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Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area for Wisconsin hunters
A hunter's summary of Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area in Rock and Green counties: zones and quota, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: lisalampley (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area: record card
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area: a DNR state wildlife area, located in Rock and Green counties. Region on record: the DNR South Central Region. The Wisconsin DNR writes the rules on the ground. The 4,333 acres on record put it 36th of the 285 state wildlife areas we list. Base town: Brodhead, some 7 miles away. 1 units or parcels make it up.
From the source page (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS ACRES field, sum of parcels open to hunting); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area deer unit, quota and game zones
The deer unit is Rock and Green, in the Southern Farmland zone. The 2026 antlerless quota for those units is 3,500 and 3,000. For black bear this is Zone F, with no hound hunting; 764 permits for 2026. Turkey hunting falls under Zone 2, which had 51,056 spring permits in 2025. The DNR counts Rock and Green counties among its CWD-affected counties. Rock and Green counties sits under the DNR deer baiting and feeding ban.
The deer unit around Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
| DMU | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Public-land bonus | Private-land bonus | Free tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock | Southern Farmland | 3,500 | 700 | 1,100 | 3 |
| Green | Southern Farmland | 3,000 | 400 | 1,950 | 2 |
Bear, turkey and bird zones at Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
| Zone | Rule | Numbers | Extra | 2025 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear F | Bait only | 50 target, 764 permits | 1 point | 27 bears in 2025 |
| Wild turkey 2 | 51,056 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 11,024 gobblers | 2,500 fall bonus |
| Wild turkey 1 | 64,574 spring tags (2025) | 21% success | 13,813 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse zone B | Oct 17–Dec 8 | 2 a day | ||
| Ducks | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| Geese | Southern | Sep 16–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 Dec 19–Jan 2 | ||
| Wolf zone 6 | Closed | Federally endangered |
Zones from the DNR zone layers as recorded in lands.json; quotas and bonus tags from the 2026 antlerless quota table; bear figures from the 2026 bear drawing summary and 2025 bear harvest; turkey from the 2025 spring turkey report; CWD and baiting lists from the DNR. Checked October 19, 2026.
Rules on the ground at Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Entry terms for Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Anyone licensed can hunt and trap here in season. Watch for posted refuges and closed areas, and follow NR 45.
Wisconsin rules that follow you to Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
During any firearm deer season, everyone hunting except waterfowlers wears blaze orange or fluorescent pink on at least half the clothing above the waist, and on half of any cap. DNR land rule: 144 sq in of solid orange or pink on any ground blind in gun season. Leave no stand overnight south of Hwy. 64. North of the highway, two per hunter per county may stay from Sept. 1 to Jan. 31. GameReg registration is due by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the animal.
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area: licenses and tags
Go Wild carries every license. For antlerless deer on public ground, use a public-access tag for the right DMU.
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area upland bird notes
Stocked rooster ground: 1,360 birds proposed for 2026 on 2,000 acres. Dove hunters get 2 planted fields here in 2026.
Access from the source page; closures from the DNR closed and restricted areas layer; stocking and dove fields from the DNR upland bird layers; rules from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 regulations; prices from Go Wild. Checked October 19, 2026.
Game and bag limits at Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Whitetails, wild turkeys, ducks and geese, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares, raccoons, foxes and coyotes and mourning doves, per the property record.
White-tailed deer
Wild turkey
Ducks and geese
Pheasant
Small game
Furbearers
Mourning dove
Other legal game follows the Rock County season table below.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Every Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area season on one table
Private and public land share these dates. A state park, refuge or Fort McCoy can close sooner, so read the property page before you go.
| Animal | Segment | Scope | Starts | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery and crossbow | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth/disabled gun 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: Rock | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | December antlerless hunt | Statewide | Dec 10, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Rock | Dec 24, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Extended archery and crossbow | Metro sub-unit | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | 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 | 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 | North of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 1 | South of Hwy. 64 | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | North of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat, Period 2 | South of Hwy. 64 | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Unprotected species | Unprotected species | 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.
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area described by the DNR
Quoted as published; nothing here is our wording.
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area is located in the town of Avon in southwest Rock County. It has gained appreciation for its wild nature since being located near more prominent Wisconsin and Illinois population centers. The property currently consists of 4,356 acres of state-owned land. Early two-thirds of this acreage is bottomland hardwood forest and wetland; the remaining third is restored native prairie and oak woodland. Documented as one of the few places in Wisconsin, sycamore trees are thriving very well here (a species typically found more to the south).
Surrounding the many sloughs and oxbows, the property also includes 2 embedded State Natural Areas (SNAs) set aside for their rare intact plant communities: Swenson Wet Prairie SNA (No. 64), and Avon Bottoms SNA (No. 36). In 2006, Avon Bottoms was declared a Wisconsin Important Bird Area, known for breeding cerulean and yellow-throated warblers, as well as Acadian flycatchers and yellow-crowned night-herons. Additionally, the floodplain forest and grassy sloughs are heavily used by migrating birds of all descriptions.
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area: hunting text as published
- The property provides public access for hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, and other nature-based outdoor activities.
- Common game species include pheasants, turkeys, waterfowl, deer, and other small game.
- Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area began in 1960 as a Federal Aid in Fish and Wildlife Restoration project to provide public hunting and serve as a duck and pheasant production area.
- Management provides opportunities for public hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor recreation while protecting the qualities of the unique native communities and associated species found on the property.
