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Southeast Region county guide
Milwaukee County Hunting
Hunting Milwaukee County in 2026-27: the Southern Farmland zone rules, every DMU that crosses the county, bonus antlerless availability, CWD and baiting, public land, towns, services and shooting hours.
Photo: Beige Alert (CC BY 2.0)
241 square miles of land make up Milwaukee County, and Milwaukee holds the county offices. Roughly 924,740 residents in 2024 works out to near 3,830 people a square mile. All of it lies in the Southern Farmland Zone, divided into 1 deer management unit. DNR walk-in help is at the Milwaukee service center, 9 miles from the middle of the county. Hunters can choose among 1 public property here, the biggest being Big Muskego Lake 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.
Milwaukee County deer units, quotas and tags
300 antlerless deer is the 2026 quota sum for the 1 DMU on this table, each counted whole. The Farmland unit includes 3 antlerless authorizations per license at no extra cost; choose the unit and public or private land when you buy. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | Southern Farmland | 300 | 100 | 300 | 100 / 300 | 3 |
Holiday Hunt
Christmas Eve to New Year's Day is the antlerless-only Holiday Hunt here: Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027. Archery and crossbow also continue Jan 4 to Jan 31, 2027 in the extended season.
City-edge sub-unit
Milwaukee metro sub-unit: extra days for gun (Nov 21 to Dec 9, 2026) and archery (to Jan 31, 2027).
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.
Milwaukee County deer, year by year
Milwaukee County produced 206 registered deer in 2025, 60th among the 61 county-named units. Ten seasons earlier, in 2015, the unit registered 246 (-16% since).
| Harvest year | Antlered | Antlerless | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 122 | 84 | 206 |
| 2024 | 104 | 76 | 180 |
| 2023 | 115 | 85 | 200 |
| 2022 | 110 | 71 | 181 |
| 2021 | 102 | 92 | 194 |
| 2020 | 121 | 118 | 239 |
| 2019 | 118 | 99 | 217 |
| 2018 | 109 | 103 | 212 |
| 2017 | 132 | 134 | 266 |
| 2016 | 92 | 137 | 229 |
2026 early-season deer, preliminary
| Unit (as DNR lists it) | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 7 | 8 | 15 |
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, Milwaukee County
The DNR CWD summary lists 1 positive wild deer for Milwaukee County from 536 samples. For CWD year 2025 the county logged 7 samples and 0 detections. Milwaukee County is one of 60 counties where baiting and feeding deer are banned. Donation rule: test adult deer.
| Year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 |
| 2024 | 15 | 0 |
| 2023 | 21 | 0 |
| 2022 | 20 | 0 |
| 2021 | 7 | 0 |
| 2020 | 34 | 0 |
| 2019 | 81 | 0 |
| 2018 | 85 | 0 |
| 2017 | 62 | 1 |
| 2016 | 58 | 0 |
| 2015 | 1 | 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.
Milwaukee County bear, turkey and upland zones
Bear numbers
For bears, Milwaukee County is zone F. Hounds are not permitted. Milwaukee County does not appear in the 2024 or 2025 bear county tables.
| Zone | Target 2026 | Permits | Fewest points | Applicants | 2025 harvest | Hounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone F | 50 | 764 | 1 | 764 | 27 | No |
Turkeys in Milwaukee County
Zone 2 sets the turkey authorizations in Milwaukee County; 2025 is the most recent year with published levels. Spring 2025 brought 51,056 authorizations to zone 2.
| Turkey zone | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Success rate | Harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 | 51,022 | 51,028 | 51,030 | 51,065 | 51,056 | 22% | 11,024 |
Zones for birds and rabbits
Zone B grouse dates: Oct 17 to Dec 8, 2026. Out on the big lake, the Open Water zone begins 500 feet off the mainland shore.
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 Milwaukee County map
1 listed property reach into Milwaukee County; acres for properties that cross a county line are the whole property.
- State wildlife area: 1Big Muskego Lake Wildlife Area (1,106 ac*)
Over the county line: Wind Lake State Habitat Area (14 miles, 346 ac), Wind Lake Habitat Area (16 miles, 14 ac), Dover Wildlife Area (17 miles, 89 ac), Pebble Brook State Habitat Area (18 miles, 32 ac), Eagle Lake Fishery Area (20 miles, 97 ac).
Skip Lakeshore State Park and Havenwoods Forest Preserve and Nature Center; DNR lists no hunting there.
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 Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County sits in the Southern Farmland deer zone. These 44 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 | Metro sub-unit gun | Metro sub-unit: Milwaukee | 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: Milwaukee | 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 F | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 2 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 2 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 2 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 2 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 2 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 2 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 2 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 2 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 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 | Milwaukee County | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| 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 | Open Water Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 15, 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.
Milwaukee County towns, plus bordering counties
Towns for Milwaukee County hunters, starting with the courthouse town.
- Milwaukeeseat of county · 563,531 people
Milwaukee County touches 4 other Wisconsin counties, and Muskegon (MI) and Ottawa (MI) beyond the border.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Milwaukee 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 | 5:55 a.m. to 7:27 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:39 a.m. to 6:21 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:00 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:28 a.m. to 4:34 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:40 a.m. to 4:28 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 4:35 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 6:59 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:01 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:46 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 A offset of 0 minutes for longitude 87.86 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Can you burn in Milwaukee County?
Today's Milwaukee 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): Milwaukee County is on this list.
- Ban orders: 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.
Milwaukee County: where to shoot
Inside the county line: 7 ranges, from rod and gun clubs to public map ranges and archery lanes.
archery, 3D archery on file
archery, 3D archery on file
rifle, muzzleloader on file
| Range | Location | Firearms and archery | Access rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warnimont Archery Range · archery range | Cudahy | archery/3D archery | Access not stated |
About 12 miles away, Lakeview Rod & Gun Club is the closest range the DNR maps as public.
Upcoming in Milwaukee County
| Date and match | Category | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 22-23, 2027: Milwaukee Gun and Outdoors Show | Gun show | Full details |
| Mar 13-14, 2027: Saint Francis Gun and Outdoors Show | Gun show | Full details |
| Apr 2-4, 2027: Milwaukee Gun and Outdoors Show | Gun show | Full details |
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
Milwaukee 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
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.
Milwaukee County: short answers
How do I register a turkey from Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee County?
Big Muskego Lake Wildlife Area, 1,106 acres.
Do I register geese shot in Milwaukee County?
No. Wisconsin has had no state goose registration since 2017; HIP certification is required.
Do I need blaze orange in Milwaukee County?
Yes, during any firearm deer season: 50% of outer clothing above the waist, orange or fluorescent pink.
Can I find a deer processor close to Milwaukee County?
Yes, try Bunzel's Meat Market, Wild Fork and The Whole Hog first.
Is there a Holiday Hunt in Milwaukee County?
Yes, Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027, antlerless only.
Which deer management units cover Milwaukee County?
Milwaukee, per the DNR county-to-unit list.
Are bonus antlerless tags left for Milwaukee County?
Milwaukee: 100 public, 300 private as of Oct. 19, 2026.
How many deer were registered in Milwaukee County in 2025?
206: 122 bucks and 84 antlerless.
What happens if my Milwaukee 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.
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 Milwaukee 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: royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0); Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).