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Northern Forest and Central Farmland deer zone · Northern
Washburn County Hunting
Washburn County sits in the Northern Forest and Central Farmland deer zones. Here are its 4 deer units, 2026 antlerless quotas, CWD sampling, bear and turkey zones, public land with acres and the 2026-27 season table.
Photo: jondejong (CC BY 2.0)
In the Northwoods, Washburn County takes in 797 square miles around its seat, Shell Lake. Population in 2024 stood at 16,982, up 2.1% from 2020. Two deer zones meet here, 85% Northern Forest and 15% Central Farmland by area. For a DNR desk, hunters here use the DNR Spooner Service Center. 27 public tracts reach into the county; Washburn County Forest 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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Washburn County
Deer management units covering Washburn County
Quotas follow units, not county lines: the 4 units reaching Washburn County carry 9,475 antlerless deer between them in 2026. Buy a deer license and select the Farmland unit here, and 2 antlerless authorizations arrive with it. 3 forest DMUs cross 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.
| Deer unit | Zone | 2026 quota | Initial public | Initial private | Still for sale Oct 19 | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 107 | Northern Forest | 2,155 | 5,650 | 3,400 | 4,503 / 2,891 | — |
| DMU 108 | Northern Forest | 2,850 | 3,750 | 7,775 | 3,017 / 7,467 | — |
| DMU 109 | Northern Forest | 1,870 | 3,200 | 6,000 | 2,715 / 5,713 | — |
| Washburn Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 2,600 | 350 | 2,250 | 324 / 2,235 | 2 |
Antlerless Holiday Hunt
Holiday Hunt dates for Washburn 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.
Washburn County buck and antlerless harvest
The 2025 total for the Washburn unit was 1,418 deer, 56% of them antlerless. The high point of the series, which starts in 1960, was 2000 with 14,082 deer. Since the 2025 boundary change, the county-named unit is the Farmland part of Washburn County; the forest DMUs report separately.
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 625 | 793 | 1,418 |
| 2024 | 1,727 | 1,326 | 3,053 |
| 2023 | 1,558 | 1,334 | 2,892 |
| 2022 | 2,505 | 2,238 | 4,743 |
| 2021 | 2,222 | 1,747 | 3,969 |
| 2020 | 2,129 | 2,021 | 4,150 |
| 2019 | 1,708 | 1,589 | 3,297 |
| 2018 | 2,206 | 2,273 | 4,479 |
| 2017 | 2,340 | 2,485 | 4,825 |
| 2016 | 2,111 | 2,652 | 4,763 |
Forest DMU harvest, 2025
Season to date, 2026 (preliminary)
| Row | Antlered | Antlerless | To date |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 107 | 98 | 119 | 217 |
| DMU 108 | 143 | 164 | 307 |
| DMU 109 | 111 | 111 | 222 |
| Washburn | 48 | 83 | 131 |
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.
Washburn County: CWD tests by year
4,434 wild deer from Washburn County have been tested since 1999, and 1 carried CWD. In CWD year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026) 209 deer were sampled and 0 were positive. The ban on baiting and feeding deer here is scheduled to lapse on Nov 9, 2026, barring new detections. The donation program needs no test for deer from this county.
| CWD year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 26 | 0 |
| 2025 | 209 | 0 |
| 2024 | 196 | 0 |
| 2023 | 180 | 0 |
| 2022 | 206 | 0 |
| 2021 | 185 | 0 |
| 2020 | 196 | 0 |
| 2019 | 214 | 0 |
| 2018 | 126 | 0 |
| 2017 | 151 | 0 |
| 2016 | 191 | 0 |
| 2015 | 132 | 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 Washburn County
Bear drawing and harvest
Zone D (83%) and A (17%) sets the bear rules in Washburn County, a hound zone in D/A. Hunters registered 167 bears in Washburn County in 2025 and 254 in 2024.
| Zone | 2026 target | Permits drawn | Min points | Applicants | 2025 harvest | Hounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone D | 1,100 | 3,855 | 2 | 6,847 | 906 | Yes |
| Zone A | 1,100 | 1,675 | 11 | 11,648 | 1,161 | Yes |
| Season | Registered | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 167 | 94 | 73 |
| 2024 | 254 | 136 | 118 |
Wild turkey
Washburn County is in turkey zone 6 (66%) and 4 (34%). Spring authorizations are zone and period specific; 2027 levels are not out yet, so the 2025 figures are shown. Zone 6/4 spring authorizations issued in 2025: 40,998 combined.
| Zone | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Success, 2025 | 2025 birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 6 | 5,390 | 5,402 | 6,001 | 6,004 | 6,001 | 23% | 1,362 |
| 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.
Washburn County public hunting land
The list holds every public property touching Washburn County, 27 in all, largest first within each type. At 150,196 acres (2021), the Washburn County Forest is part of the 2.4 million acre county forest system. Another 17,518 acres of privately owned forest are open to the public under Managed Forest Law.
