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Central Farmland and Central Forest deer zone · West Central
Eau Claire County Hunting
Eau Claire County sits in the Central Farmland and Central Forest deer zones. Here are its 3 deer units, 2026 antlerless quotas, CWD sampling, bear and turkey zones, public land with acres and the 2026-27 season table.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In west-central Wisconsin, Eau Claire County takes in 638 square miles around its seat, Eau Claire. Population in 2024 stood at 108,830, up 3.0% from 2020. Two deer zones meet here, 76% Central Farmland and 24% Central Forest by area. For a DNR desk, hunters here use the DNR Eau Claire Service Center. 7 public tracts reach into the county; Eau Claire County Forest 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 Eau Claire County
Quotas follow units, not county lines: the 2 units reaching Eau Claire County carry 3,300 antlerless deer between them in 2026. Buy a deer license and select the Farmland unit here, and 2 antlerless authorizations arrive with it. 1 forest DMU crosses the county, and forest units get no included antlerless tags. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 201 | Central Forest | 700 | 750 | 1,600 | 103 / 1,414 | — |
| Eau Claire Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 2,600 | 300 | 1,000 | 279 / 986 | 2 |
| Eau Claire County Metro Sub-Unit | Central Farmland metro | In parent | 0 | 250 | 0 / 248 | 1 |
Antlerless Holiday Hunt
Holiday Hunt dates for Eau Claire County (Central Farmland part only): Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Bucks are off limits for every weapon during it. Bows and crossbows stay legal into January, Jan 4 to Jan 31, 2027.
Metro sub-unit
Hunters in the metro sub-unit near Eau Claire get gun dates Nov 21 to Dec 9, 2026 and a January bow season. DNR offered 250 bonus tags for the sub-unit in August.
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.
Eau Claire County buck and antlerless harvest
The 2025 total for the Eau Claire unit was 3,672 deer, 53% of them antlerless. The high point of the series, which starts in 1960, was 2006 with 7,526 deer. Since the 2025 boundary change, the county-named unit is the Farmland part of Eau Claire County; the forest DMUs report separately.
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,742 | 1,930 | 3,672 |
| 2024 | 2,046 | 2,051 | 4,097 |
| 2023 | 1,802 | 1,871 | 3,673 |
| 2022 | 2,119 | 2,310 | 4,429 |
| 2021 | 1,910 | 2,022 | 3,932 |
| 2020 | 1,995 | 2,178 | 4,173 |
| 2019 | 1,693 | 1,548 | 3,241 |
| 2018 | 1,816 | 2,009 | 3,825 |
| 2017 | 1,800 | 1,363 | 3,163 |
| 2016 | 1,886 | 2,310 | 4,196 |
Forest DMU harvest, 2025
| Unit | Bucks | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 201 | 495 | 454 | 949 |
Season to date, 2026 (preliminary)
| Row | Antlered | Antlerless | To date |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 201 | 37 | 39 | 76 |
| Eau Claire | 111 | 174 | 285 |
| Eau Claire Metro Subunit | 17 | 22 | 39 |
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.
Eau Claire County: CWD tests by year
3,366 wild deer from Eau Claire County have been tested since 1999, and 41 carried CWD. In CWD year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026) 219 deer were sampled and 10 were positive. Deer baiting and feeding are prohibited across Eau Claire 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) | 13 | 0 |
| 2025 | 219 | 10 |
| 2024 | 224 | 6 |
| 2023 | 263 | 9 |
| 2022 | 310 | 2 |
| 2021 | 351 | 4 |
| 2020 | 285 | 4 |
| 2019 | 385 | 3 |
| 2018 | 343 | 2 |
| 2017 | 91 | 1 |
| 2016 | 124 | 0 |
| 2015 | 60 | 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 Eau Claire County
Bear drawing and harvest
Zone C (73%) and E (27%) sets the bear rules in Eau Claire County, a no-hound zone. Hunters registered 26 bears in Eau Claire County in 2025 and 28 in 2024.
