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Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area hunting guide
Everything we could verify about Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area: acreage, zones, property rules, harvest around it and nearby ground.
Photo: wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
The short version on Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
In Shawano County you will find Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area, a DNR state wildlife area. On the DNR map it belongs to the Northeast Region. The managing body is the Wisconsin DNR. At 43 acres it sits 236th by area in a field of 285 state wildlife areas. About 10 miles west of Shawano.
From the source page (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS ACRES field, sum of parcels open to hunting); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area: what is allowed
How access works on Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
State seasons and Wisconsin licenses are all you need, except in posted refuges and closed zones; NR 45 governs use of the property.
Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area: rules from the regulations
From the October youth hunt through the Holiday Hunt, blaze orange or pink covers half of your upper clothing and cap. Mark a ground blind with 144 square inches of blaze orange or pink while firearm deer seasons run. Tree stands: no tree damage, ID on unattended stands, overnight only north of Hwy. 64 during Sept. 1-Jan. 31. Register deer, turkeys and bears through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
What Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area costs in licenses
Buy through Go Wild; the free Farmland tags and bonus tags are marked public-access or private-land, and only public-access ones work here.
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.
Tags and zones for Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
For deer it lies in the Central Farmland zone (Shawano). This season the unit quota is 12,000 antlerless deer. Zone C bear permits took 2 preference points in 2026; the target is 875 bears. The 2025 spring level for Turkey Zone 3 was 55,612 authorizations; 12,324 birds were registered. Shawano County: CWD found in wild deer, and a CWD-positive deer earns a replacement authorization. No deer bait or feed: Shawano County is a ban county.
Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area: antlerless quota and bonus tags
| Deer unit | Zone | 2026 quota | Public bonus left | Private bonus left | Free farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawano | Central Farmland | 12,000 | 984 | 5,490 | 3 |
Every other zone Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area touches
| Zone | Detail | Figures | Points or note | Taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bear C | Hounds barred | 875 target, 4,465 permits | 2 points | 663 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey zone 3 | 55,612 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 12,324 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose zone | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Gray wolf zone 4 | No season | Federally listed |
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.
Quarry and limits, Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area has no species list on record. Any season open in Shawano County is fair game, subject to the property rules.
Below: 38 season rows for Shawano County.
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.
Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area season calendar, 2026-27
Archery, the nine-day gun hunt, muzzleloader, bear, turkey, upland birds, rabbits, furbearers and the duck and goose splits for Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area.
| Game | Hunt | Zone | First day | Last day | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: Shawano | 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 C/F | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 3/2/5 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 3/2/5 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 3/2/5 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 3/2/5 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 3/2/5 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 3/2/5 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 3/2/5 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 3/2/5 | 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.
Nearest public ground to Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area, mapped
10 more properties lie close to Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area, shown with smaller pins. Acres across them: 16,896.
| Neighbour | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jung Hemlock-Beech Forest | State natural area | 79 | 5.4 mi | north |
| Doty Creek (Remnant) | Fishery area | 93 | 8.7 mi | southwest |
| Kroenke Lake | State natural area | 147 | 9.4 mi | northeast |
| S Br Pigeon River (Remnant) | Fishery area | 76 | 11 mi | west |
| Highway K Woods | State natural area | 32 | 12 mi | southeast |
| Shawano Lake | Fishery area | 118 | 12 mi | east |
| Deer Creek | Wildlife area | 1,488 | 12 mi | southeast |
| Deer Creek Tamarack Bog | State natural area | 293 | 12 mi | southeast |
| Tellock's Hill Woods | State natural area | 52 | 13 mi | south |
| Navarino | Wildlife area | 14,518 | 13 mi | southeast |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS (polygon centroid of hunting-open parcels) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Registered deer and bears near Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
The 2025 registered deer total for the Shawano County unit was 9,880 (4,879 antlered). 2016 was the busiest year shown (11,308 deer) and 2023 the leanest (8,643). The 2026 season to date shows 928 deer in Shawano; the DNR calls it preliminary. 457 samples, 6 positive: that is Shawano County in CWD year 2025. All years combined: 13 of 4,475. 64 bears came out of Shawano County in 2025. These numbers describe the county around Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area, not the property alone.
