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Central Farmland deer zone · West Central
Buffalo County Hunting
Buffalo County sits in the Central Farmland deer zone. Here are its 1 deer unit, 2026 antlerless quotas, CWD sampling, bear and turkey zones, public land with acres and the 2026-27 season table.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In west-central Wisconsin, Buffalo County takes in 676 square miles around its seat, Alma. Population in 2024 stood at 13,464, up 1.1% from 2020. The whole county is Central Farmland for deer, with 1 unit on the DNR map. For a DNR desk, hunters here use the DNR Eau Claire Service Center. 12 public tracts reach into the county; Tiffany Wildlife Area is the largest.
Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates (population), DNR region from the DNR staff pages, deer zones from the DNR deer zone layer, service centers from DNR office locations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Deer management units covering Buffalo County
Quotas follow units, not county lines: the 1 unit reaching Buffalo County carry 4,300 antlerless deer between them in 2026. Buy a deer license and select the Farmland unit here, and 3 antlerless authorizations arrive with it. Bonus antlerless authorizations sell first come, one a day, at $12 for residents and $20 for nonresidents.
| Deer unit | Zone | 2026 quota | Initial public | Initial private | Still for sale Oct 19 | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Central Farmland | 4,300 | 175 | 750 | 167 / 744 | 3 |
After Jan. 3
The 2026 Farmland season map gives Buffalo County neither the Holiday Hunt nor extended archery.
Gun deer dates
Nov 21 to Nov 29, 2026 is the nine-day gun hunt; the muzzleloader week is Nov 30 to Dec 9, 2026 and the December 4-day antlerless hunt Dec 10 to Dec 13, 2026.
Quotas and initial bonus counts from the DNR 2026 antlerless quota and initial permit availability (approved June 24, 2026); unsold counts and free Farmland tags from the bonus availability page as of Oct. 19, 2026; Holiday Hunt and extended archery from the 2026 season map; dates from the deer regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Buffalo County buck and antlerless harvest
The 2025 total for the Buffalo unit was 5,806 deer, 57% of them antlerless. The high point of the series, which starts in 1960, was 2006 with 12,392 deer.
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,497 | 3,309 | 5,806 |
| 2024 | 2,347 | 2,974 | 5,321 |
| 2023 | 2,301 | 2,847 | 5,148 |
| 2022 | 2,401 | 3,317 | 5,718 |
| 2021 | 2,646 | 2,919 | 5,565 |
| 2020 | 2,676 | 3,626 | 6,302 |
| 2019 | 2,424 | 3,290 | 5,714 |
| 2018 | 2,753 | 4,257 | 7,010 |
| 2017 | 2,852 | 4,099 | 6,951 |
| 2016 | 3,058 | 4,352 | 7,410 |
Season to date, 2026 (preliminary)
| Row | Antlered | Antlerless | To date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 232 | 249 | 481 |
DNR Deer Metrics harvest history (registered deer, all seasons and weapons; values read from the DNR chart), 2025 forest DMU figures from the same source, and the DNR 2026 total harvest to date (preliminary). Checked October 19, 2026.
Buffalo County: CWD tests by year
4,034 wild deer from Buffalo County have been tested since 1999, and 36 carried CWD. In CWD year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026) 397 deer were sampled and 17 were positive. Deer baiting and feeding are prohibited across Buffalo County (a CWD or TB positive in or within 10 miles of the county). Donation rule: test all deer.
| CWD year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 39 | 2 |
| 2025 | 397 | 17 |
| 2024 | 360 | 9 |
| 2023 | 420 | 4 |
| 2022 | 238 | 4 |
| 2021 | 231 | 0 |
| 2020 | 221 | 0 |
| 2019 | 422 | 0 |
| 2018 | 441 | 0 |
| 2017 | 17 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 |
CWD testing guide · Baiting and feeding rules
CWD sampling from the DNR CWD summary by county (wild deer, data released through Oct. 18, 2026; CWD year runs April 1-March 31, 2026 partial); baiting from the DNR baiting and feeding page and its map; donation testing from the Deer Donation Program. Checked October 19, 2026.
