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St. Croix County, Wisconsin
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area: the hunter's file
Deer unit St Croix, bear and turkey zones, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: USDAgov (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- US 63 & WIS 64 (St. Croix Co)Parking · 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.
Key facts for Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area is a DNR habitat area in St. Croix County. The DNR files it under its West Central Region (west-central Wisconsin). Management sits with the Wisconsin DNR. Acreage: 155, which places it 30th of 58 habitat areas. The closest covered town is Emerald, around 4 miles off as the crow flies.
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 Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area by zone and unit
Deer: Central Farmland zone, St Croix. 3,500 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). Baiting and feeding deer are banned in St. Croix County.
DMU figures for Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
| Unit | Deer zone | Quota | Public-access bonus | Private bonus | Farmland per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix | Central Farmland | 3,500 | 494 | 1,496 | 2 |
Emerald Valley Wildlife 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.
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area: the property description
Copied from the official listing.
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area is a 156-acre property located in east-central St. Croix County. The property was donated to the DNR from the Kinnickinnic Chapter of Pheasants Forever in 2005 to be managed as a state wildlife area. The property consists of restored grasslands (139 acres) and a small northern hardwood woodlot (17 acres). The property provides the opportunity for hunting pheasants, turkey, deer, and other small game. The property is managed as part of the Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area, a landscape-scale wetland and grassland restoration project.
The property is located 9 miles northeast of Baldwin. Follow Highway 63 north out of Baldwin, then turn east on 160th Avenue for approximately 1.5 miles. The property is located on the north side of 160th Avenue, where a parking lot allows for easy access to the property.
Hunting lines from the Emerald Valley Wildlife Area page
- The property is managed to provide opportunities for public hunting, trapping, wildlife observation and other nature-based outdoor recreation.
- Hunting (noted for pheasant, deer, turkey and small game)
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Access, closures and licenses for Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area: open to whom, and how
Hunting and trapping follow state seasons on the parts of this habitat land that the DNR map marks open, under NR 45.
Orange, stands and GameReg at Emerald Valley Wildlife 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. A ground blind on DNR property needs 144 sq in of orange or pink during gun deer seasons. South of Hwy. 64 every stand and blind leaves with you; north of it, two portable stands per county may stay out Sept. 1-Jan. 31. Use GameReg (online or 844-426-3734) before 5 p.m. the day after the harvest.
Tags and licenses for Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
Licenses sell on Go Wild. On public land, antlerless deer need a public-access authorization for the unit.
Where you cannot hunt at Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
Mind these 1 area before you set up. The common carve-out: Except trapping and deer hunting per NR 10.01(3), retrieval of legally killed or crippled game.
| Area | Restriction | Dates | Acres | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakridge Lake | Waterfowl closed area | No hunting from first day of waterfowl season to first Sat. in December | 197 | NR 11.11(1)(a) |
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.
Which animals Emerald Valley Wildlife Area lists
Game on the record for Emerald Valley Wildlife Area: whitetails, wild turkeys, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
White-tailed deer
Wild turkey
Pheasant
Small game
Furbearers
Seasons not named here still apply if they are open in St. Croix 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 Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
Deer dates are statewide in Wisconsin; bear, turkey, grouse, cottontail and waterfowl dates follow zone lines, so only the rows for Emerald Valley Wildlife 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 | 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.
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area: county harvest and CWD tests
Hunters registered 4,858 deer in the St. Croix County unit in 2025: 2,261 bucks and 2,597 antlerless. High year on the chart: 2025 at 4,858; low year: 2019 at 3,825. St. Croix County CWD testing (2025): 0 positives out of 132 samples. Cumulative total 0 positives in 1,431 tests. St. Croix County bear harvest, 2025: 31. Harvest and CWD figures cover St. Croix County as a whole.
