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Chippewa County · State natural area
Hunting at Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area, 391 acres in Chippewa County: zones and tags, property rules, county harvest and the land nearby.
Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp ยท 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 3.2 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.
Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area on one card
Hunters reach Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area in Chippewa County; it is a DNR-owned State Natural Area. This is west-central Wisconsin, in the DNR West Central Region. Day-to-day it is in the hands of the Wisconsin DNR. Measured at 391 acres, it comes in 156th of 449 state natural areas. SNA number: 616. Location by survey: T31N-R6W, Sections 7, 8. Holcombe is the nearest town with a guide on this site, about 3 miles away; the land lies southwest of it. It sits within Brunet Island State Park.
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 Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
Zones that take in Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area is Northern Forest deer country, unit DMU 110. Antlerless quota, 2026: 1,765. 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 Chippewa County. Leave the corn at home; Chippewa County bans deer baiting.
Antlerless tags near Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
| Unit | Zone | Quota 2026 | Bonus, public | Bonus, private | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 110 | Northern Forest | 1,765 | 421 | 6,419 | — |
Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area: 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 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.
How the DNR describes Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
The managing agency's own text.
Located along the Chippewa and Fisher Rivers, Jean Brunet Woods features a northern mesic forest approaching old-growth status interspersed with ephemeral ponds. The forest is mostly hemlock hardwoods with white oak, red oak, basswood, and paper birch. Large, red oak (some over 30 inches in diameter) dominates the majority of the forest with scattered pockets of hemlock, sugar maple, and ephemeral wetlands. Ironwood, musclewood, sugar maple, and red maple dominate the mid-story canopy with leatherwood also present.
The ground layer is patchy but is rich and diverse as one travels north and east. Species include maidenhair fern, red baneberry, wild sarsaparilla, yellow blue bead lily, Canada bunchberry, both Hepatica species, shining club-moss, partridgeberry, naked miterwort, wood sorrel, round-leaved pyrola, bloodroot, nodding trillium, and American starflower. Forested ephemeral ponds support fowl manna grass, marsh marigold, cinnamon fern, and jewelweed. Notable birds include the black-throated green warbler, hermit thrush, northern waterthrush, blackburnian warbler, mourning warbler, and scarlet tanager.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
What Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area requires of hunters
Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area access terms
On DNR-owned natural area land you may hunt and trap unless signs say otherwise; NR 45 bars camping, vehicles, drones and plant collecting.
The rule book on Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
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 Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
A gun deer or archery license comes with a buck authorization; antlerless deer on this land need a public-access authorization.
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.
Where Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area sits in the larger property
Brunet Island State Park takes in Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area and 0 other units.
What hunters pursue at Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
Nothing narrows the game at Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area; all open seasons apply as long as the property rules are followed.
The Chippewa County season table below has 42 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.
Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area: opening and closing days
From bear baiting in September to the last spring turkey period, 42 season segments apply to Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area.
| 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 | Metro sub-unit gun | Metro sub-unit: Eau Claire | 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, Chippewa | 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/A | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone C/E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D/A | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone D/A | 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.
Chippewa County harvest near Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
Deer registered in the Chippewa County unit, 2025: 6,315. The decade peaked at 6,783 in 2022 and bottomed at 4,095 in 2016. Through Oct. 19, 2026: 141 antlered and 172 antlerless in DMU 110 (preliminary). CWD year 2025 brought 162 Chippewa County samples and 0 positives. Running total since 1999: 2,024 tested. The 2025 bear count for Chippewa County was 127. No harvest is published for Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area itself, so the county unit is the finest level.
