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State natural area · South Central region
Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area for Wisconsin hunters
A hunter's summary of Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area in Dane County: zones and quota, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: edenpictures (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 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.
Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area: record card
Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area: a DNR-owned State Natural Area, located in Dane County. Region on record: the DNR South Central Region. The Wisconsin DNR writes the rules on the ground. The 527 acres on record put it 113th of the 449 state natural areas we list. The DNR numbers it SNA 242 (legal description T6N-R8E, Section 28, 29, 32). Base town: Oregon, some 3 miles away.
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 Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area deer unit, quota and game zones
The deer unit is Dane, in the Southern Farmland zone. The 2026 antlerless quota for that unit is 5,200. For black bear this is Zone F, with no hound hunting; 764 permits for 2026. Turkey hunting falls under Zone 2, which had 51,056 spring permits in 2025. The DNR counts Dane County among its CWD-affected counties. Dane County sits under the DNR deer baiting and feeding ban.
The deer unit around Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
| DMU | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Public-land bonus | Private-land bonus | Free tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dane | Southern Farmland | 5,200 | 700 | 2,500 | 2 |
| Dane County Metro Sub-Unit | Metro sub-unit | Parent unit | 0 | 0 | — |
Bear, turkey and bird zones at Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
| Zone | Rule | Numbers | Extra | 2025 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear F | Bait only | 50 target, 764 permits | 1 point | 27 bears in 2025 |
| Wild turkey 2 | 51,056 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 11,024 gobblers | 2,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse zone B | Oct 17–Dec 8 | 2 a day | ||
| Ducks | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| Geese | Southern | Sep 16–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 Dec 19–Jan 2 | ||
| Wolf zone 6 | 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 Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
Entry terms for Hook Lake Bog 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 Hook Lake Bog 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.
Hook Lake Bog 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 Hook Lake Bog 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 Dane County season list (42 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 Hook Lake Bog 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 | Metro sub-unit gun | Metro sub-unit: Madison | 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: Dane | 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 F/E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 1/2 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 1/2 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 1/2 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 1/2 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 1/2 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 1/2 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 1/2 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 1/2 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | |
| 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 | Southern cottontail zone | Oct 17, 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 (split 1) | Southern Duck Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular duck (split 2) | Southern Duck Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 1) | Southern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Southern Goose Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (holiday split) | Southern Goose Zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 2, 2027 | |
| 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.
Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area described by the DNR
Quoted as published; nothing here is our wording.
Hook Lake Bog ranks as one of the highest-quality wetlands in Dane County. It is a soft bog lake, which is unusual for southern Wisconsin. The lake, located in a glacial pocket, is nearly extinct with only 50-70 acres of open water remaining. The rest is covered by a floating sedge mat and emergent aquatic vegetation with tamarack swamp forest, open bog, and southern sedge meadow communities. The bog mat harbors plant species that are rare in Dane County including the insectivorous round-leaved sundew, seven-angled pipewort, and bogbean.
Other Dane County rarities are pickerelweed, water shield, leather-leaf, and large-fruited star sedge. The tamarack swamp contains paper birch, cranberry, and spinulose wood fern and a dense ring of bog birch surrounds the tamaracks with cotton grass. Other species include steeplebush, buttonbush, American woolly-fruit sedge, rushes, and spike-rush. A cat-tail-dominated moat with water plantain, swamp loosestrife, wool grass, and arrowhead surrounds the bog. An upland island of the dry-mesic forest is also present and is rich with spring wildflowers such as Dutchman's-breeches and bloodroot.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Harvest numbers for the country around Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
2025 in Dane County: 2,247 bucks, 2,191 antlerless, 4,438 in all. Range since 2016: 3,630 to 4,948 deer a year. Early 2026 registrations (archery, crossbow, youth hunt): Dane 254. The DNR sampled 1,002 deer from Dane County in 2025; 193 had CWD. 2,116 positives overall, from 36,578 deer. Figures are for the whole county unit, not Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Dane County unit harvest
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,247 | 2,191 | 4,438 |
| 2024 | 2,084 | 2,319 | 4,403 |
| 2023 | 2,328 | 2,133 | 4,461 |
| 2022 | 2,170 | 2,303 | 4,473 |
| 2021 | 1,936 | 2,011 | 3,947 |
| 2020 | 2,421 | 2,527 | 4,948 |
CWD samples, Dane County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 64 | 13 |
| 2025 | 1,002 | 193 |
| 2024 | 964 | 166 |
| 2023 | 941 | 171 |
| 2022 | 1,016 | 198 |
| 2021 | 971 | 158 |
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 Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
Where to sleep, where to buy shells, where to drop off a deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | Dane | 3.2 mi | 11,895 | 10,083 |
| Madison | Dane | 11 mi | 285,300 | 4,557 |
| Belleville | Dane | 12 mi | 2,635 | 7,306 |
| Deerfield | Dane | 15 mi | 2,647 | 6,488 |
Season and zone pages by county: Dane County.
