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Northern Region · 2026-27
Florence County Hunting
Deer units and bonus tags, Holiday Hunt status, CWD test results by year, the baiting rule, bear, turkey and waterfowl zones and every public property in Florence County, from DNR data.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Florence County covers 488 square miles of land and 9 of lakes and rivers, with the courthouse in Florence. It counted 4,673 people in 2024, about 10 for each square mile of land. For deer it is entirely Northern Forest ground, split into 2 DMUs. The DNR Rhinelander Service Center in Rhinelander is the nearest of the twelve DNR service centers. 14 public propertys on the DNR, county and federal lists sit at least partly inside the line, 2 state wildlife areas among them.
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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Florence County
Florence County DMUs and antlerless authorizations
For 2026 the antlerless target in these units is 1,045 deer, set by unit before bonus sales opened in August. Forest Zone units come without free Farmland tags, so antlerless deer in DMU 124 and DMU 125 need a bonus authorization. A bonus authorization costs $12 (resident) or $20 (nonresident) on Go Wild, one per hunter per day while they last.
| DMU | Management zone | Quota | Public-land bonus | Private-land bonus | Left at Oct 19 | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 124 | Northern Forest | 320 | 650 | 800 | 0 / 123 | — |
| DMU 125 | Northern Forest | 725 | 500 | 2,650 | 0 / 1,494 | — |
Forest Zone seasons
Florence County sees no extended season; the December 4-day antlerless hunt is the last firearm hunt.
The nine-day
Rifles and shotguns: Nov 21 to Nov 29, 2026. Muzzleloaders: Nov 30 to Dec 9, 2026. Antlerless only: 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.
Deer registrations, Florence County
For Florence County the DNR reports deer by forest DMU only. The table gives each unit's 2025 harvest, including ground outside the county.
2025 forest unit totals
Florence County so far in 2026 (preliminary)
| Unit | Bucks | Antlerless | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 124 | 55 | 48 | 103 |
| DMU 125 | 140 | 88 | 228 |
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.
Has CWD reached Florence County?
No CWD-positive wild deer has been found in Florence County; 1,255 have been sampled there since 1999. No bait and no feeding: Florence County sits under the deer baiting and feeding ban. No CWD test is required to donate deer here.
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 34 | 0 |
| 2024 | 38 | 0 |
| 2023 | 43 | 0 |
| 2022 | 37 | 0 |
| 2021 | 31 | 0 |
| 2020 | 37 | 0 |
| 2019 | 153 | 0 |
| 2018 | 181 | 0 |
| 2017 | 19 | 0 |
| 2016 | 3 | 0 |
More on CWD · Ban map and limits
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.
Florence County bear and turkey numbers
Black bears
Florence County lies in bear zone B. Class A bear licenses come by preference-point drawing, and hounds are allowed in zone B. The 2025 bear harvest in Florence County was 78, 21st among Wisconsin counties.
| Bear zone | Target 2026 | Licenses drawn | Points needed | Applicants | Harvest 2025 | Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone B | 850 | 1,545 | 11 | 5,071 | 841 | Yes |
| Year | Total | Boars | Sows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78 | 35 | 43 |
| 2024 | 97 | 44 | 53 |
Turkey zone and permits
Turkey zone 7 (60%) and 5 (40%) covers the county. Spring 2027 permit levels have not been published; the table gives 2025 levels by zone. 16,409 spring authorizations went to zone 7/5 in 2025.
| Spring zone | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2025 rate | Registered 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 7 | 4,396 | 4,400 | 4,400 | 4,406 | 4,401 | 16% | 726 |
| Zone 5 | 11,999 | 12,000 | 11,998 | 12,010 | 12,008 | 20% | 2,446 |
Birds and small game in Florence County
For ruffed grouse, Zone A applies (Sep 12, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027).
Bear zones · Compare turkey zones
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.
Florence County wildlife areas, forests and natural areas
Florence County overlaps 14 properties on the land list, from state wildlife areas to natural areas and trails. County forest: 37,003 acres, from the DNR report dated July 1, 2021. Private land enrolled in Managed Forest Law and open to the public adds 46,786 acres in Florence County.
