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Dunn County, Wisconsin
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area: the hunter's file
Deer unit Dunn, bear and turkey zones, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: USDAgov (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Cook’s Pond Waterfowl Production Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Cook’s Pond Waterfowl Production Area
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 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.
Key facts for Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area is a federal waterfowl production area in Dunn County. The DNR files it under its West Central Region (west-central Wisconsin). Management sits with the Fish and Wildlife Service. Acreage: 140, which places it 52nd of 103 waterfowl production areas. The closest covered town is Menomonie, around 4 miles off as the crow flies. It belongs to 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 Cook’s Pond Waterfowl Production Area
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area by zone and unit
Deer: Central Farmland zone, Dunn. 15,000 antlerless deer: the 2026 quota for the unit. Bear hunters here apply for Zone E: 2,628 applied for 2026 and 2,628 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 Dunn County; free testing is offered statewide. Baiting and feeding deer are banned in Dunn County.
DMU figures for Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area
| Unit | Deer zone | Quota | Public-access bonus | Private bonus | Farmland per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn | Central Farmland | 15,000 | 492 | 2,993 | 3 |
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area zone table
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone E | No dogs | 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 | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf 6 | 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.
Access, closures and licenses for Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area: open to whom, and how
Waterfowl production areas are open in state seasons for waterfowl, upland game and deer, and for trapping, unless posted. Gear such as boats, decoys, blinds, stands and cameras comes out each day. St. Croix district exceptions: closed zones on St. Croix Prairie and Prairie Flats-South, and deer-only fall hunting at Oak Ridge.
Orange, stands and GameReg at Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production 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. Use GameReg (online or 844-426-3734) before 5 p.m. the day after the harvest.
Tags and licenses for Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production 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.
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area: parent and sister units
St. Croix Wetland Management District is the parent; 45 more units share it.
More of St. Croix Wetland Management District
| Name | Kind | Counties | 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 |
| Betterly | WPA | St. Croix | 485 |
| 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 |
Which animals Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area lists
Game on the record for Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area: 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
Seasons not named here still apply if they are open in Dunn County and the property rules allow.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Which seasons are open in Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area
Deer dates are statewide in Wisconsin; bear, turkey, grouse, cottontail and waterfowl dates follow zone lines, so only the rows for Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production 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: Dunn | Dec 24, 2026 | Jan 1, 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.
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area: county harvest and CWD tests
Hunters registered 9,118 deer in the Dunn County unit in 2025: 3,858 bucks and 5,260 antlerless. High year on the chart: 2025 at 9,118; low year: 2019 at 6,526. Preliminary 2026 count to Oct. 19: 790 in Dunn. Dunn County CWD testing (2025): 7 positives out of 357 samples. Cumulative total 15 positives in 3,643 tests. Dunn County bear harvest, 2025: 46. Harvest and CWD figures cover Dunn County as a whole.
Dunn County deer by year
| Year | Buck | Antlerless | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,858 | 5,260 | 9,118 |
| 2024 | 3,540 | 4,279 | 7,819 |
| 2023 | 3,040 | 3,939 | 6,979 |
| 2022 | 3,492 | 4,590 | 8,082 |
| 2021 | 3,260 | 3,727 | 6,987 |
| 2020 | 3,547 | 4,586 | 8,133 |
Testing for CWD, Dunn County
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 24 | 0 |
| 2025 | 357 | 7 |
| 2024 | 318 | 2 |
| 2023 | 274 | 1 |
| 2022 | 345 | 1 |
| 2021 | 333 | 1 |
Bears by year, Dunn County
| Year | Bears | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 51 | 30 | 21 |
| 2025 | 46 | 26 | 20 |
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.
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area pinned among its neighbours
Map of Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area and the 10 nearest public places. That is 13,704 acres of public ground.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muddy Creek | Wildlife area | 3,791 | 4.2 mi | east |
| Muddy Creek Sedge Meadow | State natural area | 195 | 4.4 mi | east |
| Lake Menomin | Fishery area | 26 | 5.0 mi | northwest |
| Hoffman Hills Recreation Area | Recreation area | 714 | 6.3 mi | northeast |
| Tainter Lake Spawning Marsh (Remnant) | Wildlife area | 40 | 8.4 mi | north |
| Dunnville Barrens | State natural area | 633 | 9.1 mi | south |
| Red Cedar River Savanna | State natural area | 181 | 9.6 mi | north |
| Red Cedar | State trail | 393 | 10 mi | southwest |
| Dunnville | Wildlife area | 4,354 | 10 mi | south |
| Lower Chippewa River | State natural area | 3,377 | 11 mi | southeast |
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.
Towns, processors and DNR desks near Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a butcher and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menomonie | Dunn | 4.0 mi | 16,709 | 6,014 |
| Elk Mound | Dunn | 7.3 mi | 1,094 | 8,100 |
| Downsville | Dunn | 7.7 mi | — | 8,528 |
| Tainter Lake | Dunn | 8.6 mi | — | 4,589 |
For the wider county picture: Dunn County.
Venison, mounts and ammo near Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area: agency contacts
County service center: DNR Eau Claire Service Center (715-839-3700).
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.
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area: nearest ranges
Menomonie Shooting Range in Dunn County is the nearest DNR-map range, 1 mile out. Two nearby club ranges follow.
rifle, handgun on file
sporting clays, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader on file
sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
First and last legal minute at Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production 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 91.84 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Questions hunters raise about Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area
When must I register a turkey from Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area?
Deer: online, phone or station by 5 p.m. next day. Turkeys: online or phone only.
Which tags work on Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production 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 Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area?
By straight-line distance: Muddy Creek Wildlife Area (4 miles), Muddy Creek Sedge Meadow State Natural Area (4 miles) and Lake Menomin Fishery Area (5 miles).
What is the parent of Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area?
St. Croix Wetland Management District holds it.
What type of property is Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area on the record?
It is a federal waterfowl production area, managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
What size is Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area on the record?
About 140 acres.
What is the nearest town to Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area?
Base in Menomonie, 4 miles away; the ground is in Dunn County.
Which game is named for Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area?
The property record lists ducks and geese, whitetails, wild turkeys, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
What is the antlerless quota at Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area?
Dunn, part of the Central Farmland zone. Antlerless goal for 2026: 15,000.
Which bear permit zone holds Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area?
E. You need a Class A license from the drawing.
How many turkey permits go to the Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area zone?
Turkey Zone 4. 34,997 spring tags were issued there in 2025.
What waterfowl dates apply at Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area?
Duck zone: Northern; goose zone: Northern. Northern Zone ducks open Sep 26, 2026-27.
Can I put out corn for deer at Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area?
Not here: Dunn County is under the ban. CWD has been found in wild deer in Dunn County.
Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area: one more look before the drive
Signs on the ground beat any web page. Read the posted boundaries at Cook's Pond Waterfowl Production Area when you arrive.
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 Mountain-Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0).