, archer or crossbow $24.00; nonresidents pay $200.00. The year runs April 1 to March 31.
GameReg
Deer, turkey and bear go through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery. GameReg (gamereg.wi.gov, 1-844-426-3734 / 844-GAME-REG).
Blaze orange or pink
Half your outer clothing above the waist, and half of any cap, during every firearm deer season; waterfowl hunters are exempt.
Baiting and feeding
Banned for deer in 60 counties; allowed with limits in Ashland, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Door, Douglas, Iron, Kewaunee, Price, Rusk, Sawyer and Taylor.
CWD
Wild deer have tested positive in 51 counties, 41 of them in CWD year 2025. Testing is free and voluntary.
Drawings
Bear, spring turkey, bobcat, fisher and elk are drawn through Go Wild; bear and spring turkey applications are due Dec. 10.
Mentored and youth hunts
No minimum age: a mentee hunts within arm’s reach of a licensed mentor, and the youth deer hunt is Oct. 10-11, 2026.
Shooting hours
DNR tables for a Northern and a Southern Area, plus 0 to 20 minutes by longitude; deer hours end 20 minutes after sunset.
Sources: licenses; registration; blaze orange; baiting; CWD; drawings; shooting hours, read on October 19, 2026.
Banquets, youth hunts and ranges around Wisconsin
63 hunting events were on the calendar from Oct 28, 2026, most of them conservation banquets. The shooting side lists 319 ranges, from 11 DNR ranges to club trap fields and archery courses.
| Date | Event | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2026 | Trout Lake Ducks Unlimited (Boulder Junction) | Boulder Junction, Vilas County | Banquet |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Bingo for Boomsticks @ Railhouse Junction | Spooner, Washburn County | Banquet |
| Nov 2, 2026 | South Suburban Dinner – Waterford | Waterford, Racine County | Banquet |
| Nov 4, 2026 | Learn to Hunt Deer – Adams County | Adams County | Youth hunt |
| Nov 4, 2026 | Learn to Hunt Deer – Crawford & Grant County | Prairie du Chien, Crawford County | Youth hunt |
| Nov 4, 2026 | Learn to Hunt Deer for Families – Florence County | Florence County | Youth hunt |
Processors, taxidermists and shops in Wisconsin
Deer processors
99 listed, 57 in the DNR Deer Donation Program.
Taxidermists
342 shops, some of them DNR CWD sampling partners.
Guides and game farms
26 guide services, preserves and game farms.
Gun and bow shops
716 stores; gas stations and hardware counters that only sell licenses are left out.
DNR and federal offices
46 DNR service centers, field offices, Forest Service and refuge offices and the Fort McCoy permit office.
Sources: Deer Donation Program; CWD sampling stations; DNR service centers, read on October 19, 2026.
Wisconsin hunting, asked and answered
How much Wisconsin land is open to public hunting?
The DNR counts nearly seven million acres: state wildlife, fishery and natural areas, state forests, MFL and FCL open land, VPA leases, county forests and federal land. County forests alone hold 2,405,155 acres.
When does the Wisconsin gun deer season open?
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, for nine days to Nov. 29. Muzzleloader follows from November 30 to December 9, the statewide antlerless-only hunt runs December 10 to 13, and the Holiday Hunt fills December 24 to January 1 in select Farmland counties.
Are Wisconsin seasons open on Sundays?
No Sunday hunting restriction appears in the 2026-27 Wisconsin Hunting Regulations or in Wis. Stat. ch. 29 / NR 10 as read; seasons run on consecutive days including Sundays (e.g., the Youth Deer Hunt is Saturday-Sunday Oct. 10-11, 2026).
May Wisconsin deer hunters use bait?
Not in the 60 counties under a baiting and feeding ban. In Ashland, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Door, Douglas, Iron, Kewaunee, Price, Rusk, Sawyer and Taylor bait is allowed, up to 2 gallons per 40 acres with placement and timing rules.
How do I register a deer?
Register through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery (online gamereg.wi.gov, phone 1-844-426-3734, or in-person stations with a phone/computer). 10-character confirmation number beginning with "W" (format W12-345-6789).
Where has chronic wasting disease been found?
In wild deer from 51 counties since 2002. In CWD year 2025 the DNR sampled 18,361 deer and found 2,040 positives, most in the Southern Farmland Zone.
What is the Wisconsin deer harvest?
345,207 registered in 2025 by the Deer Metrics count, 165,984 of them bucks. The all-time buck high was 212,332 in 2000.
How do I get a Wisconsin bear license?
Apply through Go Wild by Dec. 10 for a Class A license by preference point drawing. For 2026 the DNR drew 14,932 winners from 140,416 applications.
What do I need to wear during gun season?
When and where a firearm deer season is in progress, it is illegal to hunt any game except waterfowl unless at least 50% of outer clothing above the waist is blaze orange or fluorescent pink; any head covering worn must be at least 50% blaze orange or fluorescent pink. Camo-blaze is legal if 50%+ orange/pink; DNR recommends 100% solid.
Is there a wolf season?
Gray wolves are federally endangered (Feb. 10, 2022 ruling); no wolf hunting or trapping; shooting a wolf is unlawful except for an immediate threat to human safety.
Plan a Wisconsin season
Start from a county for its deer unit, baiting status and nearby wildlife areas, or from a town for the closest public ground and a processor down the road.
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