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Wildlife area, the Northwoods
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area hunting notes
5,545 acres of wildlife area in Polk County, with 2026-27 zones, quotas, rules, CWD testing and a map.
Photo: Aaron Carlson (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 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.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area, by its record
Count McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area among the state wildlife areas of Polk County. It falls in the DNR Northern Region, the Northwoods. The Wisconsin DNR manages the land. By size (5,545 acres) it is number 26 among 285 state wildlife areas on our list. Head southeast from Lewis for about 7 miles. 1 smaller unit sit inside it, each with its own page.
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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
Zone lines at McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
Deer rules follow the Central Farmland zone and Polk. For 2026 the antlerless quota stands at 11,200. In Bear Zone D the DNR drew 3,855 permits for a target of 1,100 bears; drawn hunters needed 2 points. Turkey Zone 4: 34,997 spring authorizations in 2025 and 24% hunter success. Polk County is on the CWD list: a positive wild deer has been found. Deer may not be baited or fed in Polk County.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area deer management units
| DMU | Zone | 2026 antlerless | Public bonus | Private bonus | Free per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 11,200 | 987 | 5,191 | 2 |
Bear, turkey, grouse and waterfowl lines through McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear D | Hound hunting | 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 |
| Grouse A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Ducks | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Canada geese | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf zone 3 | Closed | Federal protection |
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.
Hunting McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area within the rules
Who may hunt McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
It works like other DNR wildlife ground: statewide seasons, regular licenses, posted closures and NR 45 property rules.
Statewide rules that reach McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
Wisconsin asks for 50% blaze orange or fluorescent pink above the waist in firearm deer seasons, archers included, waterfowlers not. Ground blinds on DNR land in a firearm deer season show at least 144 square inches of solid orange or pink, visible from all sides. Unattended stands carry your name or customer ID; they may be left out north of State Hwy. 64 (up to two per county), never south of it. Registration through GameReg closes at 5 p.m. on the day after recovery.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area license list
Residents often take the Conservation Patron, which bundles the hunting licenses. Antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
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.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area: the game on record
The source names whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse and raccoons, foxes and coyotes for McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area.
White-tailed deer
Black bear
Wild turkey
Ruffed grouse
Furbearers
Every other open season that reaches Polk County applies too, within the property rules.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area hunting dates, fall 2026 to spring 2027
20 species and 40 segments reach McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area. The last column compares each one with today.
| Quarry | Season | Zone | From | To | Status 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, 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.
The land at McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
This is the agency description, quoted.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area is a 5,497-acre property in Polk County. It consists of rolling upland aspen, oak, and maple forest, lowland forest, trout streams, lakes, tamarack/black spruce bog and spruce plantation. McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area is 1/2 mile south of Clam Falls. There are access points on 60th and 68th streets, off of Highway I. From Frederic, take Highway W east for 8 miles. The property is north and south of Highway W. From Luck, take Highway 48 east for 8 miles to Highway O. Head north for 2 miles and the property is on the north side of Highway O. There are small gravel parking areas at various locations throughout the property.
Hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing opportunities on this property are endless. Enjoy hiking the Ice Age trail that goes through this area along with the snowmobile trail. This wildlife area is huge, but visitors will have no trouble finding areas to recreate where they can be by themselves and enjoy nature. Also, there are small pull-off areas behind gates for disabled hunters to access with a vehicle. Note: No bikes are allowed on the property, except on roads open to the public for motor vehicles.
The hunting sentence for McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
- The area is popular with hunters, especially ruffed grouse and deer hunters.
- Hunting (noted for deer, bear, grouse and turkey)
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area, unit by unit
The 1 parts of McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area total 160 acres.
| Page | Type | County | Acres | Listed game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tula Lake | State natural area | Polk | 160 | — |
Deer, bears and CWD around McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
Last full season (2025) the Polk County unit gave up 8,091 deer. Since 2016 the yearly total has ranged from 7,275 (2023) to 9,066 (2016). So far in 2026 (preliminary, Oct. 19): Polk Central Farmland 763 deer. In CWD year 2025, 340 Polk County deer were tested and 2 came back positive. Since 1999: 3,006 sampled, 5 positive. Bear hunters registered 149 bears in Polk County in 2025. Property-level harvest does not exist for McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area; county numbers stand in.
