Home › Wisconsin › Public land › Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Jefferson County, Wisconsin
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area: the hunter's file
Deer unit Jefferson and Walworth, bear and turkey zones, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: D.L. (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Nordic TrailsTrailhead · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- John Muir TrailsTrailhead · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 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.
Key facts for Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area is a DNR-owned State Natural Area in Jefferson and Walworth counties. The DNR files it under its South Central Region (south-central Wisconsin). Management sits with the Wisconsin DNR. Acreage: 632, which places it 93rd of 449 state natural areas. Listed as SNA 229. The closest covered town is Palmyra, around 2 miles off as the crow flies. It belongs to Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit.
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 Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area by zone and unit
Deer: Southern Farmland zone, Jefferson and Walworth. 3,000 and 1,900 antlerless deer: the 2026 quota for the units. Bear hunters here apply for Zone F: 764 applied for 2026 and 764 permits went out. In Zone 2 turkey hunters held 51,056 spring tags in 2025 (spring 2027 levels are not out yet). CWD-positive deer have been recorded in Jefferson and Walworth counties; free testing is offered statewide. Baiting and feeding deer are banned in Jefferson and Walworth counties.
DMU figures for Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
| Unit | Deer zone | Quota | Public-access bonus | Private bonus | Farmland per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | Southern Farmland | 3,000 | 700 | 2,500 | 3 |
| Walworth | Southern Farmland | 1,900 | 900 | 1,000 | 2 |
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area zone table
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone F | No dogs | 50 target, 764 permits | 1 point | 27 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey 2 | 51,056 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 11,024 gobblers | 2,500 fall bonus |
| Ruffed grouse B | Oct 17–Dec 8 | 2 a day | ||
| Duck | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| Goose | Southern | Sep 16–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 Dec 19–Jan 2 | ||
| Wolf 6 | No hunt | Endangered status |
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.
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area: the property description
Copied from the official listing.
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening lies in the heart of the jumbled and rugged landscape of the interlobate moraine, an area of glacially-formed kettle holes, kames (conical mounds), and gravelly hills and ridges. The area is a mixture of oak opening and oak woodland dominated by open-grown bur and black oaks. Small dry prairie openings occur on gravel knobs and steep south and west-facing ridges. Bald Bluff, the largest and most diverse of these, contains short grasses such as little blue-stem, side-oats grama, and prairie drop-seed.
Forbs include pasqueflower, silky aster, grooved yellow flax, and rough blazing star. It also has historical significance: it was visited by Abraham Lincoln when he was in the U.S. Army and it is thought to be a Native American signal hill. The best area of oak opening lies southeast of Blue Spring Lake. It features a big blue stem, Indian grass, purple prairie clover, white camass, lead plant, and Illinois tick trefoil. Intensive management, including prescribed fire and woody species removal, is being used to restore degraded portions and link high-quality areas.
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1991.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Access, closures and licenses for Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area: open to whom, and how
Expect open hunting and trapping on the DNR-owned parcels, with no camping, motor vehicles, drones or plant collecting allowed.
Orange, stands and GameReg at Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Bowhunters too: when a gun deer season is on, 50% of the coat and hat must be orange or pink, unless you are hunting waterfowl. A ground blind on DNR property needs 144 sq in of orange or pink during gun deer seasons. South of Hwy. 64 every stand and blind leaves with you; north of it, two portable stands per county may stay out Sept. 1-Jan. 31. Use GameReg (online or 844-426-3734) before 5 p.m. the day after the harvest.
Tags and licenses for Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Licenses sell on Go Wild. On public land, antlerless deer need a public-access authorization for the unit.
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.
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area: parent and sister units
Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit is the parent; 7 more units share it.
More of Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit
| Name | Kind | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Young Prairie | State natural area | Jefferson, Walworth | 806 |
| Bluff Creek | State natural area | Walworth | 296 |
| Clifford F. Messinger Dry Prairie and Savanna Preserve | State natural area | Walworth, Waukesha | 254 |
| Kettle Moraine Low Prairie | State natural area | Waukesha | 250 |
| Scuppernong Prairie | State natural area | Waukesha | 173 |
| Eagle Oak Opening | State natural area | Waukesha | 103 |
| Ottawa Lake Fen | State natural area | Waukesha | 45 |
Which animals Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area lists
The agency names no particular game for Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area: all open seasons apply, within the property rules.
The Jefferson County dates (41 rows) follow.
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.
Which seasons are open in Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Deer dates are statewide in Wisconsin; bear, turkey, grouse, cottontail and waterfowl dates follow zone lines, so only the rows for Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area are listed.
| Species | Season | Where it applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: Jefferson | 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 | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 2 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 2 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 2 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 2 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 2 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 2 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 2 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 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.
