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Central Farmland deer zone · West Central
St. Croix County Hunting
St. Croix County sits in the Central Farmland deer zone. Here are its 2 deer units, 2026 antlerless quotas, CWD sampling, bear and turkey zones, public land with acres and the 2026-27 season table.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In west-central Wisconsin, St. Croix County takes in 722 square miles around its seat, Hudson. Population in 2024 stood at 97,954, up 4.7% from 2020. The whole county is Central Farmland for deer, with 2 units on the DNR map. For a DNR desk, hunters here use the DNR Eau Claire Service Center. 60 public tracts reach into the county; St. Croix Wetland Management District 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 St. Croix County
Quotas follow units, not county lines: the 1 unit reaching St. Croix County carry 3,500 antlerless deer between them in 2026. Buy a deer license and select the Farmland unit here, and 2 antlerless authorizations arrive with it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix | Central Farmland | 3,500 | 500 | 1,500 | 494 / 1,496 | 2 |
| St. Croix County Metro Sub-Unit | Central Farmland metro | In parent | 150 | 300 | 150 / 300 | 2 |
Antlerless Holiday Hunt
Holiday Hunt dates for St. Croix County: 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 Hudson get gun dates Nov 21 to Dec 9, 2026 and a January bow season. DNR offered 450 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.
St. Croix County buck and antlerless harvest
The 2025 total for the St. Croix unit was 4,858 deer, 53% of them antlerless. The high point of the series, which starts in 1960, was 2007 with 5,178 deer.
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,261 | 2,597 | 4,858 |
| 2024 | 1,922 | 2,280 | 4,202 |
| 2023 | 1,762 | 2,338 | 4,100 |
| 2022 | 2,051 | 2,604 | 4,655 |
| 2021 | 1,970 | 2,257 | 4,227 |
| 2020 | 2,083 | 2,632 | 4,715 |
| 2019 | 1,732 | 2,093 | 3,825 |
| 2018 | 1,719 | 2,281 | 4,000 |
| 2017 | 1,738 | 2,220 | 3,958 |
| 2016 | 1,728 | 2,233 | 3,961 |
Season to date, 2026 (preliminary)
| Row | Antlered | Antlerless | To date |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Croix | 161 | 207 | 368 |
| St Croix Metro Subunit | 45 | 43 | 88 |
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.
St. Croix County: CWD tests by year
St. Croix County remains free of known CWD in wild deer; 1,431 have been tested. Deer baiting and feeding are prohibited across St. Croix County (a CWD or TB positive in or within 10 miles of the county). The donation program needs no test for deer from this county.
| CWD year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 7 | 0 |
| 2025 | 132 | 0 |
| 2024 | 119 | 0 |
| 2023 | 78 | 0 |
| 2022 | 94 | 0 |
| 2021 | 80 | 0 |
| 2020 | 90 | 0 |
| 2019 | 143 | 0 |
| 2018 | 202 | 0 |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 | 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 St. Croix County
Bear drawing and harvest
Zone E (76%) and D (24%) sets the bear rules in St. Croix County, a hound zone in D. Hunters registered 31 bears in St. Croix County in 2025 and 20 in 2024.
| Zone | 2026 target | Permits drawn | Min points | Applicants | 2025 harvest | Hounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone E | 185 | 2,628 | 1 | 2,628 | 128 | No |
| Zone D | 1,100 | 3,855 | 2 | 6,847 | 906 | Yes |
| Season | Registered | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31 | 22 | 9 |
| 2024 | 20 | 14 | 6 |
Wild turkey
St. Croix 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 |
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.
St. Croix County public hunting land
The list holds every public property touching St. Croix County, 60 in all, largest first within each type. Another 828 acres of privately owned forest are open to the public under Managed Forest Law. St. Croix County has 4 VPA-HIP and 0 turkey access leases on private ground.
