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Iron County · State natural area
Hunting at Moose Lake State Natural Area
Moose Lake State Natural Area, 4,293 acres in Iron County: zones and tags, property rules, county harvest and the land nearby.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Moose Lake State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Moose Lake State Natural Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 1.6 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.
Moose Lake State Natural Area on one card
Hunters reach Moose Lake State Natural Area in Iron County; it is a DNR-owned State Natural Area. This is the Northwoods, in the DNR Northern Region. Day-to-day it is in the hands of the Wisconsin DNR. Measured at 4,293 acres, it comes in 6th of 449 state natural areas. SNA number: 124. Location by survey: T43N-R2E, Sections 2, 3, 10, 11, 14, 22, 23, 26, 27. Mercer is the nearest town with a guide on this site, about 9 miles away; the land lies west of it.
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 Moose Lake State Natural Area
Zones that take in Moose Lake State Natural Area
Moose Lake State Natural Area is Northern Forest deer country, unit DMU 118. Antlerless quota, 2026: 90. The Zone A bear quota for 2026 is 1,100, spread over 1,675 drawn permits. Zone 7 turkey numbers for 2025: 4,401 spring tags, 16% success. Iron County is one of the 12 counties without a baiting ban.
Antlerless tags near Moose Lake State Natural Area
| Unit | Zone | Quota 2026 | Bonus, public | Bonus, private | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 118 | Northern Forest | 90 | 23 | 0 | — |
Moose Lake State Natural Area: other game zones
| Zone | Detail | Numbers | More | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone A | Hounds allowed | 1,100 target, 1,675 permits | 11 points | 1,235 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey 7 | 4,401 spring tags (2025) | 16% success | 726 gobblers | — |
| 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 1 | 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 Moose Lake State Natural Area
The managing agency's own text.
Moose Lake is an exceptional example of a large, undeveloped lake in a wilderness setting. The 270 softwater water drainage lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet and harbors a diversity of emergent and submerged aquatic plants. It drains into the 13-acre Little Moose Lake. The fishery contains mostly northern lake fishes including a reproducing population of muskellunge. While a diversity of wetland communities surround the lake, most of the shoreline is covered by a dense thicket of alder and sweet gale; the remainder is predominantly lowland conifer and hardwoods dominated by black spruce, white cedar and black ash.
The upland forest surrounding the lake has pockets of higher rocky terrain dominated by sugar maple, basswood, paper birch and balsam fir. Sedge hummocks and alder mark the two small inlet streams and the site also harbors pockets of old-growth hemlock, especially to the south. The high canopy, mature timber and numerous decomposing logs on the forest floor give this site a magnificent virgin appearance. Dominant trees are hemlock and yellow birch, some more than 2 feet in diameter at breast height.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
What Moose Lake State Natural Area requires of hunters
Moose Lake 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 Moose Lake 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 Moose Lake 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.
What hunters pursue at Moose Lake State Natural Area
Nothing narrows the game at Moose Lake State Natural Area; all open seasons apply as long as the property rules are followed.
The Iron County season table below has 38 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.
Moose Lake State Natural Area: opening and closing days
From bear baiting in September to the last spring turkey period, 38 season segments apply to Moose Lake 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 | Muzzleloader | Statewide | Nov 30, 2026 | Dec 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | December antlerless hunt | Statewide | Dec 10, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A/B | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A/B | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A/B | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 7 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 7 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 7 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 7 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 7 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 7 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 7 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 7 | 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.
Iron County harvest near Moose Lake State Natural Area
No history before 2025 exists for these forest DMUs, the DNR says. Through Oct. 19, 2026: 47 antlered and 14 antlerless in DMU 118 (preliminary). CWD year 2025 brought 26 Iron County samples and 0 positives. Running total since 1999: 832 tested. The 2025 bear count for Iron County was 106. No harvest is published for Moose Lake State Natural Area itself, so the county unit is the finest level.
