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Pierce County · Wildlife area
Hunting at Manion Wildlife Area
Manion Wildlife Area, 158 acres in Pierce County: pheasants and raccoons, foxes and coyotes, zones and tags, property rules, county harvest and the land nearby.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Manion Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Manion Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 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.
Manion Wildlife Area on one card
Hunters reach Manion Wildlife Area in Pierce County; it is a DNR state wildlife 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 158 acres, it comes in 197th of 285 state wildlife areas. Hudson is the nearest town with a guide on this site, about 10 miles away; the land lies south of it.
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.
Zones that take in Manion Wildlife Area
Manion Wildlife Area is Central Farmland deer country, unit Pierce. Antlerless quota, 2026: 4,500. The Zone E bear quota for 2026 is 185, spread over 2,628 drawn permits. Zone 4 turkey numbers for 2025: 34,997 spring tags, 24% success. Wild deer with CWD have been confirmed in Pierce County. Leave the corn at home; Pierce County bans deer baiting.
Antlerless tags near Manion Wildlife Area
| Unit | Zone | Quota 2026 | Bonus, public | Bonus, private | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce | Central Farmland | 4,500 | 299 | 1,396 | 2 |
| Pierce County Metro Sub-Unit | Metro unit | With parent | 50 | 50 | 2 |
Manion Wildlife Area: other game zones
| Zone | Detail | Numbers | More | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone E | No hounds | 185 target, 2,628 permits | 1 point | 128 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 | 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 Manion Wildlife Area
The managing agency's own text.
Manion Wildlife Area is a 158-acre property in northwestern Pierce County. The property was donated to the DNR in 2010 by the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust, in cooperation with the Kinnickinnic Chapter of Pheasants Forever, to be managed as a state wildlife area. The property consists of restored grasslands, an oak savanna and central hardwoods habitat. Manion Wildlife Area is located 3 miles west of River Falls on the south side of County Highway FF, where a parking lot allows for easy access to the property.
Hunting notes printed for Manion Wildlife Area
- The property is managed to provide opportunities for public hunting, trapping, wildlife observation and other nature-based outdoor recreation.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
What Manion Wildlife Area requires of hunters
Manion Wildlife Area access terms
Public hunting and trapping run on the statewide calendar; refuges and closed areas are posted, and the NR 45 code covers everything else.
The rule book on Manion Wildlife 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 Manion Wildlife Area
A gun deer or archery license comes with a buck authorization; antlerless deer on this land need a public-access authorization.
Restricted parts of Manion Wildlife Area
The DNR closed-areas layer lists 3 zones on Manion Wildlife Area. Exception printed most often: Except gun and muzzleloader deer, retrieval of legally killed or crippled game in posted zones.
| Area | What applies | Dates | Size | NR rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peterkin Pond | Year-round game refuge | Jan 1–Dec 31 | 127 | NR 11.02(5)(a) |
| Peat Lake State Natural Area | No entry wildlife refuge | SEP 1–DEC 31 | 169 | NR 11.05(1)(a) |
| Dover | No entry wildlife refuge | SEP 1–DEC 31 | 86 | NR 11.05(3)(a) |
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.
What hunters pursue at Manion Wildlife Area
Species the agency lists here: pheasants and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
Pheasant
Furbearers
Unlisted species follow the Pierce County dates below, subject to the property rules.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Manion Wildlife Area: opening and closing days
From bear baiting in September to the last spring turkey period, 47 season segments apply to Manion Wildlife 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: Hudson | 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: Pierce | 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 E | Sep 9, 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 | |
| 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 | Northern Duck Zone | Sep 26, 2026 | Nov 24, 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 | Northern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 1) | Southern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 1) | Mississippi River Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Southern Goose Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Mississippi River Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| 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.
Pierce County harvest near Manion Wildlife Area
Deer registered in the Pierce County unit, 2025: 4,366. The decade peaked at 4,534 in 2020 and bottomed at 3,718 in 2023. Through Oct. 19, 2026: 119 antlered and 196 antlerless in Pierce (preliminary). CWD year 2025 brought 123 Pierce County samples and 2 positives. Running total since 1999: 1,247 tested. The 2025 bear count for Pierce County was 7. No harvest is published for Manion Wildlife Area itself, so the county unit is the finest level.
