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West Central Region county guide
Juneau County Hunting
Hunting Juneau County in 2026-27: the Central Farmland and Central Forest zone rules, every DMU that crosses the county, bonus antlerless availability, CWD and baiting, public land, towns, services and shooting hours.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
767 square miles of land make up Juneau County, and Mauston holds the county offices. Roughly 26,590 residents in 2024 works out to near 35 people a square mile. The deer zone line splits the county: 67% Central Farmland and 33% Central Forest. DNR walk-in help is at the La Crosse service center, 56 miles from the middle of the county. Hunters can choose among 25 public properties here, the biggest being Meadow Valley Wildlife Area.
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 Juneau County
Juneau County deer units, quotas and tags
4,900 antlerless deer is the 2026 quota sum for the 2 DMUs on this table, each counted whole. The Farmland unit includes 2 antlerless authorizations per license at no extra cost; choose the unit and public or private land when you buy. The Northwoods and Central Forest units here (DMU 206) rely on bonus sales for antlerless deer. Price of a bonus antlerless authorization: $12 resident, $20 nonresident; buyers are held to one a day.
| Unit | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Bonus (public land) | Bonus (private land) | Remaining Oct 19 | Free tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 206 | Central Forest | 400 | 300 | 1,250 | 0 / 940 | — |
| Juneau Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 4,500 | 650 | 4,000 | 625 / 3,954 | 2 |
Holiday Hunt
Christmas Eve to New Year's Day is the antlerless-only Holiday Hunt here (Central Farmland part only): Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Archery and crossbow also continue Jan 4 to Jan 31, 2027 in the extended season.
November gun hunt
Firearm deer dates: gun Nov 21 to Nov 29, 2026, muzzleloader Nov 30 to Dec 9, 2026, December 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.
Juneau County deer, year by year
Juneau County produced 4,295 registered deer in 2025, 36th among the 61 county-named units. Ten seasons earlier, in 2015, the unit registered 4,199 (+2% since). The 2025 number counts the Farmland unit only. Forest units in the county (DMU 206) are listed below.
| Harvest year | Antlered | Antlerless | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,902 | 2,393 | 4,295 |
| 2024 | 2,517 | 2,341 | 4,858 |
| 2023 | 2,393 | 2,079 | 4,472 |
| 2022 | 2,558 | 2,268 | 4,826 |
| 2021 | 2,282 | 2,050 | 4,332 |
| 2020 | 2,377 | 2,408 | 4,785 |
| 2019 | 2,021 | 1,769 | 3,790 |
| 2018 | 2,546 | 1,781 | 4,327 |
| 2017 | 2,254 | 1,627 | 3,881 |
| 2016 | 2,224 | 1,943 | 4,167 |
Forest units in Juneau County, 2025
| Forest unit | Antlered | Antlerless | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 206 | 433 | 224 | 657 |
2026 early-season deer, preliminary
| Unit (as DNR lists it) | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 206 | 30 | 17 | 47 |
| Juneau | 124 | 177 | 301 |
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.
Deer disease and baiting, Juneau County
The DNR CWD summary lists 224 positive wild deer for Juneau County from 4,925 samples. For CWD year 2025 the county logged 370 samples and 61 detections. Juneau County is one of 60 counties where baiting and feeding deer are banned. Every donated deer must be tested.
| Year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 39 | 3 |
| 2025 | 370 | 61 |
| 2024 | 360 | 56 |
| 2023 | 322 | 35 |
| 2022 | 299 | 24 |
| 2021 | 326 | 17 |
| 2020 | 406 | 8 |
| 2019 | 375 | 12 |
| 2018 | 374 | 5 |
| 2017 | 255 | 2 |
| 2016 | 256 | 0 |
| 2015 | 96 | 0 |
Statewide CWD page · Bait rules statewide
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.
Juneau County bear, turkey and upland zones
Bear numbers
For bears, Juneau County is zone C (58%) and E (42%). Hounds are not permitted. In 2025 the county gave up 8 bears after 22 in 2024.
| Zone | Target 2026 | Permits | Fewest 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 |
| Year | Bears | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| 2024 | 22 | 16 | 6 |
Turkeys in Juneau County
Zone 1 sets the turkey authorizations in Juneau County; 2025 is the most recent year with published levels. Spring 2025 brought 64,574 authorizations to zone 1.
| Turkey zone | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Success rate | Harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 61,121 | 60,523 | 62,058 | 62,329 | 64,574 | 21% | 13,813 |
Elk licenses
Juneau County touches the Central Elk Management Zone (formerly the Black River Elk Range), where public land makes up nearly 70%. The 2026 quota: 6 bull and 6 antlerless. Elk harvested in the zone in 2025: 9.
| Group | Licenses |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Zones for birds and rabbits
Zone B grouse dates: Oct 17 to Dec 8, 2026.
Compare bear zones · All 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.
Public land on the Juneau County map
25 listed properties reach into Juneau County; acres for properties that cross a county line are the whole property. The county owns 17,799 acres of forest open to hunting, per the 2021 DNR county forest report. The 2026 MFL report lists 3,016 acres open to public hunting in Juneau County. Private land open by lease: 1 VPA-HIP and 1 THAP properties.
