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Hunting at Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area, 472 acres in Door County: whitetails, zones and tags, property rules, county harvest and the land nearby.
Photo: Joe Passe (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 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.
Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area on one card
Hunters reach Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area in Door County; it is a DNR-owned State Natural Area. This is northeast Wisconsin, in the DNR Northeast Region. Day-to-day it is in the hands of the Wisconsin DNR. Measured at 472 acres, it comes in 122nd of 449 state natural areas. Hunting follows DNR rules on its 472 DNR acres; The Nature Conservancy and Door County Land Trust decide on their own parcels. SNA number: 559. Location by survey: T27N-R26E, Section 12. T28N-R27E, Sections 16, 21, 28, 32. Sturgeon Bay is the nearest town with a guide on this site, about 9 miles away; the land lies northeast of it.
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 Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
Zones that take in Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area is Central Farmland deer country, unit Door. Antlerless quota, 2026: 4,000. The Zone F bear quota for 2026 is 50, spread over 764 drawn permits. Zone 2 turkey numbers for 2025: 51,056 spring tags, 22% success. Door County is one of the 12 counties without a baiting ban.
Antlerless tags near Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
| Unit | Zone | Quota 2026 | Bonus, public | Bonus, private | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door | Central Farmland | 4,000 | 246 | 746 | 5 |
Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area: other game zones
| Zone | Detail | Numbers | More | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone F | No hounds | 50 target, 764 permits | 1 point | 27 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey 2 | 51,056 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 11,024 gobblers | 2,500 fall bonus |
| Ruffed grouse A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| Canada goose | Southern | Sep 16–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 Dec 19–Jan 2 | ||
| 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.
How the DNR describes Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
The managing agency's own text.
Three units, Kellner Fen, Shivering Sands, and Sturgeon Bay comprise the SNA. Located along the Lake Michigan shoreline, Cave Point-Clay Banks is an extensive complex of coastal wetlands that supports many unique plants and animals. Lakeshore, open active dunes, ridge and swale topography, embayment lakes and wetlands, and large tracts of mixed conifer-hardwood forest characterize the area. The embayment lakes and wetlands were formed thousands of years ago along the Door Peninsula coastline when a series of ancient Lake Michigan bays were closed off through sand and cobble deposition from longshore currents.
As a result of the deposition, ridges and swales along with calcareous fens and high-quality forested wetlands are found here today. Kellner Fen is an embayment wetland similar to other near-shore lakes on the Door Peninsula. However, this fen differs since it has no natural outlet to Lake Michigan. Through the natural processes of sand deposition and subsequent dune formation, it was completely isolated from the lake waters until two small, man-made outlets were dug more than 60 years ago.
Hunting notes printed for Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
- The Shivering Sands unit is open to deer hunting.
- For hunting opportunities on Nature Conservancy land, visit The Nature Conservancy's Deer Management .
- Local ordinances require hunters interested in hunting at the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal unit to obtain a written permit from the City of Sturgeon Bay.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
What Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area requires of hunters
Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area access terms
On DNR-owned natural area land you may hunt and trap unless signs say otherwise; NR 45 bars camping, vehicles, drones and plant collecting. Hunting on the The Nature Conservancy, Door County Land Trust acres is up to The Nature Conservancy, Door County Land Trust.
The rule book on Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural 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). Ground blinds need a 144-square-inch orange or pink patch in gun deer seasons on DNR ground. Stands may not damage trees. North of Hwy. 64 they can stay overnight Sept. 1, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027 (two per hunter per county); south of Hwy. 64 they come down daily. Deer and turkeys go into GameReg online or by phone by 5 p.m. the next day.
Go Wild shopping list for Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural 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.
What hunters pursue at Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
Species the agency lists here: whitetails.
White-tailed deer
Unlisted species follow the Door 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.
Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area: opening and closing days
From bear baiting in September to the last spring turkey period, 42 season segments apply to Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural 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 | 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: Door | 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 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 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 (split 1) | Southern Duck Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck | Open Water Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 15, 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.
Door County harvest near Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
Deer registered in the Door County unit, 2025: 4,302. The decade peaked at 5,264 in 2017 and bottomed at 3,793 in 2023. Through Oct. 19, 2026: 145 antlered and 263 antlerless in Door (preliminary). CWD year 2025 brought 32 Door County samples and 0 positives. Running total since 1999: 1,120 tested. No harvest is published for Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area itself, so the county unit is the finest level.