Registered deer in the Manion Wildlife Area county unit
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,950 | 2,416 | 4,366 |
| 2024 | 1,753 | 2,013 | 3,766 |
| 2023 | 1,553 | 2,165 | 3,718 |
| 2022 | 1,841 | 2,446 | 4,287 |
| 2021 | 1,740 | 2,133 | 3,873 |
| 2020 | 1,963 | 2,571 | 4,534 |
CWD tests in Pierce County
| CWD year | Wild deer sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 123 | 2 |
| 2024 | 140 | 2 |
| 2023 | 57 | 0 |
| 2022 | 59 | 0 |
| 2021 | 72 | 0 |
Bear numbers near Manion Wildlife Area
| Year | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
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 Manion Wildlife Area: more places to hunt
The big marker is Manion Wildlife Area. Smaller ones are its 10 closest neighbours. The neighbours add 6,084 acres between them.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinnickinnic | State park | 1,349 | 2.6 mi | west |
| Kinnickinnic River Gorge and Delta | State natural area | 88 | 3.1 mi | west |
| Kinnickinnic River | Fishery area | 1,253 | 6.1 mi | east |
| Ray Morrison Memorial | Wildlife area | 65 | 8.8 mi | east |
| Clay Corners | Wildlife area | 149 | 10 mi | east |
| Clapp | WPA | 239 | 11 mi | north |
| Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area | Habitat area | 1 | 11 mi | northeast |
| Kinnickinnic Wet Prairie | State natural area | 45 | 12 mi | northeast |
| Willow River | State park | 2,857 | 14 mi | north |
| Risberg | WPA | 38 | 15 mi | northeast |
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.
Manion Wildlife Area: nearby towns and businesses
Town pages first, then shops, processors and DNR desks.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson | St. Croix | 10.0 mi | 15,031 | 6,712 |
| Ellsworth | Pierce | 12 mi | 3,341 | 595 |
| Houlton | St. Croix | 17 mi | — | 6,454 |
| Somerset | St. Croix | 21 mi | 3,382 | 12,025 |
County-level hunting pages: Pierce County.
Shops a short drive from Manion Wildlife Area
DNR desks closest to Manion Wildlife Area
Service center for Pierce 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.
Manion Wildlife Area: nearest ranges
About 10 miles separates Manion Wildlife Area from Bill's Gun Shop and Range Hudson, the nearest public map range. Nearby rod and gun clubs round out the list.
rifle, handgun on file
trap, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Shooting light at Manion Wildlife Area by date
At Manion Wildlife Area 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 92.70 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
What people ask about hunting Manion Wildlife Area
Which agency sets the rules on Manion Wildlife Area?
The Wisconsin DNR treats it as a DNR state wildlife area.
If Manion Wildlife Area is full, where next?
Within a short drive: Kinnickinnic State Park (3 miles), Kinnickinnic River Gorge and Delta State Natural Area (3 miles) and Kinnickinnic River Fishery Area (6 miles).
Where do Manion Wildlife Area hunters spend the night?
Start from Hudson; the land is 10 miles off, in Pierce County.
What acreage is listed for Manion Wildlife Area?
Roughly 158 acres.
Which DMU takes in Manion Wildlife Area?
Deer unit Pierce; zone Central Farmland. The 2026 antlerless quota is 4,500 (Pierce); use a public-access antlerless tag here.
Which species are hunted on Manion Wildlife Area?
Listed: pheasants and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
Which turkey zone is Manion Wildlife Area in?
Zone 4, one bird per spring authorization.
Which bear management zone holds Manion Wildlife Area?
Bear Zone E. Zone E took 1 preference point in 2026.
Is deer baiting legal near Manion Wildlife Area?
No: Pierce County bans deer baiting and feeding. Wild deer with CWD are documented in Pierce County.
What are the waterfowl zones for Manion Wildlife 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 Manion Wildlife Area?
Through GameReg (online, phone or a station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Do I need blaze orange at Manion Wildlife Area?
In any open firearm deer season, wear blaze orange or pink on at least half your coat and cap.
Is all of Manion Wildlife Area open to hunting?
Yes, 3 of them, shown in the rules section.
Check Manion Wildlife Area once more
Refuges, closed areas and park windows at Manion Wildlife Area can shift mid-season; the property page and the DNR map have the current picture.
Sources for this page: DNR: Manion · DNR GIS · DNR: alpha · DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).