- State wildlife areas: 5Meadow Valley Wildlife Area (58,071 ac*), Dell Creek Wildlife Area (2,704 ac*), Yellow River Wildlife Area (2,195 ac), Buckhorn Wildlife Area (1,675 ac), Town of Marion State Habitat Area (40 ac)
- National wildlife refuge (1 here)Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (45,000 ac)
- County forest: 1Juneau County Forest (17,799 ac)
- State natural areas in the county (11)Suk Cerney Peatlands State Natural Area (3,611 ac), Buckhorn Barrens State Natural Area (1,679 ac), Dells of the Wisconsin River State Natural Area (1,286 ac*), Yellow River Oxbows State Natural Area (898 ac), Cranberry Creek Mound Group State Natural Area (675 ac), Meadow Valley Barrens State Natural Area (631 ac), Kingston Pines State Natural Area (535 ac), Lemonweir Bottomland Hardwood Forest State Natural Area (321 ac), Blueberry Trail State Natural Area (251 ac), Bass Hollow State Natural Area (210 ac), Mill Bluff State Natural Area (82 ac*)
- State parks, 3 listedBuckhorn State Park (3,994 ac), Mill Bluff State Park (1,613 ac*), Rocky Arbor State Park (264 ac*)
- State trails: 2Elroy-Sparta State Trail (631 ac*), The 400 State Trail (358 ac*)
- State fishery area (1 here)Hulburt Creek Fishery Area (572 ac*)
- 1 state habitat areaBrewer Creek-Lemonweir River State Habitat Area (24 ac)
Multi-county properties here: DNR Scattered Wildlife Lands.
Over the county line: Sohlberg Silver Lake State Natural Area (11 miles, 308 ac), Quincy Bluff and Wetlands State Natural Area (13 miles, 6,607 ac).
Land by type · County forest system · MFL open lands · VPA-HIP leases · THAP map
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.
Season dates that cover Juneau County
Juneau County sits in the Central Farmland and Central Forest deer zone. These 43 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: Juneau (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 1 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 1 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 1 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 1 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 1 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone A | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | |
| 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.
Juneau County towns, plus bordering counties
Towns for Juneau County hunters, starting with the courthouse town.
- Maustonseat of county · 4,147 people · 4,458 mapped public acres nearby
- Lyndon Station477 people · 5,955 mapped public acres nearby
- Necedah914 people · 50,600 mapped public acres nearby
- New Lisbon2,586 people · 15,112 mapped public acres nearby
Juneau County touches 7 other Wisconsin counties.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Juneau County: legal hunting light
Deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey: 30 minutes before sunrise until 20 minutes after sunset. Ducks, geese, doves and spring turkey: same start, done at sunset.
| Day | Reason | Northern table | Southern table |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 90.11 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Burning rules in Juneau County
Today's Juneau County status is on the Wisconsin burn ban list.
- 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): Juneau County is not on this list.
- Burn bans come from: 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).
- Campfires while hunting: DNR-managed lands (NR 45.07): no fire on the ground and no burning refuse except in designated fireplaces or fire rings.
Juneau County: where to shoot
Inside the county line: 2 ranges, from rod and gun clubs to public map ranges and archery lanes.
archery on file
trap, shotgun on file
Upcoming in Juneau County
| Date and match | Category | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 13-14, 2026: New Lisbon Gun Show | Gun show | Full details |
| Jan 1-2, 2027: New Lisbon Gun Show | Gun show | Full details |
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
Juneau County DNR offices and hunting businesses
Gas stations and hardware stores that only sell licenses are left out; these are hunting shops.
DNR service center and offices
Service center counters are open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays; field offices see visitors by appointment.
Butchering and processing
Taxidermists
Guides and preserves
Hunting shops nearby
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.
Juneau County, dinners, hunts and trials
On file here: 2 upcoming events (NWTF banquet).
Dates ahead
| When | Event | Location | Tickets or entry | Posted at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2027 | Summit Ridge Gobblers Bingo/Banquet / NWTF banquet | Wonewoc Juneau Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Apr 24, 2027 | Lemonwier Long Beards NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | New Lisbon Juneau Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Juneau County: short answers
Which deer management units cover Juneau County?
DMU 206 and Juneau Central Farmland, per the DNR county-to-unit list.
Are bonus antlerless tags left for Juneau County?
DMU 206: 0 public, 940 private and Juneau Central Farmland: 625 public, 3,954 private as of Oct. 19, 2026.
How many deer were registered in Juneau County in 2025?
4,295: 1,902 bucks and 2,393 antlerless.
What happens if my Juneau County deer tests positive?
You earn a replacement authorization: a statewide buck tag for an antlered deer, a same-unit tag for an antlerless one.
May hunters bait deer anywhere in Juneau County?
Not here: deer baiting and feeding are prohibited.
What are the bear dates in Juneau County?
Sep 9 to Oct 13, 2026, with the zone windows in the season table.
How do I register a turkey from Juneau County?
Online or by phone through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery; there are no in-person stations.
What is the largest public property in Juneau County?
Meadow Valley Wildlife Area, 58,071 acres.
Do I register geese shot in Juneau County?
No. Wisconsin has had no state goose registration since 2017; HIP certification is required.
Do I need blaze orange in Juneau County?
Yes, during any firearm deer season: 50% of outer clothing above the waist, orange or fluorescent pink.
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.
Last word on Juneau County seasons
If anything here disagrees with the DNR regulations, the regulations win.
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); tuchodi (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0); Joshua Mayer from Madison, WI, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0); wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0).