Home › Wisconsin › Public land › Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
State natural area, the Northwoods
Oxbo Pines 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 Price and Sawyer counties.
Photo: wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Dix Dox LandingBoat ramp · 1.5 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.
What the record says about Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
On paper it is a DNR-owned State Natural Area; on the map it is in Price and Sawyer counties. DNR staff of the Northern Region cover this part of the Northwoods. Manager: the Wisconsin DNR. Its 287 acres rank 192nd of the 449 Wisconsin state natural areas with an acreage on file. In the natural areas program it is site 643, T39N-R2W, Sections 7, 18. T39N-R3W, Sections 12, 13. From Park Falls, our closest town page, it is roughly 12 miles to the west. Parent property: Flambeau River State Forest.
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 Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
Oxbo Pines State Natural Area in the agency's words
Unedited text from the official page.
Oxbo Pines features an extensive stand of natural origin dry-mesic forest on hilly, steep-sided pitted outwash and esker deposits. Found along the North Fork of the Flambeau River, the forest is dominated by mature 24-30 inch white and red pines with white spruce and fir important associates. Groundlayer species include early low blueberry, northern bush honeysuckle, bracken fern, rough-leaved rice grass, big-leaf aster, false melic grass, and wood anemone. The pine stands are embedded within a mature aspen-birch forest which features scattered pines in the canopy, dense pole-sized white pine, and a very dense layer of beaked hazelnut.
Oxbo Lake, a small bog lake at the north end of the site, is surrounded by an acidic black spruce/tamarack forest with inclusions of muskeg and poor fen. These wet areas grade into hemlock/white pine forest and a narrow zone of floodplain forest with swamp hardwoods that extend along the river corridor. The southern portion of the site is dominated by medium-rich northern mesic hardwoods with numerous small wetland depressions. These perched wet pockets support a significant concentration of ephemeral ponds.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Oxbo Pines State Natural Area rules and licenses
Access rules at Oxbo Pines 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 Oxbo Pines 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 Oxbo Pines 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.
Oxbo Pines State Natural Area: DMU, bear zone and turkey zone
Deer management: DMU 113, Northern Forest zone. The Natural Resources Board set 1,155 antlerless deer as the 2026 quota there. Bear Zone A has a 2026 harvest target of 1,100 with 1,675 Class A permits drawn; it took 11 preference points to win one. Spring turkey tags are sold for Zone 6; the DNR issued 6,001 there in 2025, the newest level published. Baiting deer is lawful in Price and Sawyer counties, at no more than 2 gallons a site.
Deer units that cover Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
| Deer unit | Zone | Antlerless goal | Public tags left | Private tags left | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 113 | Northern Forest | 1,155 | 1,369 | 2,244 | — |
Zones beyond deer for Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear A | Dogs legal | 1,100 target, 1,675 permits | 11 points | 1,235 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey zone 6 | 6,001 spring tags (2025) | 23% success | 1,362 gobblers | — |
| Grouse zone A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Goose zone | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Elk range | Northern (Clam Lake Elk Range) | 8 bulls, subject to 50% declaration by the Ojibwe tribes (ceded territory) | Public land approximately 68% | |
| Wolf zone 1 | 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.
Oxbo Pines State Natural Area: species with bag limits
The record lists no species. Every season open in Price County works here within the rules above.
That makes the Price County calendar (39 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 Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
Oxbo Pines State Natural Area sits in the Northern Forest deer zone. These 39 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 | 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 | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone A | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Elk | Elk, all weapons | Northern Elk Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 7/6/4 | 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.
Linked units of Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
It shares Flambeau River State Forest with 7 sibling units.
