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Central Farmland and Central Forest deer zone · West Central
Monroe County Hunting
Monroe 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: Fort McCoy (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
In west-central Wisconsin, Monroe County takes in 901 square miles around its seat, Sparta. Population in 2024 stood at 46,370, up 0.2% from 2020. Two deer zones meet here, 89% Central Farmland and 11% Central Forest by area. For a DNR desk, hunters here use the DNR La Crosse Service Center. 20 public tracts reach into the county; Meadow Valley 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 Monroe County
Quotas follow units, not county lines: the 2 units reaching Monroe County carry 7,600 antlerless deer between them in 2026. Buy a deer license and select the Farmland unit here, and 4 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. Hunting on Fort McCoy runs on post permits from ftmccoy.isportsman.net with seasons the installation sets.
| Deer unit | Zone | 2026 quota | Initial public | Initial private | Still for sale Oct 19 | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 205 | Central Forest | 1,600 | 600 | 1,000 | 533 / 936 | — |
| Monroe Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 6,000 | 600 | 1,500 | 586 / 1,495 | 4 |
| Fort McCoy | Post | — | — | — | — | — |
Antlerless Holiday Hunt
Holiday Hunt dates for Monroe 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.
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.
Monroe County buck and antlerless harvest
The 2025 total for the Monroe unit was 8,137 deer, 59% of them antlerless. The high point of the series, which starts in 1960, was 2004 with 11,778 deer. Since the 2025 boundary change, the county-named unit is the Farmland part of Monroe County; the forest DMUs report separately.
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,328 | 4,809 | 8,137 |
| 2024 | 3,479 | 4,611 | 8,090 |
| 2023 | 3,360 | 4,065 | 7,425 |
| 2022 | 3,612 | 4,562 | 8,174 |
| 2021 | 3,412 | 3,866 | 7,278 |
| 2020 | 3,733 | 4,440 | 8,173 |
| 2019 | 3,294 | 3,594 | 6,888 |
| 2018 | 3,745 | 3,928 | 7,673 |
| 2017 | 3,385 | 3,455 | 6,840 |
| 2016 | 3,363 | 3,941 | 7,304 |
Forest DMU harvest, 2025
| Unit | Bucks | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 205 | 261 | 187 | 448 |
Season to date, 2026 (preliminary)
| Row | Antlered | Antlerless | To date |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 205 | 6 | 16 | 22 |
| Monroe | 240 | 335 | 575 |
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.
Monroe County: CWD tests by year
6,038 wild deer from Monroe County have been tested since 1999, and 73 carried CWD. In CWD year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026) 736 deer were sampled and 37 were positive. Deer baiting and feeding are prohibited across Monroe 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 | 3 |
| 2025 | 736 | 37 |
| 2024 | 711 | 19 |
| 2023 | 676 | 7 |
| 2022 | 560 | 4 |
| 2021 | 390 | 3 |
| 2020 | 349 | 0 |
| 2019 | 438 | 0 |
| 2018 | 562 | 0 |
| 2017 | 299 | 0 |
| 2016 | 73 | 0 |
| 2015 | 19 | 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 Monroe County
Bear drawing and harvest
Zone E (85%) and C (15%) sets the bear rules in Monroe County, a no-hound zone. Hunters registered 7 bears in Monroe 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 |
| Zone C | 875 | 4,465 | 2 | 7,605 | 661 | No |
| Season | Registered | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 4 | 6 |
Wild turkey
Monroe County is in turkey zone 1. Spring authorizations are zone and period specific; 2027 levels are not out yet, so the 2025 figures are shown. Zone 1 spring authorizations issued in 2025: 64,574 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 |
Elk hunting
Elk range reaches into Monroe 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 B grouse season covers Oct 17 to Dec 8, 2026. The DNR plans to stock 180 pheasants in 2026 on Sand Creek.
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.
Monroe County wildlife areas, forests and natural areas
The list holds every public property touching Monroe County, 20 in all, largest first within each type. At 7,443 acres (2021), the Monroe County Forest is part of the 2.4 million acre county forest system. Another 1,424 acres of privately owned forest are open to the public under Managed Forest Law.
