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St. Croix County · WPA
Hunting at Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
Betterly Waterfowl Production Area, 485 acres in St. Croix County: ducks and geese, whitetails, wild turkeys and pheasants, zones and tags, property rules, county harvest and the land nearby.
Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 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.
Betterly Waterfowl Production Area on one card
Hunters reach Betterly Waterfowl Production Area in St. Croix County; it is a federal waterfowl production area. This is west-central Wisconsin, in the DNR West Central Region. Day-to-day it is in the hands of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Measured at 485 acres, it comes in 10th of 103 waterfowl production areas. Somerset is the nearest town with a guide on this site, about 9 miles away; the land lies east of it. It sits within St. Croix Wetland Management District.
From the source page (FWS Realty GIS acres (SUM_GISACRES) for the unit); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
Zones that take in Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
Betterly Waterfowl Production Area is Central Farmland deer country, unit St Croix. Antlerless quota, 2026: 3,500. The Zone E bear quota for 2026 is 185, spread over 2,628 drawn permits. Zone 4 turkey numbers for 2025: 34,997 spring tags, 24% success. Leave the corn at home; St. Croix County bans deer baiting.
Antlerless tags near Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
| Unit | Zone | Quota 2026 | Bonus, public | Bonus, private | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix | Central Farmland | 3,500 | 494 | 1,496 | 2 |
Betterly Waterfowl Production Area: other game zones
| Zone | Detail | Numbers | More | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone E | No hounds | 185 target, 2,628 permits | 1 point | 128 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 zone | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Canada goose | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf 6 | No harvest | Federal listing |
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.
What Betterly Waterfowl Production Area requires of hunters
Betterly Waterfowl Production Area access terms
The Fish and Wildlife Service opens WPAs to state-season hunting; stands and blinds may not stay overnight. Parts of St. Croix Prairie WPA and Prairie Flats-South WPA are posted closed, and Oak Ridge WPA is closed for most fall hunting but open for deer.
The rule book on Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
Half of your outer clothing above the waist, and half of your hat, must be blaze orange or pink whenever a firearm deer season is open (waterfowl hunters excepted). Deer and turkeys go into GameReg online or by phone by 5 p.m. the next day.
Go Wild shopping list for Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
A gun deer or archery license comes with a buck authorization; antlerless deer on this land need a public-access authorization.
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.
Where Betterly Waterfowl Production Area sits in the larger property
St. Croix Wetland Management District takes in Betterly Waterfowl Production Area and 45 other units.
Sibling pages of Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
| Unit | Category | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Creek | WPA | Dunn | 672 |
| Oak Ridge | WPA | St. Croix | 632 |
| Ten Mile | WPA | St. Croix | 516 |
| Prairie Flats – South | WPA | St. Croix | 501 |
| Erickson | WPA | St. Croix | 476 |
| Bass Lake | WPA | St. Croix | 423 |
| Stanton Prairie | WPA | St. Croix | 353 |
| Deer Park | WPA | St. Croix | 351 |
| Kostka | WPA | St. Croix | 350 |
| Red Cedar | WPA | Dunn | 336 |
| Star Prairie | WPA | St. Croix | 312 |
| Bierbrauer | WPA | St. Croix, Polk | 275 |
| Three Lakes | WPA | St. Croix | 249 |
| Clapp | WPA | St. Croix | 239 |
| Prairie Flats – North | WPA | St. Croix | 219 |
What hunters pursue at Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
Species the agency lists here: ducks and geese, whitetails, wild turkeys, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
Ducks and geese
White-tailed deer
Wild turkey
Pheasant
Small game
Furbearers
Unlisted species follow the St. Croix County dates below, subject to the property rules.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Betterly Waterfowl Production Area: opening and closing days
From bear baiting in September to the last spring turkey period, 42 season segments apply to Betterly Waterfowl Production Area.
| Species | Hunt type | Zone or unit | Opening | Closing | 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: Hudson | 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: 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 draw | Bear Zone D | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | 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 | 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.
St. Croix County harvest near Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
Deer registered in the St. Croix County unit, 2025: 4,858. The decade peaked at 4,858 in 2025 and bottomed at 3,825 in 2019. CWD year 2025 brought 132 St. Croix County samples and 0 positives. Running total since 1999: 1,431 tested. The 2025 bear count for St. Croix County was 31. No harvest is published for Betterly Waterfowl Production Area itself, so the county unit is the finest level.