Bear, turkey and bird zones in Buffalo County
Bear drawing and harvest
Zone E sets the bear rules in Buffalo County, a no-hound zone. Hunters registered 19 bears in Buffalo County in 2025 and 10 in 2024.
| Zone | 2026 target | Permits drawn | Min points | Applicants | 2025 harvest | Hounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone E | 185 | 2,628 | 1 | 2,628 | 128 | No |
| Season | Registered | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | 13 | 6 |
| 2024 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
Wild turkey
Buffalo County is in turkey zone 1 (98%) and 4 (2%). Spring authorizations are zone and period specific; 2027 levels are not out yet, so the 2025 figures are shown. Zone 1/4 spring authorizations issued in 2025: 99,571 combined.
| Zone | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Success, 2025 | 2025 birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 61,121 | 60,523 | 62,058 | 62,329 | 64,574 | 21% | 13,813 |
| Zone 4 | 34,115 | 34,373 | 34,964 | 34,994 | 34,997 | 24% | 8,472 |
Upland and waterfowl
The Zone A grouse season covers Sep 12, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027. Goose hunters near the river: west of the BNSF tracks is the Mississippi River zone.
Bear drawing by zone · Turkey zone details
Bear zones from the DNR bear zone layer; targets, permits and points from the 2026 bear drawing summary; harvest from the DNR 2025 bear report and 2024 report; turkey levels from the DNR turkey reports (2025 levels; 2027 not yet published); elk from the DNR elk page; bird zones from the DNR zone layers. Checked October 19, 2026.
Buffalo County public hunting land
The list holds every public property touching Buffalo County, 12 in all, largest first within each type. Another 24 acres of privately owned forest are open to the public under Managed Forest Law.
- 3 state wildlife areasTiffany Wildlife Area (14,004 acres*), Whitman Dam Wildlife Area (2,095 acres), Big Swamp Wildlife Area (799 acres)
- National wildlife refuge (1)Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge (6,446 acres*)
- State natural areas, 5 listedTiffany Bottoms State Natural Area (718 acres), Trempealeau River Meadow State Natural Area (417 acres), Trempealeau River Meadows State Natural Area (412 acres), Big Swamp Tamarack Fen State Natural Area (354 acres), Whitman Bottoms Floodplain Forest State Natural Area (164 acres)
- 1 state trailBuffalo River State Trail (450 acres*)
- State park (1 here)Merrick State Park (290 acres)
- State fishery area (1)Mississippi River Public Access Fishery Area (Remnant) (2 acres)
Bigger units that cross the county: DNR Statewide Wildlife Habitat Program Lands, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Upper Mississippi River Refuge – Winona District, Mississippi River Nine-Foot Channel Project Lands (USACE, Wisconsin Pools).
Nearby in other counties: Borst Valley Sedge Meadow State Natural Area (14 miles, 20 acres), Borst Valley Wildlife Area (14 miles, 1,303 acres), Five-Mile Bluff Prairie State Natural Area (16 miles, 194 acres), Chimney Rock Oak Savanna State Natural Area (16 miles, 30 acres), Chimney Rock Wildlife Area (17 miles, 627 acres).
All Wisconsin public land · Managed Forest Law land
Public land from the DNR managed lands layer and property pages, DNR state natural area, county forest and federal records; county forest acres from the DNR county forest acreage report (July 1, 2021); MFL open acres from the DNR MFL report; leases from the DNR VPA-HIP and THAP lists. Acres within 10 miles of the county seat are a GIS measure. Checked October 19, 2026.
Buffalo County hunting dates, fall 2026 to spring 2027
20 species and 44 segments reach Buffalo County. The last column compares each one with today.
| Quarry | Season | Zone | From | To | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 1/4 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 1/4 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 1/4 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 1/4 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 1/4 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 1/4 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 1/4 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 1/4 | 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 | |
| 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 1) | Mississippi River Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 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 | |
| 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.
Buffalo County town guides and adjacent counties
Buffalo County has 5 town guides, each with the public land within reach, nearby services and daily shooting hours.