- 1 state wildlife areaMeadow Valley Wildlife Area (58,071 acres*)
- Military land in the county (1)Fort McCoy (45,648 acres)
- 1 county forestMonroe County Forest (7,443 acres)
- State fishery areas (10)Big Creek Fishery Area (1,465 acres), Tainter and McGraw Creeks (1,385 acres*), Coon Creek Fishery Area (673 acres*), La Crosse River Fishery Area (462 acres), Pinnacle Rock Rearing Station (55 acres), Mill Creek Fishery Area (35 acres), Kickapoo River Fishery Area (28 acres), Rathbone Creek (21 acres), Cataract Pond Public Access (2 acres), Rullands Coulee Creek
- State park (1 here)Mill Bluff State Park (1,613 acres*)
- State habitat area in the county (1)Sand Creek (683 acres*)
- 1 state trailElroy-Sparta State Trail (631 acres*)
- State natural areas, 4 listedSand Creek Pines State Natural Area (159 acres*), Eureka Maple Woods State Natural Area (148 acres), Portland Maples State Natural Area (100 acres), Mill Bluff State Natural Area (82 acres*)
Bigger units that cross the county: DNR Scattered Forest Lands.
Nearby in other counties: Milllston Ridge Barrens State Natural Area (15 miles, 193 acres), Wildcat Mountain State Park (17 miles, 3,701 acres), Robinson Creek Pines State Natural Area (17 miles, 126 acres), Jay Creek Pine Forest State Natural Area (17 miles, 441 acres), Starlight Wetlands State Natural Area (18 miles, 1,052 acres).
Rem-Little Lacrosse River and La Crosse River Trail Prairies State Natural Area do not allow hunting or trapping.
All Wisconsin public land · All 30 county forests · 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.
Monroe County hunting dates, fall 2026 to spring 2027
21 species and 43 segments reach Monroe 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 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Monroe (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 E/C | 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.
From Monroe County towns to the counties around it
Monroe County has 6 town guides, each with the public land within reach, nearby services and daily shooting hours.
- Spartaseat · 9,963 residents (2024) · 32,616 public acres close by
- Cashton1,157 residents (2024) · 1,868 public acres close by
- Cataract48,277 public acres close by
- Oakdale303 residents (2024) · 18,411 public acres close by
- Tunnel City53,299 public acres close by
- Warrens541 residents (2024) · 79,341 public acres close by
4 Wisconsin counties surround Monroe County.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Monroe County: legal hunting light
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Monroe County lies in longitude Zone D, so add 12 minutes to each table time.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 90.62 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Fires, permits and bans around Monroe County
Monroe 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): Monroe 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).
- 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.
Monroe County: where to shoot
2 ranges in Monroe County, from the DNR range layer and directory listings checked October 19, 2026.
5-stand, trap, sporting clays, rifle, handgun on file
trap, rifle, shotgun on file
Public range nearest the county: M&M Sportshop & Shooting Range, Juneau County, 25 miles. Range page
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
Monroe County processors, taxidermists and shops
Businesses inside Monroe 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.
Banquets, trials and hunts in Monroe County
3 upcoming events (DU dinner, DU gun bingo and NWTF banquet), retrieved October 19, 2026.
On the calendar
| Dates | Name | Place | Link | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4, 2026 | Sparta Ducks Unlimited Banquet / DU dinner | Club 16 Sparta Monroe Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Tomah Ducks Unlimited Gun Bingo Night / DU gun bingo | Cranberry Country Lodge Tomah Monroe Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| May 1, 2027 | Meadow Valley NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | Tomah Monroe Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Monroe County hunting questions
How many free antlerless tags come with a license in Monroe County?
4 in the Farmland unit; forest units get none.
How many deer units touch Monroe County?
3 units: DMU 205, Monroe Central Farmland and Fort McCoy.
How common is CWD in Monroe County?
73 positives in 6,038 samples since 1999.
How does Monroe County rank for registered deer?
9th of the 61 county-named units in 2025 (8,137 deer).
Under which bear zone does Monroe County fall?
Zone E/C, by the DNR bear zone layer.
Is there a baiting ban in Monroe County?
Yes.
Which wildlife areas are in Monroe County?
Meadow Valley Wildlife Area.
What turkey zone is Monroe County in?
Zone 1.
Is blaze pink legal in Monroe County?
Yes. Fluorescent pink meets the same 50% rule as blaze orange.
How do I register a deer shot in Monroe County?
Through GameReg (online, phone or an in-person station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
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.
Monroe County trip checklist
Unit lines in Monroe 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: Aaron Volkening (CC BY 2.0); tuchodi (CC BY 2.0); Aaron Volkening (CC BY 2.0); aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); Aaron Volkening (CC BY 2.0); aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0).