Home › Wisconsin › Public land › Pine Island Wildlife Area
Wildlife area · South Central region
Pine Island Wildlife Area for Wisconsin hunters
A hunter's summary of Pine Island Wildlife Area in Columbia and Sauk counties: zones and quota, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: Mobilus In Mobili (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Pine Island Wildlife Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Pine Island Wildlife Area
- Parking areaParking · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 mi from the centreDirections
- 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.
Pine Island Wildlife Area: record card
Pine Island Wildlife Area: a DNR state wildlife area, located in Columbia and Sauk counties. Region on record: the DNR South Central Region. The Wisconsin DNR writes the rules on the ground. The 5,608 acres on record put it 24th of the 285 state wildlife areas we list. Base town: Portage, some 5 miles away. 1 units or parcels make it up.
From the source page (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS ACRES field, sum of parcels open to hunting); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Pine Island Wildlife Area
Pine Island Wildlife Area deer unit, quota and game zones
The deer unit is Columbia and Sauk, in the Southern Farmland zone. The 2026 antlerless quota for those units is 8,800 and 11,000. For black bear this is Zone F, with no hound hunting; 764 permits for 2026. Turkey hunting falls under Zone 1, which had 64,574 spring permits in 2025. The DNR counts Columbia and Sauk counties among its CWD-affected counties. Columbia and Sauk counties sits under the DNR deer baiting and feeding ban.
The deer unit around Pine Island Wildlife Area
| DMU | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Public-land bonus | Private-land bonus | Free tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | Southern Farmland | 8,800 | 1,000 | 4,000 | 4 |
| Sauk | Southern Farmland | 11,000 | 750 | 3,950 | 2 |
Bear, turkey and bird zones at Pine Island Wildlife Area
| Zone | Rule | Numbers | Extra | 2025 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear F | Bait only | 50 target, 764 permits | 1 point | 27 bears in 2025 |
| Wild turkey 1 | 64,574 spring tags (2025) | 21% success | 13,813 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Wild turkey 3 | 55,612 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 12,324 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse zone B | Oct 17–Dec 8 | 2 a day | ||
| Ducks | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| Geese | Southern | Sep 16–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 Dec 19–Jan 2 | ||
| Wolf zone 6/5 | Closed | Federally 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.
Rules on the ground at Pine Island Wildlife Area
Entry terms for Pine Island Wildlife Area
Anyone licensed can hunt and trap here in season. Watch for posted refuges and closed areas, and follow NR 45.
- Listed use: class 1 dog training.
Wisconsin rules that follow you to Pine Island Wildlife Area
During any firearm deer season, everyone hunting except waterfowlers wears blaze orange or fluorescent pink on at least half the clothing above the waist, and on half of any cap. DNR land rule: 144 sq in of solid orange or pink on any ground blind in gun season. Leave no stand overnight south of Hwy. 64. North of the highway, two per hunter per county may stay from Sept. 1 to Jan. 31. GameReg registration is due by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the animal.
Pine Island Wildlife Area: licenses and tags
Go Wild carries every license. For antlerless deer on public ground, use a public-access tag for the right DMU.
Pine Island Wildlife Area upland bird notes
Stocked rooster ground: 1,380 birds proposed for 2026 on 2,000 acres. It is a noon-closure property: weekdays, pheasant hunting stops at noon until Nov. 3. Dove hunters get 1 planted field here in 2026.
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.
Game and bag limits at Pine Island Wildlife Area
Whitetails, wild turkeys, ducks and geese, pheasants, mourning doves, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes, per the property record.
White-tailed deer
Wild turkey
Ducks and geese
Pheasant
Mourning dove
Small game
Furbearers
Other legal game follows the Columbia County season table below.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Every Pine Island Wildlife Area season on one table
Private and public land share these dates. A state park, refuge or Fort McCoy can close sooner, so read the property page before you go.
| Animal | Segment | Scope | Starts | Ends | Open 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 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Columbia | Dec 24, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear, Class A draw | Bear Zone F | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 3/1/2 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 3/1/2 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 3/1/2 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 3/1/2 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 3/1/2 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 3/1/2 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 3/1/2 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 3/1/2 | 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 2) | Southern Goose Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| 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.
Pine Island Wildlife Area described by the DNR
Quoted as published; nothing here is our wording.
Pine Island Wildlife Area is a 5,499-acre property located in Columbia and Sauk Counties west of Portage. The property consists of approximately 900 acres of wetlands, 1,300 acres of grasslands, 700 acres of oak/savanna habitats and 2,600 acres of forested habitat. Pine Island Wildlife Area lies in the floodplains of the Wisconsin and Baraboo Rivers and includes several islands of the Wisconsin River. The largest of the islands in this area referred to as "Pine Island", is the namesake for this wildlife area.
Prior to most urban and agricultural development in the area, the island was home to a significant stand of white pine. Much of this pine stand was removed in the early 1900s by settlers for the construction of barns. Pine Island, along with another portion of Pine Island Wildlife Area, is designated as a State Natural Area. The floodplain area between the two rivers was originally farmed by early settlers. To drain the area for farming, a hand-dug ditch was installed and remains in a wetland portion of the area.