Registered deer in the Betterly Waterfowl Production Area county unit
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | 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 |
CWD tests in St. Croix County
| CWD year | Wild deer sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 7 | 0 |
| 2025 | 132 | 0 |
| 2024 | 119 | 0 |
| 2023 | 78 | 0 |
| 2022 | 94 | 0 |
| 2021 | 80 | 0 |
Bear numbers near Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
| Year | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 20 | 14 | 6 |
| 2025 | 31 | 22 | 9 |
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.
Around Betterly Waterfowl Production Area: more places to hunt
The big marker is Betterly Waterfowl Production Area. Smaller ones are its 10 closest neighbours. The neighbours add 1,616 acres between them.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erin Prairie | Habitat area | 148 | 1.5 mi | southeast |
| Nagel | Habitat area | 208 | 3.2 mi | southeast |
| New Richmond | Habitat area | 77 | 3.8 mi | northwest |
| Lundy Pond | Habitat area | 35 | 4.4 mi | southwest |
| Oak Ridge State Habitat Area-Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area | Habitat area | 196 | 5.0 mi | north |
| Oden | Habitat area | 250 | 5.1 mi | northeast |
| Ten Mile Creek State Habitat Area-Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area | Habitat area | 216 | 5.1 mi | southwest |
| Casey Lake | Habitat area | 359 | 5.8 mi | southeast |
| Star Prairie Seed Farm | Habitat area | 58 | 6.1 mi | north |
| Bierbrauer | Habitat area | 69 | 6.5 mi | north |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (FWS National Realty FWSInterest_Simplified_Authoritative (unit centroid) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Betterly Waterfowl Production Area: nearby towns and businesses
Town pages first, then shops, processors and DNR desks.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset | St. Croix | 9.5 mi | 3,382 | 12,025 |
| Emerald | St. Croix | 11 mi | — | 4,756 |
| Clear Lake | Polk | 14 mi | 1,103 | 7,120 |
| Houlton | St. Croix | 15 mi | — | 6,454 |
County-level hunting pages: St. Croix County.
Shops a short drive from Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
DNR desks closest to Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
Service center for St. Croix County business: DNR Eau Claire 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.
Betterly Waterfowl Production Area: nearest ranges
About 15 miles separates Betterly Waterfowl Production Area from Hudson Rod Gun and Archery Club, the nearest public map range. Nearby rod and gun clubs round out the list.
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, skeet on file
trap, rifle, archery, 3D archery, shotgun on file
sporting clays, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Shooting light at Betterly Waterfowl Production Area by date
At Betterly Waterfowl Production Area the offset is 20 minutes (Zone F). The times below already include it for both DNR shooting-hours areas.
| Day | Season | North table | South table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, 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 92.48 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
What people ask about hunting Betterly Waterfowl Production Area
Where do Betterly Waterfowl Production Area hunters spend the night?
Start from Somerset; the land is 9 miles off, in St. Croix County.
What acreage is listed for Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
Roughly 485 acres.
Which DMU takes in Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
Deer unit St Croix; zone Central Farmland. The 2026 antlerless quota is 3,500 (St. Croix); use a public-access antlerless tag here.
Which species are hunted on Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
Listed: ducks and geese, whitetails, wild turkeys, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
Which turkey zone is Betterly Waterfowl Production Area in?
Zone 4, one bird per spring authorization.
Which bear management zone holds Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
Bear Zone E. Zone E took 1 preference point in 2026.
Is deer baiting legal near Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
No: St. Croix County bans deer baiting and feeding. The county is not on the CWD list.
What are the waterfowl zones for Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
It sits in the Northern duck and Northern goose zones. In the Northern Zone the regular duck split begins Sep 26.
How do I register a deer from Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
Through GameReg (online, phone or a station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Do I need blaze orange at Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
In any open firearm deer season, wear blaze orange or pink on at least half your coat and cap.
If Betterly Waterfowl Production Area is full, where next?
Within a short drive: Erin Prairie Wildlife Area (1 mile), Nagel Wildlife Area (3 miles) and New Richmond Wildlife Area (4 miles).
Which Wisconsin license covers Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
Go Wild sells everything needed; antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
Which agency sets the rules on Betterly Waterfowl Production Area?
The Fish and Wildlife Service treats it as a federal waterfowl production area.
Check Betterly Waterfowl Production Area once more
Refuges, closed areas and park windows at Betterly Waterfowl Production Area can shift mid-season; the property page and the DNR map have the current picture.
Sources for this page: FWS realty layer · USFWS: hunting · USFWS: st croix wetland management district · eCFR: section 32.68; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain).