Home › Wisconsin › Public land › Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
State natural area, west-central Wisconsin
Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area, a hunter's guide
Who runs it, which deer unit and bear zone cover it, and the public land and towns around it in Pierce County.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
- Parking areaParking · 3.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.6 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.
What the record says about Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
On paper it is a DNR-owned State Natural Area; on the map it is in Pierce County. DNR staff of the West Central Region cover this part of west-central Wisconsin. Manager: the Wisconsin DNR. Its 58 acres rank 375th of the 449 Wisconsin state natural areas with an acreage on file. In the natural areas program it is site 205, T25N-R16W, Section 34. From Ellsworth, our closest town page, it is roughly 12 miles to the southeast.
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 Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area in the agency's words
Unedited text from the official page.
The second largest dry prairie in the west central region, Morgan Coulee Prairie extends for over a half-mile along a steep, south-facing bluff in a coulee opening onto the Rush River valley. The large expanse of relatively undisturbed dry prairie is broken up with scattered islands of bur oak savanna dominated by open-grown, gnarly oaks and shallow wooded draws. Limestone outcrops are scattered about the area and support a community of lichens and ferns. Dominant grasses include big and little blue-stem, side-oats and hairy grama, Indian grass, needle grass, prairie drop-seed, and several muhly types of grass.
The forbs are equally diverse, highlighted by showy species such as asters, milkweeds, white and purple prairie-clover, blazing-star, Great Plains lady's-tresses, and prairie larkspur. Wild bergamot, bastard toadflax, and western sunflower are found under the oaks. Much of the prairie is remarkably free of shrubs; those present include hazelnut, bittersweet, smooth sumac, and dogwoods. At the bluff is a southern dry oak forest. Morgan Coulee Prairie is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1986.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area rules and licenses
Access rules at Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
State Natural Area rules: hunt and trap where not posted, but no camping, no vehicles, no drones and no collecting plants.
State law on Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
Orange or pink, 50% above the waist and 50% of the head covering, is the rule while gun deer seasons run; duck and goose hunters are exempt. Gun-season ground blinds on DNR property display 144 sq in of orange or pink from every direction. No screw-in steps or cut shooting lanes on DNR land. Overnight stands are legal north of Hwy. 64 from Sept. 1 to Jan. 31; south of it, remove them every day. By 5 p.m. the following day, register the deer on GameReg (online, phone or station).
Which licenses Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area needs
Get licenses on Go Wild or at an agent. Antlerless tags are unit-specific and labelled public or private land.
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.
Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area: DMU, bear zone and turkey zone
Deer management: Pierce, Central Farmland zone. The Natural Resources Board set 4,500 antlerless deer as the 2026 quota there. Bear Zone E has a 2026 harvest target of 185 with 2,628 Class A permits drawn; it took 1 preference point to win one. Spring turkey tags are sold for Zone 4; the DNR issued 34,997 there in 2025, the newest level published. Chronic wasting disease has turned up in wild deer in Pierce County; DNR testing is free and voluntary statewide. The deer baiting ban covers Pierce County.
Deer units that cover Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
| Deer unit | Zone | Antlerless goal | Public tags left | Private tags left | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce | Central Farmland | 4,500 | 299 | 1,396 | 2 |
Zones beyond deer for Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear E | Dogs barred | 185 target, 2,628 permits | 1 point | 128 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey zone 4 | 34,997 spring tags (2025) | 24% success | 8,472 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse zone A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| Goose zone | Southern | Sep 16–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 Dec 19–Jan 2 | ||
| Wolf zone 6 | No season | Listed endangered |
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.
Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area: species with bag limits
The record lists no species. Every season open in Pierce County works here within the rules above.
That makes the Pierce County calendar (47 rows) the one to read.
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.
Season dates that cover Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area sits in the Central Farmland deer zone. These 47 rows are the dated hunting segments the DNR schedule puts there, from the September archery opener into spring turkey.
| Game | Season | Applies in | Begins | Through | Right 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.
