Home › Wisconsin › Public land › Great Northern Conservation Easement
Easement land · Northern region
Great Northern Conservation Easement for Wisconsin hunters
A hunter's summary of Great Northern Conservation Easement in Iron County: zones and quota, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Great Northern Conservation Easement
Great Northern Conservation Easement: record card
Great Northern Conservation Easement: a DNR conservation easement with public access, located in Iron County. Region on record: the DNR Northern Region. The Wisconsin DNR writes the rules on the ground. The 13,994 acres on record put it 8th of the 16 easement properties we list. Base town: Iron Belt, some 8 miles away.
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 Great Northern Conservation Easement
Great Northern Conservation Easement deer unit, quota and game zones
The deer unit is DMU 118, in the Northern Forest zone. The 2026 antlerless quota for that unit is 90. For black bear this is Zone A, where hounds are legal; 1,675 permits for 2026. Turkey hunting falls under Zone 7, which had 4,401 spring permits in 2025. In Iron County baiting is allowed, capped at 2 gallons per 40 acres.
The deer unit around Great Northern Conservation Easement
| DMU | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Public-land bonus | Private-land bonus | Free tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 118 | Northern Forest | 90 | 23 | 0 | — |
Bear, turkey and bird zones at Great Northern Conservation Easement
| 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 7 | 4,401 spring tags (2025) | 16% success | 726 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 1 | 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 Great Northern Conservation Easement
Entry terms for Great Northern Conservation Easement
Hunting is allowed under the terms of the DNR easement; keep out of the posted areas near buildings.
Wisconsin rules that follow you to Great Northern Conservation Easement
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.
Great Northern Conservation Easement: 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 Great Northern Conservation Easement
With no species list from the source, read it this way: every open Wisconsin season applies here under the property rules.
Use the Iron County season list (38 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 Great Northern Conservation Easement 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 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A/B | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A/B | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A/B | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 7 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 7 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 7 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 7 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 7 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 7 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 7 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 7 | 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.
Harvest numbers for the country around Great Northern Conservation Easement
Forest-unit figures for 2025 stand in for a county total in Iron County. Early 2026 registrations (archery, crossbow, youth hunt): DMU 118 61. The DNR sampled 26 deer from Iron County in 2025; 0 had CWD. 0 positives overall, from 832 deer. In 2025, Iron County produced 106 registered bears. Figures are for the whole county unit, not Great Northern Conservation Easement alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Iron County unit harvest
| DMU | Buck | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 118 | 384 | 91 | 475 |
CWD samples, Iron County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 26 | 0 |
| 2024 | 23 | 0 |
| 2023 | 25 | 0 |
| 2022 | 55 | 0 |
| 2021 | 41 | 0 |
Bears registered in Iron County
| Season | Bears | Boars | Sows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 104 | 55 | 49 |
| 2025 | 106 | 50 | 56 |
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 Great Northern Conservation Easement
Where to sleep, where to buy shells, where to drop off a deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Belt | Iron | 7.8 mi | — | 90,192 |
| Hurley | Iron | 12 mi | 1,610 | 37,166 |
| Mellen | Ashland | 15 mi | 686 | 85,788 |
| Glidden | Ashland | 15 mi | — | 89,026 |
Season and zone pages by county: Iron County.
Who processes a deer from Great Northern Conservation Easement
Where to ask about Great Northern Conservation Easement
Licenses and questions for Iron County go through the DNR Woodruff 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.
Great Northern Conservation Easement and nearby public ground
Great Northern Conservation Easement at the big pin; the nearest 10 public places around it. Combined, 239,061 acres are on record.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Lake Hemlocks | State natural area | 113 | 1.9 mi | east |
| Twin Lakes | Easement land | 13,991 | 2.2 mi | west |
| Iron | County forest | 175,343 | 5.6 mi | east |
| Snake Track | Wildlife area | 15 | 5.8 mi | north |
| Moose Lake | State natural area | 4,293 | 8.7 mi | southeast |
| Caroline Lake | State natural area | 131 | 9.8 mi | west |
| Tomahawk Timberlands (moose Lake Trct) | Easement land | 3,014 | 11 mi | southeast |
| Ashland | County forest | 40,305 | 12 mi | west |
| Lake Evelyn | State natural area | 303 | 13 mi | east |
| Underwood | Wildlife area | 1,553 | 13 mi | east |
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) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Shooting-hour table for Great Northern Conservation Easement
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 | 6:07 a.m. to 7:39 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:38 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:51 a.m. to 6:33 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:12 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:40 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:52 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. | 6:47 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:11 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:13 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 4:58 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 D offset of 12 minutes for longitude 90.34 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Shooting ranges near Great Northern Conservation Easement
About 6 miles separates Great Northern Conservation Easement from Snaketrack Shooting Range, the nearest public map range.
rifle, handgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Before-the-trip answers for Great Northern Conservation Easement
Which zone do I apply for to hunt turkeys at Great Northern Conservation Easement?
Zone 7. Success in 2025 was 16%.
Which goose zone is Great Northern Conservation Easement 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 Great Northern Conservation Easement?
Bait is allowed here with limits. No CWD-positive wild deer are on record for the county.
When does orange apply at Great Northern Conservation Easement?
Pink counts the same as orange: 50% above the waist in firearm deer seasons.
Does a Great Northern Conservation Easement deer go into GameReg?
By 5 p.m. the following day, through GameReg; bears also go to a station or online the same way.
What paperwork does Great Northern Conservation Easement need?
Gun deer ($24), archer ($24) or small game ($18) for residents; nonresident gun deer is $200.
Which public land sits closest to Great Northern Conservation Easement?
Island Lake Hemlocks State Natural Area (2 miles), Twin Lakes Conservation Easement (2 miles) and Iron County Forest (6 miles), each with a page here.
Is Great Northern Conservation Easement DNR, county or federal ground?
A DNR conservation easement with public access; the manager is the Wisconsin DNR.
Is Great Northern Conservation Easement a big property?
13,994 acres in the source data.
Which town works as a base for Great Northern Conservation Easement?
Iron County; Iron Belt, the nearest town we cover, is 8 miles away.
Can I hunt any species on Great Northern Conservation Easement?
Every open Wisconsin season applies under the property rules; no list narrows it.
What deer tags work on Great Northern Conservation Easement?
It is in DMU 118 (Northern Forest). This year the antlerless quota is 90.
How hard is a bear permit for Great Northern Conservation Easement?
Zone A; hounds may be used there.
Signing off on Great Northern Conservation Easement
Gates, refuges and open areas at Great Northern Conservation Easement are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
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: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0).