- Almaseat · 728 residents (2024) · 14,017 public acres close by
- Buffalo City1,023 residents (2024) · 7,934 public acres close by
- Cochrane424 residents (2024) · 7,761 public acres close by
- Fountain City785 residents (2024) · 12,377 public acres close by
- Nelson319 residents (2024) · 20,801 public acres close by
3 Wisconsin counties surround Buffalo County, with Wabasha (MN) and Winona (MN) over the state line.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Buffalo County: legal hunting light
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Buffalo County lies in longitude Zone E, so add 16 minutes to each table time.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery, fall turkey and grouse opener | 6:11 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:55 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:16 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:44 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:56 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:15 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:17 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:02 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 E offset of 16 minutes for longitude 91.76 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Burn bans and permits in Buffalo County
Buffalo County status today: open the Wisconsin county list.
- When a permit is needed: Within DNR forest fire protection areas, whenever the ground is not completely snow-covered.
- Counties outside DNR burning-permit authority (per DNR daily restrictions on 2026-10-27): Buffalo County is on this list.
- Who sets a ban: The Wisconsin DNR, through daily county burning restrictions and permit suspensions within its forest fire protection areas (NR 30.05 emergency burning regulations; NR 45.07(3) emergency use and burning rules on DNR lands by posted notice).
- Public land fires: DNR-managed lands (NR 45.07): no fire on the ground and no burning refuse except in designated fireplaces or fire rings.
Buffalo County ranges and matches
1 range in Buffalo County, from the DNR range layer and directory listings checked October 19, 2026.
trap, sporting clays, shotgun on file
Nearest range on the DNR public range map: Pierce County Public Range in Pierce County, about 20 miles from the county center.
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
Buffalo County processors, taxidermists and shops
Businesses inside Buffalo County come first, then those in bordering counties by distance.
DNR and agency offices
DNR service centers keep weekday counter hours, 8:30 to 4; field offices are by appointment only.
Meat processors
Taxidermy
Preserves and game farms
Gun and bow shops
DNR service centers and field offices from DNR office locations; processors from the Deer Donation Program list, DNR CWD sampling station partners and directory listings; shops from the DNR license agent layer and directories. Checked October 19, 2026; call ahead. All Wisconsin hunting services.
Buffalo County small areas, one by one
1 smaller public area in Buffalo County, 2 acres together, each with its own section below: acres, office, zones, DNR map and the facts its agency documents give.
Mississippi River Public Access Fishery Area (Remnant)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | State Fishery Area |
| Acres | 2 (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS ACRES field, sum of parcels open to hunting) |
| County | Buffalo |
| Map point | 44.2601, -91.8786 (directions) |
| Zones | Central Farmland Zone; Bear Zone E (hound hunting prohibited) |
Buffalo County hunting questions
How do I register a deer shot in Buffalo County?
Through GameReg (online, phone or an in-person station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Which wildlife areas are in Buffalo County?
Tiffany Wildlife Area, Whitman Dam Wildlife Area and Big Swamp Wildlife Area.
Can a Buffalo County hunter donate venison?
Yes, through the DNR Deer Donation Program at participating processors; Eagle's Peak Processing, Bushy's Meat Market and Strum Locker Plant are nearest.
Is blaze pink legal in Buffalo County?
Yes. Fluorescent pink meets the same 50% rule as blaze orange.
How many deer units touch Buffalo County?
1 unit: Buffalo.
Does archery run into January in Buffalo County?
No, archery closes Jan 3, 2027.
How does Buffalo County rank for registered deer?
20th of the 61 county-named units in 2025 (5,806 deer).
How many free antlerless tags come with a license in Buffalo County?
3 in the Farmland unit; forest units get none.
Is there a baiting ban in Buffalo County?
Yes.
How common is CWD in Buffalo County?
36 positives in 4,034 samples since 1999.
Answers from the DNR Fall 2026-Spring 2027 regulations, registration rules, blaze orange rules, DNR harvest and CWD data and the sources cited above. Checked October 19, 2026.
Buffalo County trip checklist
Unit lines in Buffalo County follow roads and habitat as well as county borders, so confirm your DMU on the DNR map before you buy tags.
Sources: DNR Fall 2026-Spring 2027 hunting regulations, season dates, Wisconsin DNR hunting, Census and the agencies linked in each section. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: schwerdf (CC BY 2.0); Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0); wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0); Falkmart (CC BY-SA 4.0); wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0).