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County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area for Wisconsin hunters
A hunter's summary of County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area in Washburn County: zones and quota, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: jondejong (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.5 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.
County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area: record card
County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area: a DNR-owned State Natural Area, located in Washburn County. Region on record: the DNR Northern Region. The Wisconsin DNR writes the rules on the ground. The 338 acres on record put it 167th of the 449 state natural areas we list. The DNR numbers it SNA 685 (legal description T42N-R13W, Section 31). Base town: Minong, some 10 miles away. Totogatic Wild River is the larger unit around 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 County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area deer unit, quota and game zones
The deer unit is DMU 107, in the Northern Forest zone. The 2026 antlerless quota for that unit is 2,155. For black bear this is Zone A, where hounds are legal; 1,675 permits for 2026. Turkey hunting falls under Zone 6, which had 6,001 spring permits in 2025. The DNR counts Washburn County among its CWD-affected counties. Washburn County sits under the DNR deer baiting and feeding ban.
The deer unit around County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
| DMU | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Public-land bonus | Private-land bonus | Free tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 107 | Northern Forest | 2,155 | 4,503 | 2,891 | — |
Bear, turkey and bird zones at County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
| Zone | Rule | Numbers | Extra | 2025 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear A | With hounds | 1,100 target, 1,675 permits | 11 points | 1,235 bears in 2025 |
| Wild turkey 6 | 6,001 spring tags (2025) | 23% success | 1,362 gobblers | — |
| Grouse zone A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Ducks | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Geese | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf zone 3 | 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 County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
Entry terms for County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
Hunting and trapping are generally allowed on DNR-owned State Natural Area land unless a spot is posted closed. Camping, vehicles, drones and collecting plants are not (NR 45).
Wisconsin rules that follow you to County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural 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.
County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area: licenses and tags
Go Wild carries every license. For antlerless deer on public ground, use a public-access tag for the right DMU.
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 County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
With no species list from the source, read it this way: every open Wisconsin season applies here under the property rules.
Use the Washburn County season list (40 rows) below.
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.
Every County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural 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 | 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.
County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area described by the DNR
Quoted as published; nothing here is our wording.
Located on the north side of the Totagatic River, County Line Barrens and Forest supports high-quality pine barrens, a mature northern dry forest in the western and southern portion of the site, and a young northern dry forest to the east. The pine barrens is dominated by young jack pine and northern pin oak with a low shrub layer that includes American hazelnut and low sweet blueberry. Occasional larger trees of red pine and white pine are scattered throughout.
Grasses and forbs are prominent and include characteristic species such as big bluestem, little bluestem, June grass, fleabane, western sunflower, long-leaved bluets, rough blazing-star, hoary puccoon and prairie phlox. The mature northern dry forest has a moderately closed jack pine canopy of 50-65%. Groundlayer species include wood anemones, wild roses, big-leaved aster and bracken fern. The land slopes steeply down to the river where trees are larger on the bank and the slopes, likely due to a combination of factors including being spared from logging, protection from fire, and increased soil moisture nearer the river.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area and the land it belongs with
Parent property: Totogatic Wild River, which has 2 listed parts.
The rest of Totogatic Wild River
| Page | Type | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Totogan Pines | State natural area | Washburn | 239 |
Harvest numbers for the country around County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
2025 in Washburn County: 625 bucks, 793 antlerless, 1,418 in all. Range since 2016: 1,418 to 4,825 deer a year. Early 2026 registrations (archery, crossbow, youth hunt): DMU 107 217. The DNR sampled 209 deer from Washburn County in 2025; 0 had CWD. 1 positives overall, from 4,434 deer. In 2025, Washburn County produced 167 registered bears. Figures are for the whole county unit, not County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Washburn County unit harvest
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
CWD samples, Washburn County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 26 | 0 |
| 2025 | 209 | 0 |
| 2024 | 196 | 0 |
| 2023 | 180 | 0 |
| 2022 | 206 | 0 |
| 2021 | 185 | 0 |
Bears registered in Washburn County
| Season | Bears | Boars | Sows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Bed, fuel and a butcher near County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
Where to sleep, where to buy shells, where to drop off a deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minong | Washburn | 10 mi | 557 | 94,267 |
| Trego | Washburn | 16 mi | — | 40,446 |
| Gordon | Douglas | 16 mi | — | 111,471 |
| Danbury | Burnett | 17 mi | — | 47,402 |
Season and zone pages by county: Washburn County.
Who processes a deer from County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
Where to ask about County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
Licenses and questions for Washburn County go through the DNR Spooner 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.
County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area and nearby public ground
County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area at the big pin; the nearest 10 public places around it. Combined, 33,630 acres are on record.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beartrack Lake | Access site | 26 | 2.9 mi | north |
| Namekagon Barrens | State natural area | 6,433 | 4.0 mi | northwest |
| Namekagon Barrens | Wildlife area | 6,431 | 4.0 mi | northwest |
| Goose Lake (Burnett County) | Wildlife area | 128 | 7.4 mi | south |
| Person Lake | Fishery area | 9 | 8.4 mi | northeast |
| Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (Wisconsin) | Scenic riverway | 20,195 | 8.7 mi | west |
| McKenzie Creek Fish and | Fishery area | 200 | 10 mi | southeast |
| Bardon Lake-Whitefish L | Fishery area | 2 | 11 mi | northeast |
| Lampson Moraine Pines | State natural area | 119 | 11 mi | southeast |
| Leader Lake | Access site | 87 | 11 mi | northeast |
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.
Shooting-hour table for County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural 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 | 6:15 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 92.04 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area: nearest ranges
No range sits on County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area; the nearest on the DNR public range map is Frog Creek Washburn Cty. Forest, about 12 miles away. Club ranges within 30 miles are included.
rifle, trap, shotgun, handgun, smallbore rimfire 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.
Before-the-trip answers for County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
Which public land sits closest to County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area?
Beartrack Lake State Public Access (3 miles), Namekagon Barrens State Natural Area (4 miles) and Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area (4 miles), each with a page here.
What does County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area belong to?
A piece of Totogatic Wild River.
Is County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area DNR, county or federal ground?
A DNR-owned State Natural Area; the manager is the Wisconsin DNR.
Is County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area a big property?
338 acres in the source data.
Which town works as a base for County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area?
Washburn County; Minong, the nearest town we cover, is 10 miles away.
Can I hunt any species on County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area?
Every open Wisconsin season applies under the property rules; no list narrows it.
What deer tags work on County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area?
It is in DMU 107 (Northern Forest). This year the antlerless quota is 2,155.
How hard is a bear permit for County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area?
Zone A; hounds may be used there.
Which zone do I apply for to hunt turkeys at County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area?
Zone 6. Success in 2025 was 23%.
Which goose zone is County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area in?
Ducks follow the Northern zone, Canada geese the Northern zone. Opening day for Northern Zone ducks is Sep 26.
Can I bait deer at County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area?
No bait or feed in Washburn County. The county list for CWD includes Washburn County.
When does orange apply at County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area?
Pink counts the same as orange: 50% above the waist in firearm deer seasons.
Does a County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural 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.
Signing off on County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area
Gates, refuges and open areas at County Line Barrens and Forest State Natural Area are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
Sources for this page: DNR: CountyLineBarrensandForest · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain).