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2026-27 · County forest
Forest County Forest, a hunter's guide
Who runs it, which deer unit and bear zone cover it, what it holds (whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys and ruffed grouse), and the public land and towns around it in Forest County.
Photo: USDA Forest Service Eastern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Forest County Forest
Parking, trailheads and gates near Forest County Forest
- Parking areaParking ยท 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 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.
What the record says about Forest County Forest
On paper it is a county forest under the County Forest Law; on the map it is in Forest County. DNR staff of the Northern Region cover this part of the Northwoods. Manager: Forest County Forestry Department. Its 15,251 acres rank 27th of the 30 Wisconsin county forests with an acreage on file. From Mole Lake, our closest town page, it is roughly 4 miles to the east. Parent property: Wisconsin County Forest System.
From the source page (WI DNR Forest Tax report "Wisconsin County Forest Acres as of July 01, 2021" (total incl. special use lands)); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Forest County Forest
Forest County Forest in the agency's words
Unedited text from the official page.
Part of the 30-county Wisconsin county forest system (more than 2.4 million acres, the largest public land ownership in the state).
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Forest County Forest rules and licenses
Access rules at Forest County Forest
Hunt under state regulations and the county forest ordinance, which covers stands, blinds, ATV use and camping; closed areas come from the county office.
State law on Forest County Forest
Orange or pink, 50% above the waist and 50% of the head covering, is the rule while gun deer seasons run; duck and goose hunters are exempt. By 5 p.m. the following day, register the deer on GameReg (online, phone or station).
Which licenses Forest County Forest needs
Get licenses on Go Wild or at an agent. Antlerless tags are unit-specific and labelled public or private land.
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.
Forest County Forest: DMU, bear zone and turkey zone
Deer management: DMU 126, DMU 123 and DMU 120, Northern Forest zone. The Natural Resources Board set 1,105, 795 and 545 antlerless deer as the 2026 quota there. Bear Zone B has a 2026 harvest target of 850 with 1,545 Class A permits drawn; it took 11 preference points to win one. Spring turkey tags are sold for Zone 5; the DNR issued 12,008 there in 2025, the newest level published. The deer baiting ban covers Forest County.
Deer units that cover Forest County Forest
| Deer unit | Zone | Antlerless goal | Public tags left | Private tags left | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 126 | Northern Forest | 1,105 | 0 | 1,105 | — |
| DMU 123 | Northern Forest | 795 | 788 | 1,624 | — |
| DMU 120 | Northern Forest | 545 | 124 | 1,163 | — |
Zones beyond deer for Forest County Forest
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear B | Dogs legal | 850 target, 1,545 permits | 11 points | 851 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey zone 5 | 12,008 spring tags (2025) | 20% success | 2,446 gobblers | — |
| Turkey zone 7 | 4,401 spring tags (2025) | 16% success | 726 gobblers | — |
| Grouse zone A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose zone | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf zone 2 | No season | Listed 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.
Forest County Forest: species with bag limits
Listed game at Forest County Forest: whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, woodcock, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
White-tailed deer
Black bear
Wild turkey
Ruffed grouse
Woodcock
Small game
Furbearers
The Forest County calendar below covers the rest.
Species from the property record (General county forest hunting opportunities (DNR County Forests page; WCFA grouse/woodcock management areas). Bear/elk subject to zone.); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Season dates that cover Forest County Forest
Forest County Forest sits in the Northern Forest deer zone. These 38 rows are the dated hunting segments the DNR schedule puts there, from the September archery opener into spring turkey.
| Game | Season | Applies in | Begins | Through | Right 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 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone B | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone B | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone B | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 7/5 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 7/5 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 7/5 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 7/5 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 7/5 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 7/5 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 7/5 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 7/5 | 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.
Linked units of Forest County Forest
It shares Wisconsin County Forest System with 29 sibling units.
Other units of Wisconsin County Forest System
| Name | Type | County | Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas | County forest | Douglas | 281,853 |
| Marinette | County forest | Marinette | 229,978 |
| Bayfield | County forest | Bayfield | 175,557 |
| Iron | County forest | Iron | 175,343 |
| Washburn | County forest | Washburn | 150,196 |
| Clark | County forest | Clark | 134,742 |
| Langlade | County forest | Langlade | 130,717 |
| Jackson | County forest | Jackson | 122,685 |
| Sawyer | County forest | Sawyer | 115,196 |
| Burnett | County forest | Burnett | 111,516 |
| Lincoln | County forest | Lincoln | 100,843 |
| Price | County forest | Price | 92,294 |
| Rusk | County forest | Rusk | 89,284 |
| Oneida | County forest | Oneida | 82,960 |
| Eau Claire | County forest | Eau Claire | 52,712 |
Public property near Forest County Forest
The large pin is Forest County Forest; the others are the 10 closest public properties. Together they hold 1,257 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hemlock Springs | Wildlife area | 154 | 1.1 mi | east |
| Martin Springs State Spring Ponds | Fishery area | 71 | 3.8 mi | southwest |
| Rolling Stone Lake | Wildlife area | 19 | 4.8 mi | south |
| Lily Lake | Fishery area | 46 | 5.1 mi | southeast |
| Swamp Creek Fen | State natural area | 80 | 5.5 mi | southwest |
| Bishop Lake | Fishery area | 21 | 6.0 mi | west |
| Peterson Springs State Spring Ponds | Fishery area | 40 | 7.0 mi | north |
| Crandon Ribbed Fen | State natural area | 96 | 8.2 mi | north |
| Bog Brook | Wildlife area | 267 | 8.2 mi | southeast |
| South Branch Peshtigo River | Wildlife area | 463 | 8.6 mi | north |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR Public Land GIS, County Forests layer (polygon centroid) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
How the land around Forest County Forest hunts, by the numbers
Harvest for this part of Forest County comes from the 2025 forest DMU counts. 2026 so far, still changing: DMU 126, 278, DMU 123, 135 and DMU 120, 110. CWD sampling in Forest County, CWD year 2025: 37 wild deer sampled, 0 positive. Overall: 827 samples and 0 positives. Forest County: 139 bears in 2025. The DNR reports deer by unit, not by property: read these as the Forest County picture.
Forest County bucks and antlerless
| Deer unit | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 126 | 2,104 | 1,184 | 3,288 |
| DMU 123 | 1,027 | 699 | 1,726 |
| DMU 120 | 726 | 429 | 1,155 |
Forest County CWD sampling
| Year | Sampled | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 37 | 0 |
| 2024 | 43 | 0 |
| 2023 | 39 | 0 |
| 2022 | 36 | 0 |
| 2021 | 25 | 0 |
Forest County bears
| Year | Bears registered | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 116 | 73 | 43 |
| 2025 | 139 | 65 | 74 |
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.
Forest County Forest: nearest ranges
No range sits on Forest County Forest; the nearest on the DNR public range map is Langlade (County forest), about 29 miles away. Nearby club or private ranges are shown too.
rifle, trap, shotgun on file
sporting clays, muzzleloader, handgun, action pistol, benchrest on file
rifle, trap, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Home bases for a Forest County Forest trip
Closest towns, measured as the crow flies, then the businesses around them.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mole Lake | Forest | 3.7 mi | — | 53,945 |
| Crandon | Forest | 5.2 mi | 1,737 | 70,336 |
| Post Lake | Langlade | 10 mi | — | 75,672 |
| Argonne | Forest | 11 mi | — | 93,142 |
Read up on the county: Forest County.
Taxidermy and supplies for Forest County Forest hunters
Phone numbers for Forest County Forest questions
The DNR service center listed for Forest County is DNR Rhinelander Service Center, 715-365-8900.
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.
Forest County Forest: legal shooting time, table by date
Big game and small game hunters get 20 minutes after sunset in Wisconsin, not 30. Waterfowl and spring gobbler hunters quit at sunset.
| Date | Hunt | Northern Area hours | Southern Area hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 88.90 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Straight answers on Forest County Forest
Which deer management unit holds Forest County Forest?
The Northern Forest zone, DMU 126, DMU 123 and DMU 120. Quota for 2026: 1,105, 795 and 545 antlerless.
Is bear hunting possible at Forest County Forest?
Zone B; hounds are legal there.
Can I turkey hunt Forest County Forest in spring?
Zone 5; 2025 saw 2,446 birds registered in the zone.
When can I hunt ducks at Forest County Forest?
Northern for ducks, Northern for geese. The regular Northern Zone duck season opens Sep 26.
Has CWD turned up in the county around Forest County Forest?
The deer baiting ban applies in Forest County. CWD has not been found in this county's wild deer.
Is blaze pink legal at Forest County Forest?
Orange or pink, half of the upper clothing, whenever a gun deer season runs (not for waterfowl).
Where do I register game taken on Forest County Forest?
Register on GameReg by 5 p.m. the next day; the confirmation number starts with W.
Is there a separate permit for Forest County Forest?
The standard license for your game; no landowner permission on public ground.
Which public properties lie near Forest County Forest?
Three to try: Hemlock Springs State Habitat Area (1 mile), Martin Springs State Spring Ponds (4 miles) and Rolling Stone Lake State Habitat Area (5 miles).
Is Forest County Forest its own property?
Yes, Wisconsin County Forest System.
How is Forest County Forest classified?
County forest under the County Forest Law, under Forest County Forestry Department.
How much land is in Forest County Forest?
It covers 15,251 acres by the recorded figure.
Where in the state does Forest County Forest lie?
Forest County holds it, 4 miles from Mole Lake.
Last checks on Forest County Forest before you go
Treat this page as a starting point: the manager of Forest County Forest has the final say on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS · DNR: AcreageSummary · DNR: CountyForests · WCFA: county contacts; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0); GA-Kayaker (CC BY 2.0).