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Nine Mile Island State Natural Area hunting guide
Everything we could verify about Nine Mile Island State Natural Area: acreage, zones, property rules, harvest around it and nearby ground.
Photo: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 2.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 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.
The short version on Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
In Pepin and Dunn counties you will find Nine Mile Island State Natural Area, a DNR-owned State Natural Area. On the DNR map it belongs to the West Central Region. The managing body is the Wisconsin DNR. At 1,361 acres it sits 36th by area in a field of 449 state natural areas. It is State Natural Area No. 236, in T25N-R12W, Section 6. T25N-R13W, Sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 14, 15. T26N-R12W, Section 31. T26N-R13W, Sections 35, 36. About 5 miles northeast of Durand.
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 Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
Nine Mile Island State Natural Area, as the managers tell it
Word for word from the property page.
Nine Mile Island is located within an extensive river ecosystem that includes the Chippewa River and Nine Mile Slough and features two high-quality native plant communities – oak barrens and floodplain forest. Most of the island is an extensive floodplain forest of silver maple, river birch, green ash, swamp white oak, elms, hackberry, and yellow bud hickory. Understory species include hop hornbeam, common winterberry and herbs such as cut-leaved coneflower, fox, bur and swollen sedges. On the island's northeast corner the sandy, gravelly soils support excellent oak barrens maintained through the scouring action of floods, and other disturbances, such as fire and grazing.
Canopy trees are mostly Hill's oak along with several bur and red oaks. There are also a few scattered red cedar and white pine. In some areas with 70-80% shading, the ground layer still harbors an excellent and diverse prairie component including cream and white wild indigo, stiff goldenrod, bush-clover, rough blazing-star, prairie thistle, whorled milkweed, and asters.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Nine Mile Island State Natural Area: what is allowed
How access works on Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
Hunters and trappers are welcome on DNR-owned SNA acres unless posted; leave vehicles, drones and tents outside and take no plants.
Nine Mile Island State Natural Area: rules from the regulations
From the October youth hunt through the Holiday Hunt, blaze orange or pink covers half of your upper clothing and cap. Mark a ground blind with 144 square inches of blaze orange or pink while firearm deer seasons run. Tree stands: no tree damage, ID on unattended stands, overnight only north of Hwy. 64 during Sept. 1-Jan. 31. Register deer, turkeys and bears through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
What Nine Mile Island State Natural Area costs in licenses
Buy through Go Wild; the free Farmland tags and bonus tags are marked public-access or private-land, and only public-access ones work here.
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.
Tags and zones for Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
For deer it lies in the Central Farmland zone (Pepin and Dunn). This season the unit quota is 2,500 and 15,000 antlerless deer. Zone E bear permits took 1 preference point in 2026; the target is 185 bears. The 2025 spring level for Turkey Zone 4 was 34,997 authorizations; 8,472 birds were registered. Dunn County: CWD found in wild deer, and a CWD-positive deer earns a replacement authorization. No deer bait or feed: Pepin and Dunn counties are a ban county.
Nine Mile Island State Natural Area: antlerless quota and bonus tags
| Deer unit | Zone | 2026 quota | Public bonus left | Private bonus left | Free farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepin | Central Farmland | 2,500 | 249 | 800 | 2 |
| Dunn | Central Farmland | 15,000 | 492 | 2,993 | 3 |
Every other zone Nine Mile Island State Natural Area touches
| Zone | Detail | Figures | Points or note | Taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bear E | Hounds 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 A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose zone | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Gray wolf zone 6 | No season | Federally listed |
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.
Quarry and limits, Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
Nine Mile Island State Natural Area has no species list on record. Any season open in Pepin County is fair game, subject to the property rules.
Below: 44 season rows for Pepin County.
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.
Nine Mile Island State Natural Area season calendar, 2026-27
Archery, the nine-day gun hunt, muzzleloader, bear, turkey, upland birds, rabbits, furbearers and the duck and goose splits for Nine Mile Island State Natural Area.
| Game | Hunt | Zone | First day | Last day | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 4/1 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 4/1 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 4/1 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 4/1 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 4/1 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 4/1 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 4/1 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 4/1 | 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.
Nearest public ground to Nine Mile Island State Natural Area, mapped
10 more properties lie close to Nine Mile Island State Natural Area, shown with smaller pins. Acres across them: 8,258.
| Neighbour | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunnville | Wildlife area | 4,354 | 3.4 mi | northeast |
| Red Cedar | State trail | 393 | 3.5 mi | north |
| Dunnville Barrens | State natural area | 633 | 4.8 mi | northeast |
| Big Swamp | Wildlife area | 799 | 8.8 mi | southeast |
| Big Swamp Tamarack Fen | State natural area | 354 | 9.1 mi | southeast |
| Rock Falls | Wildlife area | 116 | 11 mi | east |
| Tiffany Bottoms | State natural area | 718 | 12 mi | southwest |
| Rock Creek | WPA | 672 | 12 mi | east |
| Plum Creek Woods | State natural area | 79 | 12 mi | west |
| Cook's Pond | WPA | 140 | 13 mi | north |
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.