Registered deer in the Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area county unit
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,776 | 3,539 | 6,315 |
| 2024 | 3,070 | 3,552 | 6,622 |
| 2023 | 2,615 | 3,007 | 5,622 |
| 2022 | 3,201 | 3,582 | 6,783 |
| 2021 | 3,000 | 3,171 | 6,171 |
| 2020 | 2,940 | 3,533 | 6,473 |
CWD tests in Chippewa County
| CWD year | Wild deer sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 162 | 0 |
| 2024 | 105 | 1 |
| 2023 | 115 | 0 |
| 2022 | 133 | 0 |
| 2021 | 174 | 0 |
Bear numbers near Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
| Year | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 129 | 72 | 57 |
| 2025 | 127 | 65 | 62 |
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 Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area: more places to hunt
The big marker is Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area. Smaller ones are its 10 closest neighbours. The neighbours add 37,363 acres between them.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firth Lake | Ice Age Trail area | 728 | 2.9 mi | west |
| Chippewa | County forest | 34,738 | 3.5 mi | northwest |
| Town of Arthur | Wildlife area | 202 | 5.4 mi | south |
| Plagge Woods | State natural area | 81 | 6.5 mi | north |
| Bob Lake | Habitat area | 40 | 8.4 mi | west |
| Chippewa Moraine Lakes | State natural area | 69 | 9.7 mi | west |
| Old Abe | State trail | 250 | 10 mi | southwest |
| Washington Creek | Wildlife area | 516 | 11 mi | northwest |
| Townline Lake and Woods | State natural area | 700 | 11 mi | west |
| Drywood | Wildlife area | 39 | 11 mi | south |
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.
Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area: nearby towns and businesses
Town pages first, then shops, processors and DNR desks.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holcombe | Chippewa | 2.9 mi | — | 26,943 |
| Jim Falls | Chippewa | 11 mi | — | 6,843 |
| Sheldon | Rusk | 13 mi | 257 | 17,391 |
| Cadott | Chippewa | 16 mi | 1,467 | 4,340 |
County-level hunting pages: Chippewa County.
Shops a short drive from Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
DNR desks closest to Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
Service center for Chippewa County business: DNR Eau Claire 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.
Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area: nearest ranges
About 2 miles separates Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area from Cornell Shooting Range, the nearest public map range. Nearby rod and gun clubs round out the list.
rifle, handgun on file
sporting clays, rifle, archery, 3D archery, air gun on file
sporting clays, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Shooting light at Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area by date
At Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area the offset is 16 minutes (Zone E). 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 | 6:11 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:55 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:16 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:44 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:56 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:15 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:17 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:02 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 E offset of 16 minutes for longitude 91.15 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
What people ask about hunting Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area
Is deer baiting legal near Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
No: Chippewa County bans deer baiting and feeding. Wild deer with CWD are documented in Chippewa County.
What are the waterfowl zones for Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
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 Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
Through GameReg (online, phone or a station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Do I need blaze orange at Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
In any open firearm deer season, wear blaze orange or pink on at least half your coat and cap.
If Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area is full, where next?
Within a short drive: Firth Lake State Ice Age Trail Area (3 miles), Chippewa County Forest (3 miles) and Town of Arthur State Habitat Area (5 miles).
Which Wisconsin license covers Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
Go Wild sells everything needed; antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
Which agency sets the rules on Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
The Wisconsin DNR treats it as a DNR-owned State Natural Area.
Which property holds Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
The parent is Brunet Island State Park.
Where do Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area hunters spend the night?
Start from Holcombe; the land is 3 miles off, in Chippewa County.
What acreage is listed for Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
Roughly 391 acres.
Which DMU takes in Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
Deer unit DMU 110; zone Northern Forest. The 2026 antlerless quota is 1,765 (DMU 110); use a public-access antlerless tag here.
What game is legal on Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area?
Any species in an open season, as long as you follow the property rules.
Which turkey zone is Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area in?
Zone 4, one bird per spring authorization.
Check Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area once more
Refuges, closed areas and park windows at Jean Brunet Woods State Natural Area can shift mid-season; the property page and the DNR map have the current picture.
Sources for this page: DNR: JeanBrunetWoods · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); Dana Beveridge (CC BY 2.0).