Registered deer in the Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area county unit
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,979 | 2,323 | 4,302 |
| 2024 | 1,957 | 2,268 | 4,225 |
| 2023 | 1,727 | 2,066 | 3,793 |
| 2022 | 1,736 | 2,110 | 3,846 |
| 2021 | 1,766 | 2,174 | 3,940 |
| 2020 | 1,704 | 2,462 | 4,166 |
CWD tests in Door County
| CWD year | Wild deer sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 32 | 0 |
| 2024 | 36 | 0 |
| 2023 | 48 | 0 |
| 2022 | 40 | 0 |
| 2021 | 45 | 0 |
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 Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area: more places to hunt
The big marker is Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area. Smaller ones are its 10 closest neighbours. The neighbours add 5,682 acres between them.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitefish Dunes | State park | 868 | 2.8 mi | northeast |
| Whitefish Dunes | State natural area | 411 | 2.9 mi | northeast |
| Big Creek | Wildlife area | 20 | 7.6 mi | southwest |
| Strawberry Creek State Hatchery | Fishery area | 6 | 8.3 mi | southwest |
| Strawberry Creek | Wildlife area | 74 | 8.5 mi | southwest |
| Ahnapee | State trail | 589 | 8.8 mi | southwest |
| Potawatomi | State park | 1,097 | 9.6 mi | west |
| Thorp Pond | State natural area | 81 | 13 mi | north |
| Moonlight Bay Bedrock Beach | State natural area | 102 | 16 mi | northeast |
| Mud Lake (Door County) | Wildlife area | 2,434 | 17 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.
Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area: nearby towns and businesses
Town pages first, then shops, processors and DNR desks.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sturgeon Bay | Door | 8.6 mi | 9,940 | 1,932 |
| Baileys Harbor | Door | 13 mi | — | 8,791 |
| Sister Bay | Door | 21 mi | 1,170 | 11,898 |
| Marinette | Marinette | 24 mi | 11,139 | 9,005 |
County-level hunting pages: Door County.
Shops a short drive from Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
DNR desks closest to Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
Service center for Door County business: DNR Green Bay 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.
Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area: nearest ranges
About 6 miles separates Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area from Door County Rod & Gun Club, the nearest public map range. Nearby rod and gun clubs round out the list.
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, sporting clays on file
shotgun, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, action pistol on file
trap, skeet, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Shooting light at Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area by date
At Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area the offset is 0 minutes (Zone A). 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 | 5:55 a.m. to 7:27 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:39 a.m. to 6:21 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 6:24 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:00 a.m. to 4:57 p.m. | 5:57 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:28 a.m. to 4:34 p.m. | 6:23 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:40 a.m. to 4:28 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 4:35 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 6:59 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:01 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 4:46 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 A offset of 0 minutes for longitude 87.22 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
What people ask about hunting Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area
If Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area is full, where next?
Within a short drive: Whitefish Dunes State Park (3 miles), Whitefish Dunes State Natural Area (3 miles) and Big Creek State Habitat Area (8 miles).
Which Wisconsin license covers Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
Go Wild sells everything needed; antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
What acreage is listed for Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
Roughly 472 acres.
Which agency sets the rules on Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
The Wisconsin DNR treats it as a DNR-owned State Natural Area.
Which species are hunted on Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
Listed: whitetails.
Where do Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area hunters spend the night?
Start from Sturgeon Bay; the land is 9 miles off, in Door County.
Which bear management zone holds Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
Bear Zone F. Zone F took 1 preference point in 2026.
Which DMU takes in Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
Deer unit Door; zone Central Farmland. The 2026 antlerless quota is 4,000 (Door); use a public-access antlerless tag here.
What are the waterfowl zones for Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
It sits in the Southern duck and Southern goose zones. In the Southern Zone the regular duck split begins Oct 3.
Which turkey zone is Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area in?
Zone 2, one bird per spring authorization.
Do I need blaze orange at Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
In any open firearm deer season, wear blaze orange or pink on at least half your coat and cap.
Is deer baiting legal near Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
Baiting is allowed in this county within the 2-gallon limit. The county is not on the CWD list.
How do I register a deer from Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area?
Through GameReg (online, phone or a station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Check Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area once more
Refuges, closed areas and park windows at Cave Point-Clay Banks State Natural Area can shift mid-season; the property page and the DNR map have the current picture.
Sources for this page: DNR: CavePointClayBanks · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Susan Young (Public Domain Mark 1.0); colmmcsky (CC BY-SA 2.0).