Registered deer and bears near Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
The 2025 registered deer total for the Pepin County unit was 2,215 (927 antlered). 2016 was the busiest year shown (2,699 deer) and 2023 the leanest (1,904). The 2026 season to date shows 171 deer in Pepin and 790 deer in Dunn; the DNR calls it preliminary. 61 samples, 0 positive: that is Pepin County in CWD year 2025. All years combined: 0 of 809. 5 bears came out of Pepin County in 2025. These numbers describe the county around Nine Mile Island State Natural Area, not the property alone.
Deer registered near Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
| Year | Bucks registered | Antlerless registered | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 927 | 1,288 | 2,215 |
| 2024 | 884 | 1,236 | 2,120 |
| 2023 | 819 | 1,085 | 1,904 |
| 2022 | 975 | 1,240 | 2,215 |
| 2021 | 911 | 1,117 | 2,028 |
| 2020 | 1,004 | 1,391 | 2,395 |
Pepin County CWD by year
| CWD year | Samples | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 61 | 0 |
| 2024 | 54 | 0 |
| 2023 | 52 | 0 |
| 2022 | 41 | 0 |
| 2021 | 53 | 0 |
Pepin County bear harvest
| Year | Bear harvest | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
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.
Nine Mile Island State Natural Area: nearest ranges
About 8 miles separates Nine Mile Island State Natural Area from Pierce County Public Range, the nearest public map range. Closer club options sit beside it.
sporting clays, 5-stand, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Towns, offices and services around Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
Towns, then services in this county and the next one over.
| Town | County | Distance | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durand | Pepin | 4.5 mi | 1,873 | 14,689 |
| Arkansaw | Pepin | 6.0 mi | — | 12,768 |
| Downsville | Dunn | 6.5 mi | — | 8,528 |
| Rock Falls | Dunn | 11 mi | — | 9,360 |
Our county write-ups: Pepin County, Dunn County.
Butchers, mounts and gun counters near Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
Service centers near Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
For Pepin County, the DNR points to its 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.
When the shooting day opens and closes at Nine Mile Island State Natural Area
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Nine Mile Island State Natural Area lies in longitude Zone E, so add 16 minutes to each table time.
| Day | Reason | Northern table | Southern table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 6:11 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:55 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:16 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:44 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:56 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:15 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:17 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:02 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 E offset of 16 minutes for longitude 91.92 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Nine Mile Island State Natural Area in questions and answers
Is Nine Mile Island State Natural Area good turkey ground?
Apply for Zone 4; spring periods A-F run in 2027 from April 21.
Are hounds allowed for bear at Nine Mile Island State Natural Area?
Bear Zone E: 2,628 permits drawn for 2026.
What are the CWD and bait rules for Nine Mile Island State Natural Area?
Deer bait is illegal in Pepin and Dunn counties. Dunn County: CWD-positive deer on record.
Is Nine Mile Island State Natural Area in the northern or southern duck zone?
Northern duck zone and Northern goose zone. First regular duck day in the Northern Zone: Sep 26.
How fast must I register a kill on Nine Mile Island State Natural Area?
GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the animal.
Can pink replace orange at Nine Mile Island State Natural Area?
Yes while gun deer seasons are open; half your upper clothing and hat in orange or fluorescent pink.
What neighbours Nine Mile Island State Natural Area?
Closest first: Dunnville Wildlife Area (3 miles), Red Cedar State Trail (3 miles) and Dunnville Barrens State Natural Area (5 miles).
Is a permit required for Nine Mile Island State Natural Area?
Your Wisconsin license is enough; residents pay $24 for gun deer, $18 for small game.
How large is Nine Mile Island State Natural Area, in acres?
Acreage on record: 1,361.
Who is the land manager for Nine Mile Island State Natural Area?
The Wisconsin DNR manages it; the land is a DNR-owned State Natural Area.
Is there a game list for Nine Mile Island State Natural Area?
The record lists none, which means all open seasons, within the property rules.
How far is the drive from Durand to Nine Mile Island State Natural Area?
Pepin and Dunn counties, roughly 5 miles out of Durand.
Is Nine Mile Island State Natural Area forest or farmland deer country?
Pepin and Dunn in the Central Farmland zone. The unit quota stands at 2,500 and 15,000 antlerless deer this year.
Nine Mile Island State Natural Area, final notes
Print the Nine Mile Island State Natural Area map, carry your tags, and check the manager page the week you go.
Sources for this page: DNR: NineMileIsland · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0).