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Grant County, Wisconsin
Mount Hope Conservation Area: the hunter's file
Deer unit Grant, bear and turkey zones, closures, licenses and the nearest towns and services.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Mount Hope Conservation Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Mount Hope Conservation Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.9 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 Mount Hope Conservation Area
Mount Hope Conservation Area is a DNR state wildlife area in Grant County. The DNR files it under its South Central Region (south-central Wisconsin). Management sits with the Wisconsin DNR. Acreage: 200, which places it 188th of 285 state wildlife areas. Without a mapped point, this page uses the centre of Grant County for every distance (Lancaster is nearest).
From the source page (DNR property page (200-acre)); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Mount Hope Conservation Area
Mount Hope Conservation Area by zone and unit
Deer: Southern Farmland zone, Grant. 6,500 antlerless deer: the 2026 quota for the unit. In Zone 1 turkey hunters held 64,574 spring tags in 2025 (spring 2027 levels are not out yet). CWD-positive deer have been recorded in Grant County; free testing is offered statewide. Baiting and feeding deer are banned in Grant County.
DMU figures for Mount Hope Conservation Area
| Unit | Deer zone | Quota | Public-access bonus | Private bonus | Farmland per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant | Southern Farmland | 6,500 | 750 | 3,000 | 2 |
Mount Hope Conservation Area zone table
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey 1 | 64,574 spring tags (2025) | 21% success | 13,813 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Ruffed grouse B | Oct 17–Dec 8 | 2 a day | ||
| Duck | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| 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.
Mount Hope Conservation Area: the property description
Copied from the official listing.
Mount Hope Conservation Area is a 200-acre property located in Grant County. The property is comprised of mostly forest land and some small open fields. The property contains a large 4 cubic feet per second (CFS) (high flow) natural spring that feeds into the Little Green River. This spring is a great source of perennial cold water that's thermally stable and is great for brown trout populations. This property was originally home to a trout rearing pond but the DNR and Trout Unlimited worked together to discontinue the pond to reestablish the original natural river channel and restore connectivity to the Little Green River.
Mount Hope Conservation Area can be located 4 miles north of Mount Hope on Highway 133. The property is primarily managed by the Wisconsin DNR's forestry division.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Access, closures and licenses for Mount Hope Conservation Area
Mount Hope Conservation Area: open to whom, and how
Open to public hunting and trapping in state seasons with the right Wisconsin licenses. Posted refuges and closed areas are off limits, and the NR 45 state land rules apply.
Orange, stands and GameReg at Mount Hope Conservation 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 Mount Hope Conservation 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.
Which animals Mount Hope Conservation Area lists
Game on the record for Mount Hope Conservation Area: raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
Furbearers
Seasons not named here still apply if they are open in Grant County and the property rules allow.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Which seasons are open in Mount Hope Conservation Area
Deer dates are statewide in Wisconsin; bear, turkey, grouse, cottontail and waterfowl dates follow zone lines, so only the rows for Mount Hope Conservation 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: Grant | 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/E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 1 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 1 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 1 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 1 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 1 | 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 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.
Mount Hope Conservation Area: county harvest and CWD tests
Hunters registered 5,741 deer in the Grant County unit in 2025: 2,728 bucks and 3,013 antlerless. High year on the chart: 2018 at 7,615; low year: 2025 at 5,741. Preliminary 2026 count to Oct. 19: 304 in Grant. Grant County CWD testing (2025): 82 positives out of 396 samples. Cumulative total 621 positives in 9,043 tests. Grant County bear harvest, 2024: 1. Harvest and CWD figures cover Grant County as a whole.