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area: county harvest and CWD tests
Hunters registered 3,843 deer in the Jefferson County unit in 2025: 1,772 bucks and 2,071 antlerless. High year on the chart: 2025 at 3,843; low year: 2017 at 2,451. Preliminary 2026 count to Oct. 19: 310 in Jefferson and 213 in Walworth. Jefferson County CWD testing (2025): 16 positives out of 191 samples. Cumulative total 69 positives in 8,499 tests. Harvest and CWD figures cover Jefferson County as a whole.
Jefferson County deer by year
| Year | Buck | Antlerless | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,772 | 2,071 | 3,843 |
| 2024 | 1,757 | 2,059 | 3,816 |
| 2023 | 1,647 | 1,932 | 3,579 |
| 2022 | 1,459 | 1,895 | 3,354 |
| 2021 | 1,440 | 1,627 | 3,067 |
| 2020 | 1,500 | 2,093 | 3,593 |
Testing for CWD, Jefferson County
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 20 | 0 |
| 2025 | 191 | 16 |
| 2024 | 170 | 12 |
| 2023 | 175 | 10 |
| 2022 | 167 | 4 |
| 2021 | 150 | 6 |
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.
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area pinned among its neighbours
Map of Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area and the 10 nearest public places. That is 9,925 acres of public ground.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princes Point | Wildlife area | 3,976 | 4.6 mi | northwest |
| Clover Valley Fen | State natural area | 66 | 6.9 mi | southwest |
| Troy | Wildlife area | 589 | 7.1 mi | southeast |
| Lulu Lake | State natural area | 1,236 | 7.8 mi | east |
| Clover Valley | Wildlife area | 532 | 8.4 mi | southwest |
| Rome Pond | Wildlife area | 2,289 | 8.8 mi | north |
| Texas Island Woods | State natural area | 71 | 9.1 mi | north |
| Kettle Moraine State Forest Mukwonago River Unit | State forest | 985 | 9.2 mi | east |
| Clover Valley State Habitat Area Pr | Habitat area | 103 | 9.5 mi | southwest |
| Beulah Bog | State natural area | 78 | 9.7 mi | east |
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.
Towns, processors and DNR desks near Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a butcher and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmyra | Jefferson | 2.2 mi | 1,719 | 33,877 |
| Lauderdale Lakes | Walworth | 5.3 mi | — | 24,359 |
| Hebron | Jefferson | 6.8 mi | — | 26,966 |
| Whitewater | Walworth | 7.0 mi | 16,076 | 21,395 |
For the wider county picture: Jefferson County, Walworth County.
Venison, mounts and ammo near Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area: agency contacts
County service center: DNR Janesville Service Center (608-743-4800).
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.
Practice before hunting Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
McMiller Sports Center in Waukesha County is the nearest DNR-map range, 4 miles out. Two nearby club ranges follow.
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, sporting clays on file
archery, 3D archery on file
trap, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
First and last legal minute at Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey: 30 minutes before sunrise until 20 minutes after sunset. Ducks, geese, doves and spring turkey: same start, done at sunset.
| Date | Season moment | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 88.60 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Questions hunters raise about Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area
Can I put out corn for deer at Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
Not here: Jefferson and Walworth counties is under the ban. CWD has been found in wild deer in Jefferson and Walworth counties.
How much orange do I wear at Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
During any firearm deer season: 50% of your outer clothing above the waist and 50% of any cap, blaze orange or pink. Waterfowl hunters are exempt.
When must I register a turkey from Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
Deer: online, phone or station by 5 p.m. next day. Turkeys: online or phone only.
Which tags work on Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
No special permit for most of it; buy the license on Go Wild and carry public-access antlerless tags.
Is there other public ground around Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
By straight-line distance: Princes Point Wildlife Area (5 miles), Clover Valley Fen State Natural Area (7 miles) and Troy Wildlife Area (7 miles).
What is the parent of Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
Kettle Moraine State Forest – Southern Unit holds it.
What type of property is Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area on the record?
It is a DNR-owned State Natural Area, managed by the Wisconsin DNR.
What size is Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area on the record?
About 632 acres.
What is the nearest town to Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
Base in Palmyra, 2 miles away; the ground is in Jefferson and Walworth counties.
Which species are allowed at Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
There is no species list. Any season open in the county works here within the rules.
What is the antlerless quota at Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
Jefferson and Walworth, part of the Southern Farmland zone. Antlerless goal for 2026: 3,000 and 1,900.
Which bear permit zone holds Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area?
F. You need a Class A license from the drawing.
How many turkey permits go to the Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area zone?
Turkey Zone 2. 51,056 spring tags were issued there in 2025.
Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area: one more look before the drive
Signs on the ground beat any web page. Read the posted boundaries at Kettle Moraine Oak Opening State Natural Area when you arrive.
Sources for this page: DNR: KettleMoraineOakOpening · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: GlacierNPS (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USDAgov (Public domain).