Deer registered near Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
| Year | Bucks registered | Antlerless registered | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,879 | 5,001 | 9,880 |
| 2024 | 4,812 | 4,590 | 9,402 |
| 2023 | 4,128 | 4,515 | 8,643 |
| 2022 | 4,642 | 5,698 | 10,340 |
| 2021 | 4,550 | 5,327 | 9,877 |
| 2020 | 4,279 | 6,308 | 10,587 |
Shawano County CWD by year
| CWD year | Samples | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 53 | 0 |
| 2025 | 457 | 6 |
| 2024 | 351 | 3 |
| 2023 | 336 | 2 |
| 2022 | 350 | 1 |
| 2021 | 369 | 0 |
Shawano County bear harvest
| Year | Bear harvest | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 85 | 46 | 39 |
| 2025 | 64 | 40 | 24 |
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.
Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area: nearest ranges
For a public range, drive about 15 miles to J & H Hunt Club. Closer club options sit beside it.
sporting clays, shotgun on file
trap, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Towns, offices and services around Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
Towns, then services in this county and the next one over.
| Town | County | Distance | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawano | Shawano | 10 mi | 9,635 | 13,022 |
| Keshena | Menominee | 14 mi | — | 696 |
| Bonduel | Shawano | 16 mi | 1,401 | 14,001 |
| Navarino | Shawano | 16 mi | — | 22,743 |
Our county write-ups: Shawano County.
Butchers, mounts and gun counters near Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
Service centers near Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
For Shawano County, the DNR points to its 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.
When the shooting day opens and closes at Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area lies in longitude Zone B, so add 4 minutes to each table time.
| Day | Reason | Northern table | Southern table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 5:59 a.m. to 7:31 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:43 a.m. to 6:25 p.m. | 6:42 a.m. to 6:28 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:04 a.m. to 5:01 p.m. | 6:01 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:32 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:44 a.m. to 4:32 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:03 a.m. to 4:34 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:05 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 4:50 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 B offset of 4 minutes for longitude 88.78 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area in questions and answers
How far is the drive from Shawano to Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area?
Shawano County, roughly 10 miles out of Shawano.
How large is Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area, in acres?
Acreage on record: 43.
Is Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area forest or farmland deer country?
Shawano in the Central Farmland zone. The unit quota stands at 12,000 antlerless deer this year.
Is there a game list for Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area?
The record lists none, which means all open seasons, within the property rules.
Is Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area good turkey ground?
Apply for Zone 3; spring periods A-F run in 2027 from April 21.
Are hounds allowed for bear at Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area?
Bear Zone C: 4,465 permits drawn for 2026.
What are the CWD and bait rules for Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area?
Deer bait is illegal in Shawano County. Shawano County: CWD-positive deer on record.
Is Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area in the northern or southern duck zone?
Northern duck zone and Northern goose zone. First regular duck day in the Northern Zone: Sep 26.
How fast must I register a kill on Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area?
GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the animal.
Can pink replace orange at Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area?
Yes while gun deer seasons are open; half your upper clothing and hat in orange or fluorescent pink.
What neighbours Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area?
Closest first: Jung Hemlock-Beech Forest State Natural Area (5 miles), Doty Creek Fishery Area (Remnant) (9 miles) and Kroenke Lake State Natural Area (9 miles).
Is a permit required for Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area?
Your Wisconsin license is enough; residents pay $24 for gun deer, $18 for small game.
Who is the land manager for Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area?
The Wisconsin DNR manages it; the land is a DNR state wildlife area.
Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area, final notes
Print the Cowyard Rips State Habitat Area map, carry your tags, and check the manager page the week you go.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Rick Obst (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).