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Polk County · State park
Hunting at Interstate Park
Interstate Park, 1,318 acres in Polk County: zones and tags, property rules, county harvest and the land nearby.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Interstate Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Interstate Park
- Parking areaParking · 0.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Summit Peak ParkingParking · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Pothole Trail ParkingParking · 1.1 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.
Interstate Park on one card
Hunters reach Interstate Park in Polk County; it is a state park with hunting in its open areas. This is the Northwoods, in the DNR Northern Region. Day-to-day it is in the hands of the Wisconsin DNR. Measured at 1,318 acres, it comes in 19th of 49 state parks. St. Croix Falls is the nearest town with a guide on this site, about 2 miles away; the land lies southwest of it. Below are the 3 units it contains.
From the source page (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS ACRES field, whole property (hunting only in areas the property hunting map shows open)); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Zones that take in Interstate Park
Interstate Park is Central Farmland deer country, unit Polk. Antlerless quota, 2026: 11,200. The Zone D bear quota for 2026 is 1,100, spread over 3,855 drawn permits. Zone 4 turkey numbers for 2025: 34,997 spring tags, 24% success. Wild deer with CWD have been confirmed in Polk County. Leave the corn at home; Polk County bans deer baiting.
Antlerless tags near Interstate Park
| Unit | Zone | Quota 2026 | Bonus, public | Bonus, private | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 11,200 | 987 | 5,191 | 2 |
Interstate Park: other game zones
| Zone | Detail | Numbers | More | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone D | Hounds allowed | 1,100 target, 3,855 permits | 2 points | 931 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 zone | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Canada goose | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf 6/3 | No harvest | Federal listing |
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.
What Interstate Park requires of hunters
Interstate Park access terms
Hunting runs on the state park calendar: spring from April 1 to the Tuesday closest to May 3, fall from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, and archery on to the Sunday closest to Jan. 6. Park entry requires the vehicle admission pass.
The rule book on Interstate Park
Half of your outer clothing above the waist, and half of your hat, must be blaze orange or pink whenever a firearm deer season is open (waterfowl hunters excepted). Ground blinds need a 144-square-inch orange or pink patch in gun deer seasons on DNR ground. Stands may not damage trees. North of Hwy. 64 they can stay overnight Sept. 1, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027 (two per hunter per county); south of Hwy. 64 they come down daily. Deer and turkeys go into GameReg online or by phone by 5 p.m. the next day.
Go Wild shopping list for Interstate Park
A gun deer or archery license comes with a buck authorization; antlerless deer on this land need a public-access authorization.
Restricted parts of Interstate Park
The DNR closed-areas layer lists 1 zone on Interstate Park. Exception printed most often: Hunting/trapping restrictions apply, check property map(s) at link provided.
| Area | What applies | Dates | Size | NR rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate Park-Iansr | Hunting/trapping Restrictions | See property map link provided | 1,327 | NR 29.089(1m)(b) |
When Interstate Park opens to hunters
| Species | Window | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All open seasons | Spring | April 1 through the Tuesday nearest May 3 (gun and archery hunting, limited trapping, open areas only) | |
| All open seasons | Fall/Winter | Nov. 15-Dec. 15 (gun and archery hunting and trapping in open seasons); archery through the Sunday nearest Jan. 6 | Exceptions for Buckhorn, Big Bay, Blue Mound, Governor Dodge, Rock Island and Tower Hill state parks. |
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.
The parts of Interstate Park
3 units sit inside Interstate Park, 231 acres in total.
| Name | Kind | Counties | Acres | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate Lowland Forest | State natural area | Polk | 124 | — |
| Dalles of the St. Croix River | State natural area | Polk | 87 | — |
| Centennial Bedrock Glade | State natural area | Polk | 20 | — |
What hunters pursue at Interstate Park
Nothing narrows the game at Interstate Park; all open seasons apply as long as the property rules are followed.
The Polk County season table below has 40 dated rows for that reason.
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.
Interstate Park: opening and closing days
From bear baiting in September to the last spring turkey period, 40 season segments apply to Interstate Park.
| Species | Hunt type | Zone or unit | Opening | Closing | 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 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt, Polk | 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 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.
Polk County harvest near Interstate Park
Deer registered in the Polk County unit, 2025: 8,091. The decade peaked at 9,066 in 2016 and bottomed at 7,275 in 2023. Through Oct. 19, 2026: 316 antlered and 447 antlerless in Polk Central Farmland (preliminary). CWD year 2025 brought 340 Polk County samples and 2 positives. Running total since 1999: 3,006 tested. The 2025 bear count for Polk County was 149. No harvest is published for Interstate Park itself, so the county unit is the finest level.