Deer table, Polk County
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 results near McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
| CWD year | Sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 32 | 0 |
| 2025 | 340 | 2 |
| 2024 | 265 | 2 |
| 2023 | 252 | 1 |
| 2022 | 174 | 0 |
| 2021 | 170 | 0 |
Bear table, Polk County
| Season | Total bears | 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.
Where McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area hunters stay and shop
Every town listed has a hunting guide of its own on this site.
| Town | County | Distance | Population | Public ground (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis | Polk | 7.1 mi | — | 20,655 |
| Frederic | Polk | 8.2 mi | 1,141 | 9,929 |
| Luck | Polk | 9.4 mi | 1,064 | 7,158 |
| Siren | Burnett | 10 mi | 927 | 18,217 |
County hunting overviews: Polk County.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area: businesses in the area
Offices that answer for McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
Polk County is served by the 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.
The closest public land to McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area is the large pin, with 10 neighbours around it. Their acreage adds up to 22,852.
| Property | Type | Acres | Straight line | Which way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | County forest | 17,183 | 2.5 mi | southeast |
| Pickerel Lake | Fishery area | 9 | 5.2 mi | south |
| Straight River | Wildlife area | 1,499 | 5.5 mi | west |
| Tunnel Channel Woods | State natural area | 457 | 5.6 mi | southwest |
| Straight Lake Wilderness | State park | 1,631 | 6.4 mi | southwest |
| Straight Lake Tamarack Fen | State natural area | 85 | 6.8 mi | west |
| Sand Creek (Polk and Burnett Counties) | Fishery area | 1,435 | 7.2 mi | northeast |
| Bone Lake (Remnant) | Fishery area | 58 | 7.6 mi | southwest |
| Big Round Lake (Remnant) | Fishery area | 36 | 7.8 mi | south |
| Clam Lake | Wildlife area | 459 | 9.3 mi | north |
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) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
DNR shooting hours for McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area
Wisconsin prints its shooting hours as tables. For deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey the day runs from 30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset; migratory birds and spring turkey stop at sunset.
| When | Event | North | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 92.29 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area: nearest ranges
Owen-Anderson Rifle Range in Barron County is the nearest DNR-map range, 25 miles out. Nearby club or private ranges are shown too.
rifle on file
sporting clays, shotgun on file
trap, skeet, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area: the questions that come up
In which Wisconsin county is McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
Lewis is closest (7 miles); the property is in Polk County.
How many acres does McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area cover?
5,545 acres, per WI DNR Managed Lands GIS ACRES field, sum of parcels open to hunting.
Can I shoot antlerless deer on McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
Central Farmland zone; unit Polk. 11,200 antlerless deer is the 2026 quota.
Which animals are listed at McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
5 groups on the list: whitetails, black bears, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
What turkey tag do I need for McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
Your spring tag must be for Zone 4 and a period A-F.
What are the bear rules around McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
It is in Bear Zone D, target 1,100 bears in 2026.
Does the baiting ban cover McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
Banned in Polk County. Polk County has had CWD-positive wild deer.
Which duck and goose zones cover McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
Use the Northern duck dates and the Northern goose dates. Regular duck hunting in the Northern Zone starts Sep 26.
Is there a check station for McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
Use GameReg online or call 844-426-3734 by 5 p.m. the day after.
What does the orange rule mean at McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
Yes, 50% orange or pink above the waist from the youth deer hunt through the Holiday Hunt.
Which properties are close to McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
Nearest on the list: Polk County Forest (3 miles), Pickerel Lake Public Access (5 miles) and Straight River Wildlife Area (6 miles).
How do I get permission to hunt McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
A regular Wisconsin license from Go Wild (gun deer $24 for residents); antlerless deer need a public-access tag.
Whose property is McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area?
The Wisconsin DNR oversees this DNR state wildlife area.
McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area: confirm on the ground
A last look before the drive: the McKenzie Creek Wildlife Area map, your Go Wild licenses and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: DNR: Mckenziecreek · DNR GIS · DNR: alpha; 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); Virginia State Parks staff (CC BY 2.0).