Registered deer in the Moose Lake State Natural Area county unit
| Unit | Bucks | Does | Registered 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 118 | 384 | 91 | 475 |
CWD tests in Iron County
| CWD year | Wild deer sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 26 | 0 |
| 2024 | 23 | 0 |
| 2023 | 25 | 0 |
| 2022 | 55 | 0 |
| 2021 | 41 | 0 |
Bear numbers near Moose Lake State Natural Area
| Year | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 104 | 55 | 49 |
| 2025 | 106 | 50 | 56 |
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 Moose Lake State Natural Area: more places to hunt
The big marker is Moose Lake State Natural Area. Smaller ones are its 10 closest neighbours. The neighbours add 245,692 acres between them.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomahawk Timberlands (moose Lake Trct) | Easement land | 3,014 | 2.6 mi | south |
| Iron | County forest | 175,343 | 5.8 mi | north |
| Island Lake Hemlocks | State natural area | 113 | 7.1 mi | northwest |
| Lake Evelyn | State natural area | 303 | 8.2 mi | northeast |
| Great Northern | Easement land | 13,994 | 8.7 mi | northwest |
| Turtle Flambeau Scenic Waters Area | Riverway | 35,736 | 9.1 mi | south |
| Flambeau Wetlands | State natural area | 355 | 9.7 mi | south |
| Twin Lakes | Easement land | 13,991 | 10 mi | northwest |
| Underwood | Wildlife area | 1,553 | 10 mi | northeast |
| Frog Lake and Pines | State natural area | 1,290 | 11 mi | southeast |
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.
Moose Lake State Natural Area: nearby towns and businesses
Town pages first, then shops, processors and DNR desks.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer | Iron | 8.8 mi | — | 111,827 |
| Iron Belt | Iron | 15 mi | — | 90,192 |
| Hurley | Iron | 17 mi | 1,610 | 37,166 |
| Glidden | Ashland | 18 mi | — | 89,026 |
County-level hunting pages: Iron County.
Shops a short drive from Moose Lake State Natural Area
DNR desks closest to Moose Lake State Natural Area
Service center for Iron County business: DNR Woodruff 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.
Moose Lake State Natural Area: nearest ranges
About 13 miles separates Moose Lake State Natural Area from Northwoods Shooting Range, the nearest public map range.
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Shooting light at Moose Lake State Natural Area by date
At Moose Lake State Natural Area the offset is 12 minutes (Zone D). 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 | 6:07 a.m. to 7:39 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:38 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:51 a.m. to 6:33 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:12 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:40 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 6:35 a.m. to 4:52 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:52 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. | 6:47 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:11 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:13 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 4:58 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 D offset of 12 minutes for longitude 90.22 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
What people ask about hunting Moose Lake State Natural Area
Which DMU takes in Moose Lake State Natural Area?
Deer unit DMU 118; zone Northern Forest. The 2026 antlerless quota is 90 (DMU 118); use a public-access antlerless tag here.
What game is legal on Moose Lake State Natural Area?
Any species in an open season, as long as you follow the property rules.
Which turkey zone is Moose Lake State Natural Area in?
Zone 7, one bird per spring authorization.
Which bear management zone holds Moose Lake State Natural Area?
Bear Zone A. Zone A took 11 preference points in 2026.
Is deer baiting legal near Moose Lake State Natural Area?
Baiting is allowed in this county within the 2-gallon limit. The county is not on the CWD list.
What are the waterfowl zones for Moose Lake 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 Moose Lake State Natural Area?
Through GameReg (online, phone or a station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Do I need blaze orange at Moose Lake State Natural Area?
In any open firearm deer season, wear blaze orange or pink on at least half your coat and cap.
If Moose Lake State Natural Area is full, where next?
Within a short drive: Tomahawk Timberlands Conservation Easement (moose Lake Trct) (3 miles), Iron County Forest (6 miles) and Island Lake Hemlocks State Natural Area (7 miles).
Which Wisconsin license covers Moose Lake State Natural Area?
Go Wild sells everything needed; antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
What acreage is listed for Moose Lake State Natural Area?
Roughly 4,293 acres.
Which agency sets the rules on Moose Lake State Natural Area?
The Wisconsin DNR treats it as a DNR-owned State Natural Area.
Where do Moose Lake State Natural Area hunters spend the night?
Start from Mercer; the land is 9 miles off, in Iron County.
Check Moose Lake State Natural Area once more
Refuges, closed areas and park windows at Moose Lake State Natural Area can shift mid-season; the property page and the DNR map have the current picture.
Sources for this page: DNR: MooseLake · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tom Shockey (CC BY 2.0); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0).