- 1 county forestWashburn County Forest (150,196 acres)
- Conservation easement in the county (1)Brule St. Croix Legacy Forest (74,398 acres*)
- 7 state wildlife areasNamekagon Barrens Wildlife Area (6,431 acres*), Totogatic Wildlife Area (2,661 acres*), Beaver Brook Wildlife Area (1,914 acres), Flat Creek Wildlife Area (370 acres*), Bear Lake Fish and Wildlife Area (262 acres), Namekagon River Fishery Area (Remnant) (113 acres), Spooner Lake (aka Crystal Brook) Fishery Area (84 acres)
- State natural areas, 7 listedNamekagon Barrens State Natural Area (6,433 acres*), County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area (338 acres), Beaver Brook State Natural Area (307 acres), Totogan Pines State Natural Area (239 acres), Totagatic Highlands Hemlocks State Natural Area (160 acres), Lampson Moraine Pines State Natural Area (119 acres), Tranus Lake State Natural Area
- State fishery areas (7)Bean Brook Fishery Area (1,600 acres*), Sawyer Creek Fishery Area (718 acres), Bear Lake Fishery Area (265 acres), McKenzie Creek Fish and Wildlife Area (200 acres), Whalen Creek Fish and Wildlife Area (175 acres), Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Hatchery (118 acres), Tozer Springs Fishery Area (32 acres)
- Riverway or scenic waters area (1)Totogatic Wild River (2,491 acres*)
- 1 state trailTuscobia State Trail (1,088 acres*)
- Public access sites, 2 listedNamekagon River – Trails End Road State Public Access (33 acres), Beartrack Lake State Public Access (26 acres)
Bigger units that cross the county: DNR Statewide Habitat Areas (unnamed parcels), Natural Area – Dedication, DNR Small Public Access and Stream Bank Parcels Open to Hunting, DNR State-Owned Islands, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (Wisconsin).
Nearby in other counties: Goose Lake Wildlife Area (14 miles, 128 acres).
Totogatic River Conservation Easement Area and Shell Creek Fishery 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.
Washburn County hunting dates, fall 2026 to spring 2027
20 species and 40 segments reach Washburn 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: Washburn (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 D/A | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone D/A | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone D/A | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 6/4 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 6/4 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 6/4 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 6/4 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 6/4 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 6/4 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 6/4 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 6/4 | 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.
Washburn County town guides and adjacent counties
Washburn County has 6 town guides, each with the public land within reach, nearby services and daily shooting hours.
- Shell Lakeseat · 1,393 residents (2024) · 22,756 public acres close by
- Birchwood408 residents (2024) · 66,882 public acres close by
- Minong557 residents (2024) · 94,267 public acres close by
- Spooner2,494 residents (2024) · 18,872 public acres close by
- Springbrook67,368 public acres close by
- Trego40,446 public acres close by
6 Wisconsin counties surround Washburn County.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Washburn County: legal hunting light
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Washburn County lies in longitude Zone E, so add 16 minutes to each table time.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery, fall turkey and grouse opener | 6:11 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:55 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:16 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:44 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:56 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:15 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:17 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:02 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 E offset of 16 minutes for longitude 91.80 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Washburn County burn ban and campfire rules
Washburn County status today: open the Wisconsin county list.
- Burn permit: 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): Washburn 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.
Washburn County ranges and matches
3 ranges in Washburn County, from the DNR range layer and directory listings checked October 19, 2026.
rifle, trap, shotgun, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
skeet, sporting clays, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
archery, 3D archery on file
Ranges from the DNR public range map and directory listings, checked October 19, 2026.
Washburn County processors, taxidermists and shops
Businesses inside Washburn 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.
Washburn County on the Wisconsin events calendar
1 upcoming event (DU gun bingo), retrieved October 19, 2026.
On the calendar
| Dates | Name | Place | Link | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1, 2026 | Bingo for Boomsticks @ Railhouse Junction / DU gun bingo | Railhouse Junction Spooner Washburn Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Washburn County hunting questions
How do I register a deer shot in Washburn County?
Through GameReg (online, phone or an in-person station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Which wildlife areas are in Washburn County?
Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area, Totogatic Wildlife Area, Beaver Brook Wildlife Area and Flat Creek Wildlife Area.
Can a Washburn County hunter donate venison?
Yes, through the DNR Deer Donation Program at participating processors; D & E Custom Butchering & Smokehouse, Louie's Finer Meats and Prime Cuts Meat Market are nearest.
Is blaze pink legal in Washburn County?
Yes. Fluorescent pink meets the same 50% rule as blaze orange.
How many deer units touch Washburn County?
4 units: DMU 107, DMU 108, DMU 109 and Washburn Central Farmland.
Does archery run into January in Washburn County?
Yes, extended archery runs Jan 4 to Jan 31, 2027.
How does Washburn County rank for registered deer?
56th of the 61 county-named units in 2025 (1,418 deer).
How many free antlerless tags come with a license in Washburn County?
2 in the Farmland unit; forest units get none.
Is there a baiting ban in Washburn County?
Yes, scheduled to end Nov 9, 2026.
How common is CWD in Washburn County?
1 positive in 4,434 samples since 1999.
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.
Washburn County trip checklist
Unit lines in Washburn 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: royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Tom Shockey (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); GerryT (CC BY 2.0); hedera.baltica (CC BY-SA 2.0); ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0); goingslo (CC BY 2.0).