| Zone | 2026 target | Permits drawn | Min points | Applicants | 2025 harvest | Hounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone C | 875 | 4,465 | 2 | 7,605 | 661 | No |
| Zone E | 185 | 2,628 | 1 | 2,628 | 128 | No |
| Season | Registered | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | 15 | 11 |
| 2024 | 28 | 11 | 17 |
Wild turkey
Eau Claire County is in turkey zone 4. Spring authorizations are zone and period specific; 2027 levels are not out yet, so the 2025 figures are shown. Zone 4 spring authorizations issued in 2025: 34,997 combined.
| Zone | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Success, 2025 | 2025 birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 4 | 34,115 | 34,373 | 34,964 | 34,994 | 34,997 | 24% | 8,472 |
Elk hunting
Elk range reaches into Eau Claire County: the Central Elk Management Zone, once called the Black River Elk Range. Its 2026 quota is 6 bull and 6 antlerless. The zone produced 9 elk in 2025.
| Unit group | Allotment |
|---|---|
| E (Units 8, 11, 14) | 2 bull, 3 antlerless licenses |
| F (Unit 10) | 2 bull licenses |
| G (Units 9, 12, 13) | 2 bull, 3 antlerless licenses |
Upland and waterfowl
The Zone A grouse season covers Sep 12, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027.
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.
Eau Claire County public hunting land
The list holds every public property touching Eau Claire County, 7 in all, largest first within each type. At 52,712 acres (2021), the Eau Claire County Forest is part of the 2.4 million acre county forest system. Another 4,249 acres of privately owned forest are open to the public under Managed Forest Law. Eau Claire County has 1 VPA-HIP and 0 turkey access leases on private ground.
- 1 county forestEau Claire County Forest (52,712 acres)
- State natural area, 1 listedLower Chippewa River State Natural Area (3,377 acres*)
- 1 state wildlife areaAugusta Wildlife Area (2,127 acres)
- 2 state trailsBuffalo River State Trail (450 acres*), Chippewa River State Trail (306 acres*)
- State habitat area in the county (1)Lowes Creek Streambank Protection Area (275 acres)
- State fishery area (1)Clear Creek Fishery Area (Remnant) (17 acres)
Bigger units that cross the county: DNR Statewide Habitat Areas (unnamed parcels), DNR Stream Bank Protection Program Lands.
Nearby in other counties: Buffalo River Fishery Area (Remnant) (12 miles, 213 acres), King Creek Fishery Area (Remnant) (14 miles, 30 acres), Buffalo River Trail Prairies State Natural Area (16 miles, 153 acres), Lake Wissota State Park (17 miles, 1,057 acres), Buffalo River Fishery Area (18 miles, 1,578 acres).
All Wisconsin public land · All 30 county forests · Managed Forest Law land · VPA-HIP program
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.
Eau Claire County hunting dates, fall 2026 to spring 2027
21 species and 40 segments reach Eau Claire 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 | Metro sub-unit gun | Metro sub-unit: Eau Claire | 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 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Eau Claire (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 C/E | 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 4 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 4 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 4 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 4 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 4 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 4 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 4 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 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 (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.
Eau Claire County town guides and adjacent counties
Eau Claire County has 4 town guides, each with the public land within reach, nearby services and daily shooting hours.
- Eau Claireseat · 72,331 residents (2024) · 4,402 public acres close by
- Augusta1,495 residents (2024) · 41,840 public acres close by
- Fairchild433 residents (2024) · 78,661 public acres close by
- Fall Creek1,391 residents (2024) · 10,837 public acres close by
7 Wisconsin counties surround Eau Claire County.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Eau Claire County: legal hunting light
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Eau Claire 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 91.29 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Before you burn in Eau Claire County
Today's Eau Claire County status is on the Wisconsin burn ban 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): Eau Claire County is not 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.