- Wetland management district, 1 listedSt. Croix Wetland Management District (7,980 acres*)
- Waterfowl production areas (27 here)Oak Ridge Waterfowl Production Area (632 acres), Ten Mile Waterfowl Production Area (516 acres), Prairie Flats – South Waterfowl Production Area (501 acres), Betterly Waterfowl Production Area (485 acres), Erickson Waterfowl Production Area (476 acres), Bass Lake Waterfowl Production Area (423 acres), Stanton Prairie Waterfowl Production Area (353 acres), Deer Park Waterfowl Production Area (351 acres), Kostka Waterfowl Production Area (350 acres), Star Prairie Waterfowl Production Area (312 acres), Bierbrauer Waterfowl Production Area (275 acres*), Three Lakes Waterfowl Production Area (249 acres), Clapp Waterfowl Production Area (239 acres), Prairie Flats – North Waterfowl Production Area (219 acres), Kerber Waterfowl Production Area (156 acres), Plum Brush Waterfowl Production Area (155 acres*), St. Croix Prairie Waterfowl Production Area (141 acres), Lundy Waterfowl Production Area (132 acres), Oak Ridge Waterfowl Production Area/Hanten Waterfowl Production Area (119 acres), Twelve Ponds Waterfowl Production Area (94 acres), Hanten Waterfowl Production Area (85 acres), Oak Ridge South Waterfowl Production Area (71 acres), Somerset Waterfowl Production Area (65 acres), White Waterfowl Production Area (56 acres), Risberg Waterfowl Production Area (38 acres), Weiss Waterfowl Production Area (36 acres), Hammond Waterfowl Production Area (26 acres)
- 8 state wildlife areasCylon Wildlife Area (2,795 acres), St. Croix Islands Wildlife Area (1,244 acres), Kinnickinnic River Headwaters Fish and Wildlife Area (289 acres), Oakridge Wildlife Area (200 acres), Swinging Gate Fish and Wildlife Area (156 acres), Kinnickinnic River Fisheries Area – Potton Tract (138 acres), Pleasant Valley Wildlife Area (120 acres), Kinnickinnic River Fisheries Area – Oscar Lee Tract (86 acres)
- State habitat areas in the county (17)Willow River Wildlife Area (818 acres), Casey Lake Wildlife Area (359 acres), Oden Wildlife Area (250 acres), Ten Mile Creek State Habitat Area-Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area (216 acres), Deer Park Wildlife Area (213 acres), Nagel Wildlife Area (208 acres), Oak Ridge State Habitat Area-Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area (196 acres), Emerald Valley Wildlife Area (155 acres), Erin Prairie Wildlife Area (148 acres), Rush River Wildlife Area (124 acres), New Richmond Wildlife Area (77 acres), Bierbrauer Wildlife Area (69 acres), Star Prairie Seed Farm Wildlife Area (58 acres), Baldwin State Habitat Area-Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area (40 acres), Lundy Pond Wildlife Area (35 acres), Simon Prairie State Habitat Area-Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area (7 acres), Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area (1 acres)
- State park (1 here)Willow River State Park (2,857 acres)
- State fishery area (1)Kinnickinnic River Fishery Area (1,253 acres*)
- State natural areas, 4 listedSt. Croix Islands State Natural Area (852 acres), Apple River Canyon State Natural Area (183 acres), Cylon State Natural Area (155 acres), Kinnickinnic Wet Prairie State Natural Area (45 acres)
- Other DNR land: 1Glen Hills Watershed (665 acres)
Bigger units that cross the county: Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (Wisconsin).
All Wisconsin public land · 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.
St. Croix County hunting dates, fall 2026 to spring 2027
20 species and 42 segments reach St. Croix 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: Hudson | 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: St. Croix | 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 D | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone D | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone D | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 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.
St. Croix County town guides and adjacent counties
St. Croix County has 4 town guides, each with the public land within reach, nearby services and daily shooting hours.
- Hudsonseat · 15,031 residents (2024) · 6,712 public acres close by
- Emerald4,756 public acres close by
- Houlton6,454 public acres close by
- Somerset3,382 residents (2024) · 12,025 public acres close by
4 Wisconsin counties surround St. Croix County, with Washington (MN) over the state line.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
St. Croix County: legal hunting light
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; St. Croix County lies in longitude Zone F, so add 20 minutes to each table time.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery, fall turkey and grouse opener | 6:15 a.m. to 7:47 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 7:46 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:59 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 6:44 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:20 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 6:17 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:48 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 7:00 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:19 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 4:58 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:21 a.m. to 4:59 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 5:06 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 F offset of 20 minutes for longitude 92.45 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Burning rules in St. Croix County
St. Croix County status today: open the Wisconsin county list.
- Permits: 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): St. Croix 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.
St. Croix County ranges and matches
The St. Croix County list runs to 5 ranges; cards first, then any others in a table.
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, skeet on file
rifle, handgun on file
trap, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery on file
sporting clays, shotgun on file
trap, rifle, archery, 3D archery, shotgun on file
Next local shoots
| Date and event | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 11-12, 2026: New Richmond Gun Show | Gun show | Event details |
| Mar 19-20, 2027: New Richmond Gun Show | Gun show | Event details |
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
St. Croix County processors, taxidermists and shops
Businesses inside St. Croix 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.
St. Croix County hunting questions
How does St. Croix County rank for registered deer?
26th of the 61 county-named units in 2025 (4,858 deer).
How many free antlerless tags come with a license in St. Croix County?
2 in the Farmland unit; forest units get none.
Is there a baiting ban in St. Croix County?
Yes.
How common is CWD in St. Croix County?
0 positives in 1,431 samples since 1999.
What turkey zone is St. Croix County in?
Zone 4.
Under which bear zone does St. Croix County fall?
Zone E/D, by the DNR bear zone layer.
How do I register a deer shot in St. Croix County?
Through GameReg (online, phone or an in-person station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Which wildlife areas are in St. Croix County?
Cylon Wildlife Area, St. Croix Islands Wildlife Area, Kinnickinnic River Headwaters Fish and Wildlife Area and Oakridge Wildlife Area.
Can a St. Croix County hunter donate venison?
Yes, through the DNR Deer Donation Program at participating processors; Ross' Glenwood City Lockers, Powers Wild Game Processing and Deer's Food Locker are nearest.
Is blaze pink legal in St. Croix County?
Yes. Fluorescent pink meets the same 50% rule as blaze orange.
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.
St. Croix County trip checklist
Unit lines in St. Croix 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: Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); NPS Photo (Public domain); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); Olivier Bruchez (CC BY-SA 2.0); Yellowstone National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0).