Who processes a deer from Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
Where to ask about Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
Licenses and questions for Dane County go through the DNR Fitchburg 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.
Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area and nearby public ground
Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area at the big pin; the nearest 10 public places around it. Combined, 2,959 acres are on record.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hook Lake Bog Grass Lake | Wildlife area | 874 | 0.6 mi | east |
| Island Lake | WPA | 245 | 2.3 mi | southeast |
| Gadwall Swamp | WPA | 71 | 2.9 mi | east |
| Waubesa Wetlands | State natural area | 333 | 3.0 mi | north |
| Lake Waubesa | Fishery area | 22 | 3.4 mi | north |
| Lower Mud Lake | Fishery area | 409 | 3.7 mi | northeast |
| Anthony Branch (Remnant) | Fishery area | 2 | 3.9 mi | south |
| Anthony Branch Fisheries and | Habitat area | 684 | 4.0 mi | south |
| Sime | WPA | 79 | 4.2 mi | southeast |
| Swan Pond | WPA | 240 | 4.6 mi | west |
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 Hook Lake Bog 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 | 6:03 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:47 a.m. to 6:29 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:32 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:08 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:36 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:48 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:07 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:09 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 4:54 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 C offset of 8 minutes for longitude 89.33 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Shooting ranges near Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
The DNR-map range closest to Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area is Hope Rod & Gun Club (6 miles). Club ranges within 30 miles are included.
handgun, trap, shotgun, skeet, smallbore rimfire on file
trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, archery on file
trap, skeet, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Before-the-trip answers for Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
Can I hunt any species on Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area?
Every open Wisconsin season applies under the property rules; no list narrows it.
What deer tags work on Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area?
It is in Dane (Southern Farmland). This year the antlerless quota is 5,200.
How hard is a bear permit for Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area?
Zone F; hounds may not be used there.
Which zone do I apply for to hunt turkeys at Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area?
Zone 2. Success in 2025 was 22%.
Which goose zone is Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area in?
Ducks follow the Southern zone, Canada geese the Southern zone. Opening day for Southern Zone ducks is Oct 3.
Can I bait deer at Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area?
No bait or feed in Dane County. The county list for CWD includes Dane County.
When does orange apply at Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area?
Pink counts the same as orange: 50% above the waist in firearm deer seasons.
Does a Hook Lake Bog 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.
What paperwork does Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area need?
Gun deer ($24), archer ($24) or small game ($18) for residents; nonresident gun deer is $200.
Which public land sits closest to Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area?
Hook Lake Bog – Grass Lake Wildlife Area (1 mile), Island Lake Waterfowl Production Area (2 miles) and Gadwall Swamp Waterfowl Production Area (3 miles), each with a page here.
Is Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area DNR, county or federal ground?
A DNR-owned State Natural Area; the manager is the Wisconsin DNR.
Is Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area a big property?
527 acres in the source data.
Which town works as a base for Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area?
Dane County; Oregon, the nearest town we cover, is 3 miles away.
Signing off on Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area
Gates, refuges and open areas at Hook Lake Bog State Natural Area are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
Sources for this page: DNR: HookLakeBog · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Susan Young (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Dave Williss (CC BY 2.0).