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Washburn County, Wisconsin
Beaver Brook State Natural Area: the hunter's file
Deer unit Washburn, bear and turkey zones, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: jondejong (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Beaver Brook State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Beaver Brook State Natural Area
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.1 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.
Key facts for Beaver Brook State Natural Area
Beaver Brook State Natural Area is a DNR-owned State Natural Area in Washburn County. The DNR files it under its Northern Region (the Northwoods). Management sits with the Wisconsin DNR. Acreage: 307, which places it 179th of 449 state natural areas. Listed as SNA 690; survey location T38N-R12W, Sections 4, 5, 8, 9, 15, 16. The closest covered town is Spooner, around 2 miles off as the crow flies. It belongs to Beaver Brook Wildlife Area.
From the source page (WI DNR SNA parcel ownership GIS OWNER_ACRE_AMT, WDNR-owned parcels); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Beaver Brook State Natural Area
Beaver Brook State Natural Area by zone and unit
Deer: Central Farmland zone, Washburn. 2,600 antlerless deer: the 2026 quota for the unit. Bear hunters here apply for Zone D: 6,847 applied for 2026 and 3,855 permits went out. In Zone 4 turkey hunters held 34,997 spring tags in 2025 (spring 2027 levels are not out yet). CWD-positive deer have been recorded in Washburn County; free testing is offered statewide. Baiting and feeding deer are banned in Washburn County.
DMU figures for Beaver Brook State Natural Area
| Unit | Deer zone | Quota | Public-access bonus | Private bonus | Farmland per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 2,600 | 324 | 2,235 | 2 |
Beaver Brook State Natural Area zone table
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone D | Dogs OK | 1,100 target, 3,855 permits | 2 points | 931 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey 4 | 34,997 spring tags (2025) | 24% success | 8,472 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Ruffed grouse A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf 3 | No hunt | Endangered status |
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.
Beaver Brook State Natural Area: the property description
Copied from the official listing.
Beaver Brook State Natural Area features one of the most botanically diverse sites in the Northwest Sands Ecological Landscape. Patches of the older and old-growth northern dry-mesic forest, including natural origin white and red pine, occur on the site. Older age-class forests of this type are unusual and no longer well-represented within the region. A rich diversity of forest herbs carpets the forest floor below a deeply shaded canopy and contains important habitat components such as abundant downed woody debris, snags and large canopy trees.
These stands tie into a larger matrix of the forest at varying stages of maturity with red oak, basswood, and aspen dominating the canopy. Three miles of Beaver Brook, a high-quality Class I trout stream, flows through the site. Shading the stream corridor is bur oak along with lowland forest trees such as black ash creating moderate shade over bubbling seeps, springs and a lush ground layer of ferns, horsetails and sedges. Abundant speckled alder occupies a one-mile swathe along the stream in the core of this area; the brushy wetland is punctuated by scattered spring ponds.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Access, closures and licenses for Beaver Brook State Natural Area
Beaver Brook State Natural Area: open to whom, and how
Expect open hunting and trapping on the DNR-owned parcels, with no camping, motor vehicles, drones or plant collecting allowed.
Orange, stands and GameReg at Beaver Brook State Natural Area
Bowhunters too: when a gun deer season is on, 50% of the coat and hat must be orange or pink, unless you are hunting waterfowl. A ground blind on DNR property needs 144 sq in of orange or pink during gun deer seasons. South of Hwy. 64 every stand and blind leaves with you; north of it, two portable stands per county may stay out Sept. 1-Jan. 31. Use GameReg (online or 844-426-3734) before 5 p.m. the day after the harvest.
Tags and licenses for Beaver Brook State Natural Area
Licenses sell on Go Wild. On public land, antlerless deer need a public-access authorization for the unit.
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.
Beaver Brook State Natural Area: parent and sister units
Beaver Brook Wildlife Area is the parent; 0 more units share it.
Which animals Beaver Brook State Natural Area lists
The agency names no particular game for Beaver Brook State Natural Area: all open seasons apply, within the property rules.
The Washburn County dates (40 rows) follow.
Species from the property record (No species list published for this property; open seasons follow statewide/zone regulations where hunting is allowed.); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Which seasons are open in Beaver Brook State Natural Area
Deer dates are statewide in Wisconsin; bear, turkey, grouse, cottontail and waterfowl dates follow zone lines, so only the rows for Beaver Brook State Natural Area are listed.
| Species | Season | Where it applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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, Washburn | 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 draw | Bear Zone D/A | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D/A | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | 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 | 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.