St. Croix County deer by year
| Year | Buck | Antlerless | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Testing for CWD, St. Croix County
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 7 | 0 |
| 2025 | 132 | 0 |
| 2024 | 119 | 0 |
| 2023 | 78 | 0 |
| 2022 | 94 | 0 |
| 2021 | 80 | 0 |
Bears by year, St. Croix County
| Year | Bears | 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.
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area pinned among its neighbours
Map of Emerald Valley Wildlife Area and the 10 nearest public places. That is 5,141 acres of public ground.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casey Lake | Habitat area | 359 | 5.1 mi | southwest |
| Oden | Habitat area | 250 | 5.4 mi | northwest |
| Cylon | Wildlife area | 2,795 | 5.6 mi | north |
| Erin Prairie | Habitat area | 148 | 6.0 mi | west |
| Cylon | State natural area | 155 | 6.1 mi | north |
| Baldwin State Habitat Area-Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area | Habitat area | 40 | 6.1 mi | south |
| Nagel | Habitat area | 208 | 6.2 mi | west |
| Deer Park | WPA | 351 | 7.2 mi | northwest |
| Betterly | WPA | 485 | 7.4 mi | west |
| Kostka | WPA | 350 | 8.2 mi | north |
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.
Towns, processors and DNR desks near Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a butcher and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald | St. Croix | 4.0 mi | — | 4,756 |
| Clear Lake | Polk | 11 mi | 1,103 | 7,120 |
| Somerset | St. Croix | 17 mi | 3,382 | 12,025 |
| Hudson | St. Croix | 22 mi | 15,031 | 6,712 |
For the wider county picture: St. Croix County.
Venison, mounts and ammo near Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
Emerald Valley Wildlife 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.
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area: nearest ranges
Boyceville Shooting Range in Dunn County is the nearest DNR-map range, 15 miles out. Two nearby club ranges follow.
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, shotgun 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.
First and last legal minute at Emerald Valley Wildlife 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 | 6:15 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 92.33 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Questions hunters raise about Emerald Valley Wildlife Area
What is the nearest town to Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
Base in Emerald, 4 miles away; the ground is in St. Croix County.
Which game is named for Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
The property record lists whitetails, wild turkeys, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
What is the antlerless quota at Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
St Croix, part of the Central Farmland zone. Antlerless goal for 2026: 3,500.
Which bear permit zone holds Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
E. You need a Class A license from the drawing.
How many turkey permits go to the Emerald Valley Wildlife Area zone?
Turkey Zone 4. 34,997 spring tags were issued there in 2025.
What waterfowl dates apply at Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
Duck zone: Northern; goose zone: Northern. Northern Zone ducks open Sep 26, 2026-27.
Can I put out corn for deer at Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
Not here: St. Croix County is under the ban. No positive wild deer recorded here.
How much orange do I wear at Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
During any firearm deer season: 50% of your outer clothing above the waist and 50% of any cap, blaze orange or pink. Waterfowl hunters are exempt.
When must I register a turkey from Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
Deer: online, phone or station by 5 p.m. next day. Turkeys: online or phone only.
Which tags work on Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
No special permit for most of it; buy the license on Go Wild and carry public-access antlerless tags.
Does Emerald Valley Wildlife Area have a refuge?
No: 1 closed or restricted area are listed, starting with Oakridge Lake.
Is there other public ground around Emerald Valley Wildlife Area?
By straight-line distance: Casey Lake Wildlife Area (5 miles), Oden Wildlife Area (5 miles) and Cylon Wildlife Area (6 miles).
What type of property is Emerald Valley Wildlife Area on the record?
It is a DNR habitat area, managed by the Wisconsin DNR.
Emerald Valley Wildlife Area: one more look before the drive
Signs on the ground beat any web page. Read the posted boundaries at Emerald Valley Wildlife Area when you arrive.
Sources for this page: DNR: Emeraldvalley · DNR GIS · DNR: alpha · DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0); Virginia State Parks staff (CC BY 2.0).