- National forest ranger district in the county (1)Eagle River-Florence Ranger District (Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest) (319,429 ac*)
- Riverways and scenic waters: 2Wild Rivers/pine Popple Conservation Easement (58,828 ac*), Pine-Popple Wild Rivers (11,636 ac)
- County forest in the county (1)Florence County Forest (37,003 ac)
- State natural areas (6 here)Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area (6,619 ac), Savage Lake State Natural Area (1,882 ac), Haley Creek Swamp State Natural Area (475 ac), Woods Creek State Natural Area (52 ac), Woods Creek Cedars State Natural Area (49 ac), Fox Maple Woods State Natural Area (40 ac)
- State wildlife areas in the county (2)Woods Creek State Habitat Area (78 ac), No Bottom Lakestate Habitat Area (37 ac)
- Public access site (1 here)Edith Lake State Public Access (34 ac)
- State fishery area: 1North Branch Pemebonwon Fishery Area (5 ac)
Statewide groupings with parcels here: Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Close by, across the boundary: Dunbar Barrens State Natural Area (15 miles, 1,412 ac), Menominee River State Recreation Area (23 miles, 4,782 ac).
Public land hub · County forests · Open MFL 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.
Which seasons are open in Florence County
Deer dates are statewide in Wisconsin; bear, turkey, grouse, cottontail and waterfowl dates follow zone lines, so only the rows for Florence County are listed.
| Species | Season | Where it applies | Opens | Closes | 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 B | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone B | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone B | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 7/5 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 7/5 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 7/5 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 7/5 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 7/5 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 7/5 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 7/5 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 7/5 | 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.
From Florence County towns to the counties around it
Pick a base town in Florence County; its page lists the closest public properties and legal hours.
- Florencecounty seat · 43,427 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
- Long Lake142,014 acres open to hunters within 10 miles
Bordering Florence County: 2 Wisconsin counties plus Dickinson (MI) and Iron (MI).
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
When you can shoot at Florence County
Two tables cover the state, one for the Northern Area and one for the Southern Area, each for Zone A. West of 88 degrees you add 4 minutes per degree of longitude.
| Day | Season | North table | South table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery, fall turkey and grouse opener | 5:59 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:43 a.m. to 6:25 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 6:28 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:04 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:32 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:44 a.m. to 4:32 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:03 a.m. to 4:34 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:05 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 4:50 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 B offset of 4 minutes for longitude 88.41 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Florence County burn ban and campfire rules
See the Wisconsin county list for Florence County today.
- Permit season: 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): Florence County is not on this list.
- Who declares bans: 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).
- Fires on public land: DNR-managed lands (NR 45.07): no fire on the ground and no burning refuse except in designated fireplaces or fire rings.
Florence County ranges and matches
2 ranges in Florence County, from the DNR range layer and directory listings checked October 19, 2026.
rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader on file
rifle, trap, shotgun on file
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
Florence County hunting services
Each group starts with Florence County listings and fills in from neighbours.
Who to call at the DNR
Walk in at a service center on weekdays (8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.); call ahead for a field office.
Deer processors
Mounts and taxidermy
Guided hunts
Outdoor stores
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.
Florence County on the Wisconsin events calendar
Learn to Hunt for families: 1 upcoming event. Retrieved October 19, 2026.
Still to come
| Held | What | Where | Register | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4–Dec 13, 2026 | Learn to Hunt Deer for Families – Florence County / Learn to Hunt for families | Florence Co. | Sign up | Source |
Florence County questions from hunters
Can I feed deer in my yard in Florence County?
No; feeding deer is banned along with baiting.
How many bear permits are there for Florence County?
Zone B drew 1,545 permits for 2026 against a harvest target of 850.
When is spring turkey season in Florence County?
Youth hunt Apr 17 to Apr 18, 2027, then Periods A to F from Apr 21 to Jun 1, 2027.
Is there a county forest in Florence County?
Yes, 37,003 acres as of the DNR 2021 report.
What is the deadline to register a deer in Florence County?
5 p.m. the day after you recover it; the confirmation number starts with W.
Do bowhunters wear orange in Florence County?
Yes, whenever a firearm deer season is open.
Which venison processors are nearest Florence County?
Shcaefers Deer Processing, Antlers 2 Fins Taxidermy and Pelkin's Smokey Meat Market, in order of distance.
Is Florence County a Farmland or Forest county for deer?
Northern Forest.
How much is a bonus antlerless tag for Florence County?
$12 resident, $20 nonresident, one per day while they last.
Does the DNR publish deer harvest for Florence County?
Not by county. It reports the forest DMUs, and only 2025 exists for the new boundaries.
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.
Double-check before Florence County
The DNR can change quotas, bonus sales and bans between seasons. The regulations booklet is the legal reference.
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: wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0); NPS Photo (Public domain); aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0).