Public property near Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
The large pin is Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area; the others are the 10 closest public properties. Together they hold 3,281 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush River Delta | State natural area | 400 | 3.4 mi | south |
| Pine Creek (Remnant) | Fishery area | 107 | 5.0 mi | south |
| Pine Creek | Fishery area | — | 5.2 mi | southeast |
| Bay City Mine | State natural area | 48 | 6.1 mi | west |
| Plum Creek Watershed | DNR property | 748 | 6.5 mi | northeast |
| Maiden Rock Bluff | State natural area | 263 | 7.6 mi | south |
| Plum Creek Woods | State natural area | 79 | 7.7 mi | northeast |
| Lake Pepin | Wildlife area | 250 | 10 mi | south |
| Pierce County Islands | Wildlife area | 1,272 | 10 mi | west |
| Trenton Bluff Prairie | State natural area | 114 | 11 mi | west |
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.
How the land around Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area hunts, by the numbers
Pierce County hunters registered 4,366 deer in 2025, 1,950 of them bucks. Totals swing between 3,718 and 4,534 across the years charted. 2026 so far, still changing: Pierce, 315. CWD sampling in Pierce County, CWD year 2025: 123 wild deer sampled, 2 positive. Overall: 1,247 samples and 4 positives. Pierce County: 7 bears in 2025. The DNR reports deer by unit, not by property: read these as the Pierce County picture.
Pierce County bucks and antlerless
| Year | Bucks | 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 |
Pierce County CWD sampling
| Year | Sampled | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 123 | 2 |
| 2024 | 140 | 2 |
| 2023 | 57 | 0 |
| 2022 | 59 | 0 |
| 2021 | 72 | 0 |
Pierce County bears
| Year | Bears registered | 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.
Closest public range to Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
No range sits on Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area; the nearest on the DNR public range map is Pierce County Public Range, about 14 miles away. Nearby club or private ranges are shown too.
rifle on file
trap, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Home bases for a Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area trip
Closest towns, measured as the crow flies, then the businesses around them.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellsworth | Pierce | 12 mi | 3,341 | 595 |
| Arkansaw | Pepin | 14 mi | — | 12,768 |
| Durand | Pepin | 17 mi | 1,873 | 14,689 |
| Nelson | Buffalo | 20 mi | 319 | 20,801 |
Read up on the county: Pierce County.
Taxidermy and supplies for Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area hunters
Phone numbers for Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area questions
The DNR service center listed for Pierce County is DNR Eau Claire Service Center, 715-839-3700.
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.
Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area: legal shooting time, table by date
Big game and small game hunters get 20 minutes after sunset in Wisconsin, not 30. Waterfowl and spring gobbler hunters quit at sunset.
| Date | Hunt | Northern Area hours | Southern Area hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 92.31 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Straight answers on Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area
Which deer management unit holds Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area?
The Central Farmland zone, Pierce. Quota for 2026: 4,500 antlerless.
Is bear hunting possible at Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area?
Zone E; hound hunting is not allowed there.
Can I turkey hunt Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area in spring?
Zone 4; 2025 saw 8,472 birds registered in the zone.
When can I hunt ducks at Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area?
Southern for ducks, Southern for geese. The regular Southern Zone duck season opens Oct 3.
Has CWD turned up in the county around Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area?
The deer baiting ban applies in Pierce County. CWD: yes, in Pierce County.
Is blaze pink legal at Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area?
Orange or pink, half of the upper clothing, whenever a gun deer season runs (not for waterfowl).
Where do I register game taken on Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area?
Register on GameReg by 5 p.m. the next day; the confirmation number starts with W.
Is there a separate permit for Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area?
The standard license for your game; no landowner permission on public ground.
Which public properties lie near Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area?
Three to try: Rush River Delta State Natural Area (3 miles), Pine Creek Fishery Area (Remnant) (5 miles) and Pine Creek Fishery Area (5 miles).
How is Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area classified?
DNR-owned State Natural Area, under the Wisconsin DNR.
How much land is in Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area?
It covers 58 acres by the recorded figure.
Where in the state does Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area lie?
Pierce County holds it, 12 miles from Ellsworth.
Does Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area limit which species I hunt?
No species list is published, so every open season applies under the property rules.
Last checks on Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area before you go
Treat this page as a starting point: the manager of Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area has the final say on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: DNR: MorganCouleePrairie · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Rick Obst (CC BY 2.0); Department of the Interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Conservation Training Center. 10/1997-8888 (Public domain).