Grant County deer by year
| Year | Buck | Antlerless | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,728 | 3,013 | 5,741 |
| 2024 | 2,760 | 3,254 | 6,014 |
| 2023 | 3,004 | 3,460 | 6,464 |
| 2022 | 2,802 | 3,591 | 6,393 |
| 2021 | 2,884 | 3,516 | 6,400 |
| 2020 | 3,296 | 4,083 | 7,379 |
Testing for CWD, Grant County
| Year | Deer tested | CWD positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 396 | 82 |
| 2024 | 389 | 84 |
| 2023 | 489 | 89 |
| 2022 | 479 | 78 |
| 2021 | 577 | 83 |
Bears by year, Grant County
| Year | Bears | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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.
Mount Hope Conservation Area pinned among its neighbours
No pin for Mount Hope Conservation Area: the DNR gives no point. Distances are from the middle of Grant County. That is 1,763 acres of public ground.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Green River (Remnant) | Fishery area | 2 | 9.8 mi | north |
| Headwaters Little Platte River | Wildlife area | 7 | 13 mi | east |
| Mount Hope Rearing Station | Fishery area | 200 | 13 mi | northwest |
| Castle Rock Creek (Remnant) | Fishery area | 86 | 14 mi | northeast |
| Snow Bottom | State natural area | 592 | 16 mi | northeast |
| Snowden Branch | Wildlife area | 20 | 16 mi | southeast |
| Blue River | Fishery area | 242 | 17 mi | northeast |
| Cassville Bluffs | State natural area | 55 | 17 mi | southwest |
| Woodman Lake Sand Prairie and Dead Lake | State natural area | 286 | 17 mi | north |
| Adiantum Woods | State natural area | 273 | 17 mi | northwest |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (county centre, no point published). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Towns, processors and DNR desks near Mount Hope Conservation Area
Start with a town, then line up a cooler, a butcher and a mount.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | Grant | 1.7 mi | 4,042 | — |
| Wauzeka | Crawford | 18 mi | 620 | 20,549 |
| Boscobel | Grant | 19 mi | 3,265 | 19,396 |
| Highland | Iowa | 20 mi | 869 | 4,261 |
For the wider county picture: Grant County.
Venison, mounts and ammo near Mount Hope Conservation Area
Mount Hope Conservation Area: agency contacts
County service center: DNR Fitchburg Service Center (608-275-3266).
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.
First and last legal minute at Mount Hope Conservation 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 | 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 90.69 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Questions hunters raise about Mount Hope Conservation Area
How much orange do I wear at Mount Hope Conservation 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 Mount Hope Conservation Area?
Deer: online, phone or station by 5 p.m. next day. Turkeys: online or phone only.
Which tags work on Mount Hope Conservation 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 Mount Hope Conservation Area?
By straight-line distance: Big Green River Fishery Area (Remnant) (10 miles), Headwaters Little Platte River State Habitat Area (13 miles) and Mount Hope Rearing Station (13 miles).
What type of property is Mount Hope Conservation Area on the record?
It is a DNR state wildlife area, managed by the Wisconsin DNR.
What size is Mount Hope Conservation Area on the record?
About 200 acres.
What is the nearest town to Mount Hope Conservation Area?
Base in Lancaster, 2 miles away; the ground is in Grant County. Counted from the middle of Grant County.
Which game is named for Mount Hope Conservation Area?
The property record lists raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
What is the antlerless quota at Mount Hope Conservation Area?
Grant, part of the Southern Farmland zone. Antlerless goal for 2026: 6,500.
How many turkey permits go to the Mount Hope Conservation Area zone?
Turkey Zone 1. 64,574 spring tags were issued there in 2025.
What waterfowl dates apply at Mount Hope Conservation Area?
Duck zone: Southern; goose zone: . Southern Zone ducks open Oct 3, 2026-27.
Can I put out corn for deer at Mount Hope Conservation Area?
Not here: Grant County is under the ban. CWD has been found in wild deer in Grant County.
Mount Hope Conservation Area: one more look before the drive
Signs on the ground beat any web page. Read the posted boundaries at Mount Hope Conservation Area when you arrive.
Sources for this page: DNR: mounthope · DNR: alpha · DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: The Hidden Hide with Ray (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0).