Registered deer in the Interstate Park county unit
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,702 | 4,389 | 8,091 |
| 2024 | 3,564 | 4,408 | 7,972 |
| 2023 | 3,266 | 4,009 | 7,275 |
| 2022 | 3,874 | 5,155 | 9,029 |
| 2021 | 3,584 | 4,434 | 8,018 |
| 2020 | 3,759 | 5,074 | 8,833 |
CWD tests in Polk County
| CWD year | Wild deer sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 32 | 0 |
| 2025 | 340 | 2 |
| 2024 | 265 | 2 |
| 2023 | 252 | 1 |
| 2022 | 174 | 0 |
| 2021 | 170 | 0 |
Bear numbers near Interstate Park
| Year | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 187 | 84 | 103 |
| 2025 | 149 | 91 | 58 |
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.
Around Interstate Park: more places to hunt
The big marker is Interstate Park. Smaller ones are its 10 closest neighbours. The neighbours add 799 acres between them.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix Falls Hatchery | Fishery area | 4 | 1.7 mi | north |
| Osceola Bedrock Glades | State natural area | 24 | 2.8 mi | southwest |
| Osceola Hatchery | Fishery area | 344 | 2.9 mi | south |
| East (Lotus) Lake | Fishery area | 36 | 4.4 mi | southeast |
| Osceola Creek | Wildlife area | 9 | 5.0 mi | southwest |
| Behning Creek | Fishery area | 131 | 5.6 mi | southeast |
| Twin Lake Public Access Eureka | Fishery area | 1 | 9.3 mi | north |
| Balsam Branch | Wildlife area | 174 | 9.4 mi | east |
| Steffan | WPA | 46 | 9.8 mi | south |
| Farmington | WPA | 30 | 11 mi | south |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS (polygon centroid) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Interstate Park: nearby towns and businesses
Town pages first, then shops, processors and DNR desks.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix Falls | Polk | 2.4 mi | 2,310 | 3,497 |
| Osceola | Polk | 4.9 mi | 2,880 | 5,877 |
| Balsam Lake | Polk | 12 mi | 954 | 3,736 |
| Luck | Polk | 16 mi | 1,064 | 7,158 |
County-level hunting pages: Polk County.
Shops a short drive from Interstate Park
DNR desks closest to Interstate Park
Service center for Polk County business: DNR Spooner 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.
Interstate Park: nearest ranges
About 27 miles separates Interstate Park from Hudson Rod Gun and Archery Club, the nearest public map range. Nearby rod and gun clubs round out the list.
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, skeet on file
trap, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery, shotgun on file
trap, rifle, archery, 3D archery, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Shooting light at Interstate Park by date
At Interstate Park the offset is 20 minutes (Zone F). The times below already include it for both DNR shooting-hours areas.
| Day | Season | North table | South table |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 92.66 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
What people ask about hunting Interstate Park
Which turkey zone is Interstate Park in?
Zone 4, one bird per spring authorization.
Which bear management zone holds Interstate Park?
Bear Zone D. Zone D took 2 preference points in 2026.
Is deer baiting legal near Interstate Park?
No: Polk County bans deer baiting and feeding. Wild deer with CWD are documented in Polk County.
What are the waterfowl zones for Interstate Park?
It sits in the Northern duck and Northern goose zones. In the Northern Zone the regular duck split begins Sep 26.
How do I register a deer from Interstate Park?
Through GameReg (online, phone or a station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Do I need blaze orange at Interstate Park?
In any open firearm deer season, wear blaze orange or pink on at least half your coat and cap.
When can I hunt Interstate Park?
Only during the state park windows: early April to early May, and Nov. 15-Dec. 15 (archery into early January).
Which Wisconsin license covers Interstate Park?
Go Wild sells everything needed; antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
What is inside Interstate Park?
3 parts, each linked above.
If Interstate Park is full, where next?
Within a short drive: St. Croix Falls Hatchery (2 miles), Osceola Bedrock Glades State Natural Area (3 miles) and Osceola Hatchery (3 miles).
What acreage is listed for Interstate Park?
Roughly 1,318 acres.
Which agency sets the rules on Interstate Park?
The Wisconsin DNR treats it as a state park with hunting in its open areas.
What game is legal on Interstate Park?
Any species in an open season, as long as you follow the property rules.
Check Interstate Park once more
Refuges, closed areas and park windows at Interstate Park can shift mid-season; the property page and the DNR map have the current picture.
Sources for this page: DNR: hunt · DNR: interstate · DNR GIS · DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Shenandoah National Park (Public Domain Mark 1.0); seabamirum (CC BY 2.0).