Other units of Flambeau River State Forest
| Name | Type | County | Acreage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swamp Lake | State natural area | Sawyer | 1,042 |
| Bass Lake Peatlands | State natural area | Price, Sawyer | 954 |
| Hanson Lake Wetlands | State natural area | Sawyer | 302 |
| Flambeau River Hardwood Forest | State natural area | Sawyer | 266 |
| Skinner Creek Hardwoods | State natural area | Rusk | 228 |
| North Fork Pines | State natural area | Price | 82 |
| Lake of the Pines Conifer-Hardwoods | State natural area | Sawyer | 53 |
Public property near Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
The large pin is Oxbo Pines State Natural Area; the others are the 10 closest public properties. Together they hold 629,323 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kimberly Clark | Wildlife area | 8,701 | 8.3 mi | south |
| Niebauer Springs | Fishery area | 199 | 10 mi | southeast |
| Tuscobia | State trail | 1,088 | 11 mi | northeast |
| Lac Sault Dore | Access site | 24 | 14 mi | southeast |
| Lake of the Pines | Easement land | 20,813 | 14 mi | southwest |
| South Fork Flambeau River | Fishery area | 2 | 16 mi | east |
| Price | County forest | 92,294 | 16 mi | south |
| Sawyer | County forest | 115,196 | 18 mi | southwest |
| Hay Creek-Hoffman Lake | Wildlife area | 14,489 | 21 mi | northeast |
| Great Divide | Ranger district | 376,517 | 21 mi | northwest |
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 Oxbo Pines State Natural Area hunts, by the numbers
Harvest for this part of Price County comes from the 2025 forest DMU counts. 2026 so far, still changing: DMU 113, 140. CWD sampling in Price County, CWD year 2025: 42 wild deer sampled, 0 positive. Overall: 1,757 samples and 0 positives. Price County: 215 bears in 2025. The DNR reports deer by unit, not by property: read these as the Price County picture.
Price County bucks and antlerless
| Deer unit | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 113 | 990 | 786 | 1,776 |
Price County CWD sampling
| Year | Sampled | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 42 | 0 |
| 2024 | 39 | 0 |
| 2023 | 47 | 0 |
| 2022 | 61 | 0 |
| 2021 | 62 | 0 |
Price County bears
| Year | Bears registered | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 270 | 138 | 132 |
| 2025 | 215 | 124 | 91 |
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.
Oxbo Pines State Natural Area: nearest ranges
No range sits on Oxbo Pines State Natural Area; the nearest on the DNR public range map is Flambeau River / Hay Creek Shooting Range, about 17 miles away.
rifle on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Home bases for an Oxbo Pines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Falls | Price | 12 mi | 2,375 | 47,202 |
| Butternut | Ashland | 13 mi | 366 | 31,503 |
| Winter | Sawyer | 17 mi | 335 | 80,670 |
| Phillips | Price | 18 mi | 1,489 | 45,856 |
Read up on the county: Price County, Sawyer County.
Taxidermy and supplies for Oxbo Pines State Natural Area hunters
Phone numbers for Oxbo Pines State Natural Area questions
The DNR service center listed for Price County is DNR Woodruff Service Center, 715-356-5211.
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.
Oxbo Pines 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 | 6:07 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 90.68 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Straight answers on Oxbo Pines State Natural Area
Has CWD turned up in the county around Oxbo Pines State Natural Area?
There is no county baiting ban here; the 2-gallon rules apply. CWD has not been found in this county's wild deer.
Is blaze pink legal at Oxbo Pines 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 Oxbo Pines 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 Oxbo Pines State Natural Area?
The standard license for your game; no landowner permission on public ground.
Which public properties lie near Oxbo Pines State Natural Area?
Three to try: Kimberly Clark Wildlife Area (8 miles), Niebauer Springs Fishery Area (10 miles) and Tuscobia State Trail (11 miles).
Is Oxbo Pines State Natural Area its own property?
Yes, Flambeau River State Forest.
How is Oxbo Pines State Natural Area classified?
DNR-owned State Natural Area, under the Wisconsin DNR.
How much land is in Oxbo Pines State Natural Area?
It covers 287 acres by the recorded figure.
Where in the state does Oxbo Pines State Natural Area lie?
Price and Sawyer counties holds it, 12 miles from Park Falls.
Does Oxbo Pines State Natural Area limit which species I hunt?
No species list is published, so every open season applies under the property rules.
Which deer management unit holds Oxbo Pines State Natural Area?
The Northern Forest zone, DMU 113. Quota for 2026: 1,155 antlerless.
Is bear hunting possible at Oxbo Pines State Natural Area?
Zone A; hounds are legal there.
Can I turkey hunt Oxbo Pines State Natural Area in spring?
Zone 6; 2025 saw 1,362 birds registered in the zone.
Last checks on Oxbo Pines State Natural Area before you go
Treat this page as a starting point: the manager of Oxbo Pines State Natural Area has the final say on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: DNR: OxboPines · DNR GIS · DNR: StateNaturalAreas; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); seabamirum (CC BY 2.0).