Beaver Brook State Natural Area: county harvest and CWD tests
Hunters registered 1,418 deer in the Washburn County unit in 2025: 625 bucks and 793 antlerless. High year on the chart: 2017 at 4,825; low year: 2025 at 1,418. Preliminary 2026 count to Oct. 19: 131 in Washburn Central Farmland. Washburn County CWD testing (2025): 0 positives out of 209 samples. Cumulative total 1 positives in 4,434 tests. Washburn County bear harvest, 2025: 167. Harvest and CWD figures cover Washburn County as a whole.
Washburn County deer by year
| Year | Buck | Antlerless | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Testing for CWD, Washburn County
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 26 | 0 |
| 2025 | 209 | 0 |
| 2024 | 196 | 0 |
| 2023 | 180 | 0 |
| 2022 | 206 | 0 |
| 2021 | 185 | 0 |
Bears by year, Washburn County
| Year | Bears | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 254 | 136 | 118 |
| 2025 | 167 | 94 | 73 |
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.
Beaver Brook State Natural Area pinned among its neighbours
Map of Beaver Brook State Natural Area and the 10 nearest public places. That is 20,573 acres of public ground.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Hatchery | Fishery area | 118 | 2.5 mi | northwest |
| Tozer Springs | Fishery area | 32 | 3.4 mi | west |
| Spooner Lake (aka Crystal Brook) | Wildlife area | 84 | 4.2 mi | northeast |
| Sawyer Creek | Fishery area | 718 | 4.3 mi | west |
| Bear Lake | Fishery area | 265 | 10 mi | south |
| Whalen Creek Fish and | Fishery area | 175 | 11 mi | north |
| Lampson Moraine Pines | State natural area | 119 | 12 mi | north |
| Clam River | Fishery area | 2,557 | 12 mi | southwest |
| Barron | County forest | 16,305 | 12 mi | south |
| McKenzie Creek Fish and | Fishery area | 200 | 13 mi | north |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR State Natural Areas parcel ownership GIS (centroid of WDNR-owned parcels) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Towns, processors and DNR desks near Beaver Brook State Natural Area
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a butcher and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spooner | Washburn | 2.4 mi | 2,494 | 18,872 |
| Shell Lake | Washburn | 5.2 mi | 1,393 | 22,756 |
| Trego | Washburn | 7.9 mi | — | 40,446 |
| Barronett | Barron | 13 mi | — | 24,125 |
For the wider county picture: Washburn County.
Venison, mounts and ammo near Beaver Brook State Natural Area
Beaver Brook State Natural Area: agency contacts
County service center: DNR Spooner Service Center (715-635-2101).
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.
Beaver Brook State Natural Area: nearest ranges
Frog Creek Washburn Cty. Forest in Washburn County is the nearest DNR-map range, 20 miles out. Two nearby club ranges follow.
rifle, trap, shotgun, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
archery, 3D archery on file
skeet, sporting clays, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
First and last legal minute at Beaver Brook State Natural Area
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.
| Date | Season moment | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, 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 91.86 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Questions hunters raise about Beaver Brook State Natural Area
How many turkey permits go to the Beaver Brook State Natural Area zone?
Turkey Zone 4. 34,997 spring tags were issued there in 2025.
What waterfowl dates apply at Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
Duck zone: Northern; goose zone: Northern. Northern Zone ducks open Sep 26, 2026-27.
Can I put out corn for deer at Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
Not here: Washburn County is under the ban. CWD has been found in wild deer in Washburn County.
How much orange do I wear at Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
During any firearm deer season: 50% of your outer clothing above the waist and 50% of any cap, blaze orange or pink. Waterfowl hunters are exempt.
When must I register a turkey from Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
Deer: online, phone or station by 5 p.m. next day. Turkeys: online or phone only.
Which tags work on Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
No special permit for most of it; buy the license on Go Wild and carry public-access antlerless tags.
Is there other public ground around Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
By straight-line distance: Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Hatchery (3 miles), Tozer Springs Fishery Area (3 miles) and Spooner Lake (aka Crystal Brook) Fishery Area (4 miles).
What is the parent of Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
Beaver Brook Wildlife Area holds it.
What type of property is Beaver Brook State Natural Area on the record?
It is a DNR-owned State Natural Area, managed by the Wisconsin DNR.
What size is Beaver Brook State Natural Area on the record?
About 307 acres.
What is the nearest town to Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
Base in Spooner, 2 miles away; the ground is in Washburn County.
Which species are allowed at Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
There is no species list. Any season open in the county works here within the rules.
What is the antlerless quota at Beaver Brook State Natural Area?
Washburn, part of the Central Farmland zone. Antlerless goal for 2026: 2,600.
Beaver Brook State Natural Area: one more look before the drive
Signs on the ground beat any web page. Read the posted boundaries at Beaver Brook State Natural Area when you arrive.
Sources for this page: DNR: BeaverBrook · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); Peter Sheik (CC BY 2.0).