Eau Claire County ranges and matches
3 ranges in Eau Claire County, from the DNR range layer and directory listings checked October 19, 2026.
rifle, handgun, trap, shotgun on file
rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader, air gun on file
archery, handgun, rifle, trap, shotgun on file
Nearest range on the DNR public range map: Colfax Shooting Range in Dunn County, about 28 miles from the county center.
Next local shoots
| Date and event | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 30-31, 2026: Eau Claire (South) Gun Show | Gun show | Event details |
| Feb 12-13, 2027: Eau Claire (South) Gun Show | Gun show | Event details |
| Mar 12-14, 2027: Eau Claire Gun Show | Gun show | Event details |
| Apr 2-3, 2027: Eau Claire (South) Gun Show | Gun show | Event details |
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
Eau Claire County processors, taxidermists and shops
Businesses inside Eau Claire 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.
Eau Claire County on the Wisconsin events calendar
11 posted results (bird dog championship, bird dog trial and grouse futurity), retrieved October 19, 2026.
Results
| Held | Event | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | North Country Bird Dog Club 2026 / Bird dog trial | Open Shooting Dog [One-Hour Heats] 1st: Lake Effect Ali (setter female; Tim Kaufman, owner and handler) | Source |
| Apr 16, 2026 | North Country Open Shooting Dog Championship 2026 / Bird dog championship | North Country Open Shooting Dog Championship winner: Lake Effect Ali (setter female; Tim Kaufman, owner and handler) | Source |
| Apr 1, 2026 | Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Association – Don Didcoct Memorial Classic 2026 / Bird dog trial | Open Shooting Dog 1st: North Slopes Allie (setter female; James Graddy, owner and handler) | Source |
| Oct 16, 2025 | Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship 2025 / Bird dog championship | Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship winner: Grouse Trails Warrior Cat (pointer female; John McKellop III, owner and handler) | Source |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Chippewa Valley Grouse Dog Association – Don Didcoct Memorial Amateur Shooting Dog Classic 2025 / Bird dog trial | Open Shooting Dog 1st: Big Big Energy (setter male; Jordan Pharris, owner and handler) | Source |
| Nov 5, 2024 | 82nd Grand National Grouse Championship 2024 / Bird dog championship | 82nd Grand National Grouse Championship winner: Snyder's Fireside Ed (setter male; Steven Snyder, owner; Tammy Chaffee, handler) | Source |
| Nov 3, 2024 | 80th Running of the Grand National Grouse Futurity 2024 / Grouse futurity | First stake 1st: Tim's Setter Meg (setter female; Tim & Deb Callahan, owners; Tim Callahan, handler) | Source |
| Oct 8, 2024 | Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship 2024 / Bird dog championship | Wisconsin Cover Dog Championship winner: Lake Effect Ali (setter female; Tim Kaufman, owner and handler) | Source |
Fishing in Eau Claire County
Lakes, rivers, boat ramps and bait shops for Eau Claire County are on State Fishing Spots, our sister site.
Eau Claire County hunting questions
How common is CWD in Eau Claire County?
41 positives in 3,366 samples since 1999.
How does Eau Claire County rank for registered deer?
39th of the 61 county-named units in 2025 (3,672 deer).
Under which bear zone does Eau Claire County fall?
Zone C/E, by the DNR bear zone layer.
Is there a baiting ban in Eau Claire County?
Yes.
Which wildlife areas are in Eau Claire County?
Augusta Wildlife Area.
What turkey zone is Eau Claire County in?
Zone 4.
Is blaze pink legal in Eau Claire County?
Yes. Fluorescent pink meets the same 50% rule as blaze orange.
How do I register a deer shot in Eau Claire County?
Through GameReg (online, phone or an in-person station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Does archery run into January in Eau Claire County?
Yes, extended archery runs Jan 4 to Jan 31, 2027.
Can a Eau Claire County hunter donate venison?
Yes, through the DNR Deer Donation Program at participating processors; Mars Meats, Mike's Star Market and Strum Locker Plant are nearest.
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.
Eau Claire County trip checklist
Unit lines in Eau Claire 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: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0); aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); 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); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0); grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0).