- Hunting (noted for: waterfowl, turkey, deer, small game and stocked pheasant)
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Every unit of Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area lists 1 unit with 1,649 acres between them.
| Unit | Type | County | Acres | Game listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon Bottoms | State natural area | Rock | 1,649 | — |
Harvest numbers for the country around Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
2025 in Rock County: 1,316 bucks, 1,351 antlerless, 2,667 in all. Range since 2016: 1,847 to 2,667 deer a year. Early 2026 registrations (archery, crossbow, youth hunt): Rock 161 and Green 125. The DNR sampled 195 deer from Rock County in 2025; 45 had CWD. 312 positives overall, from 9,347 deer. Figures are for the whole county unit, not Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Rock County unit harvest
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,316 | 1,351 | 2,667 |
| 2024 | 1,197 | 1,304 | 2,501 |
| 2023 | 1,178 | 1,290 | 2,468 |
| 2022 | 1,099 | 1,251 | 2,350 |
| 2021 | 1,069 | 1,137 | 2,206 |
| 2020 | 1,190 | 1,412 | 2,602 |
CWD samples, Rock County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 28 | 4 |
| 2025 | 195 | 45 |
| 2024 | 161 | 32 |
| 2023 | 153 | 31 |
| 2022 | 118 | 15 |
| 2021 | 104 | 6 |
Deer from DNR Deer Metrics harvest history and the 2026 harvest to date; CWD from the DNR CWD summary; bears from the DNR bear harvest reports. Checked October 19, 2026.
Bed, fuel and a butcher near Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Where to sleep, where to buy shells, where to drop off a deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brodhead | Green | 6.8 mi | 3,229 | 6,448 |
| Orfordville | Rock | 7.6 mi | 1,598 | 5,722 |
| Monroe | Green | 17 mi | 10,579 | 949 |
| Janesville | Rock | 19 mi | 66,428 | 1,147 |
Season and zone pages by county: Rock County, Green County.
Who processes a deer from Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Where to ask about Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Licenses and questions for Rock County go through the DNR Janesville Service Center.
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from the land layers; businesses from store locators and listings (license-only agents left out); offices from DNR, USFS and USFWS pages. Checked October 19, 2026. Call ahead.
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area and nearby public ground
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area at the big pin; the nearest 10 public places around it. Combined, 3,186 acres are on record.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar River | State trail | 247 | 7.0 mi | northwest |
| Ward/Swartz Decatur Woods | State natural area | 12 | 9.4 mi | northwest |
| Kessler Railroad Prairie | State natural area | 13 | 12 mi | northeast |
| Green Co Prairies (mural Bluff Prairie) SNA | State natural area | 69 | 13 mi | northwest |
| Muralt Bluff Prairie | State natural area | 69 | 13 mi | northwest |
| Rock River Prairie | State natural area | 41 | 14 mi | east |
| Footville | Wildlife area | 476 | 15 mi | north |
| Albany Sand Prairie and Oak Savanna | State natural area | 92 | 15 mi | northwest |
| Allen Creek Streambank Protection Area | Habitat area | 220 | 15 mi | north |
| Albany | Wildlife area | 1,947 | 16 mi | northwest |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS (polygon centroid of hunting-open parcels) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Shooting-hour table for Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Two tables cover the state, one for the Northern Area and one for the Southern Area, each for Zone A. West of 88 degrees you add 4 minutes per degree of longitude.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 6:03 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:47 a.m. to 6:29 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:32 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:08 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:36 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:48 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:07 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:09 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 4:54 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 C offset of 8 minutes for longitude 89.32 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area: nearest ranges
The DNR-map range closest to Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area is Izaak Walton League – Beloit Chapter (16 miles). Club ranges within 30 miles are included.
archery, trap, shotgun, 5-stand on file
sporting clays, shotgun on file
trap, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Before-the-trip answers for Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Which zone do I apply for to hunt turkeys at Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Zone 2. Success in 2025 was 22%.
Which goose zone is Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area in?
Ducks follow the Southern zone, Canada geese the Southern zone. Opening day for Southern Zone ducks is Oct 3.
Can I bait deer at Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area?
No bait or feed in Rock and Green counties. The county list for CWD includes Rock and Green counties.
When does orange apply at Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Pink counts the same as orange: 50% above the waist in firearm deer seasons.
Does an Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area deer go into GameReg?
By 5 p.m. the following day, through GameReg; bears also go to a station or online the same way.
What paperwork does Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area need?
Gun deer ($24), archer ($24) or small game ($18) for residents; nonresident gun deer is $200.
Which public land sits closest to Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Sugar River State Trail (7 miles), Ward/Swartz Decatur Woods State Natural Area (9 miles) and Kessler Railroad Prairie State Natural Area (12 miles), each with a page here.
How many units does Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area have?
1; the largest is Avon Bottoms State Natural Area.
Is Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area DNR, county or federal ground?
A DNR state wildlife area; the manager is the Wisconsin DNR.
Is Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area a big property?
4,333 acres in the source data.
Which town works as a base for Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Rock and Green counties; Brodhead, the nearest town we cover, is 7 miles away.
Which species does the record give for Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area?
Whitetails, wild turkeys, ducks and geese, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares, raccoons, foxes and coyotes and mourning doves, plus any other season open in the county.
What deer tags work on Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area?
It is in Rock and Green (Southern Farmland). This year the antlerless quota is 3,500 and 3,000.
Signing off on Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
Gates, refuges and open areas at Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
Sources for this page: DNR: avon · DNR GIS · DNR: alpha · DNR GIS · DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Dave Williss (CC BY 2.0).