Pine Island Wildlife Area: hunting text as published
- During most years, this property hosts a sunflower field for mourning dove hunting.
- Hunting (especially noted for geese, ducks, turkeys [Zone 1], squirrels, pheasant [noon closure rules apply], mourning doves, deer and furbearers
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Every unit of Pine Island Wildlife Area
Pine Island Wildlife Area lists 1 unit with 798 acres between them.
| Unit | Type | County | Acres | Game listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Island Savanna | State natural area | Columbia, Sauk | 798 | — |
Harvest numbers for the country around Pine Island Wildlife Area
2025 in Columbia County: 3,299 bucks, 3,890 antlerless, 7,189 in all. Range since 2016: 5,828 to 7,440 deer a year. Early 2026 registrations (archery, crossbow, youth hunt): Columbia 571 and Sauk 409. The DNR sampled 616 deer from Columbia County in 2025; 169 had CWD. 824 positives overall, from 9,739 deer. Figures are for the whole county unit, not Pine Island Wildlife Area alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Columbia County unit harvest
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,299 | 3,890 | 7,189 |
| 2024 | 3,317 | 3,859 | 7,176 |
| 2023 | 3,203 | 3,426 | 6,629 |
| 2022 | 3,219 | 3,658 | 6,877 |
| 2021 | 3,016 | 3,151 | 6,167 |
| 2020 | 3,357 | 4,083 | 7,440 |
CWD samples, Columbia County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 44 | 14 |
| 2025 | 616 | 169 |
| 2024 | 595 | 129 |
| 2023 | 534 | 112 |
| 2022 | 477 | 93 |
| 2021 | 510 | 74 |
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.
Bed, fuel and a butcher near Pine Island Wildlife Area
Where to sleep, where to buy shells, where to drop off a deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | Columbia | 5.0 mi | 9,975 | 15,283 |
| Dekorra | Columbia | 7.8 mi | — | 14,996 |
| Baraboo | Sauk | 9.9 mi | 13,096 | 21,451 |
| Lake Delton | Sauk | 12 mi | 3,466 | 8,780 |
Season and zone pages by county: Columbia County, Sauk County.
Who processes a deer from Pine Island Wildlife Area
Where to ask about Pine Island Wildlife Area
Licenses and questions for Columbia County go through the DNR Fitchburg 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.
Pine Island Wildlife Area and nearby public ground
Pine Island Wildlife Area at the big pin; the nearest 10 public places around it. Combined, 19,027 acres are on record.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfowl Production Area 2 | WPA | 127 | 1.1 mi | southwest |
| Baraboo River | WPA | 950 | 4.0 mi | southeast |
| Leopold Wetland Management District | Wetland district | 13,500 | 4.0 mi | southeast |
| Lost Lake | State natural area | 169 | 4.4 mi | south |
| Lower Narrows | State natural area | 146 | 4.6 mi | southwest |
| Fairfield Marsh | WPA | 239 | 6.4 mi | southwest |
| Baraboo Hills | Recreation area | 1,142 | 6.6 mi | southwest |
| Swan Lake Wet-Mesic Prairie | State natural area | 50 | 6.8 mi | east |
| Swan Lake | Wildlife area | 2,499 | 7.9 mi | east |
| Swan Lake Tamaracks | State natural area | 205 | 7.9 mi | east |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS (polygon centroid of hunting-open parcels) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Shooting-hour table for Pine Island Wildlife Area
Two tables cover the state, one for the Northern Area and one for the Southern Area, each for Zone A. West of 88 degrees you add 4 minutes per degree of longitude.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Bow, turkey, grouse opener | 6:03 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 7:34 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:47 a.m. to 6:29 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 6:32 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:08 a.m. to 5:05 p.m. | 6:05 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:36 a.m. to 4:42 p.m. | 6:31 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:48 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 4:43 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:07 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:09 a.m. to 4:47 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 4:54 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 C offset of 8 minutes for longitude 89.56 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Pine Island Wildlife Area: nearest ranges
About 21 miles separates Pine Island Wildlife Area from Columbia County Shooting Range, the nearest public map range. Club ranges within 30 miles are included.
rifle, shotgun on file
5-stand, sporting clays, trap, skeet, shotgun on file
trap, rifle, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Before-the-trip answers for Pine Island Wildlife Area
What deer tags work on Pine Island Wildlife Area?
It is in Columbia and Sauk (Southern Farmland). This year the antlerless quota is 8,800 and 11,000.
How hard is a bear permit for Pine Island Wildlife Area?
Zone F; hounds may not be used there.
Which zone do I apply for to hunt turkeys at Pine Island Wildlife Area?
Zone 1. Success in 2025 was 21%.
Which goose zone is Pine Island Wildlife Area in?
Ducks follow the Southern zone, Canada geese the Southern zone. Opening day for Southern Zone ducks is Oct 3.
Can I bait deer at Pine Island Wildlife Area?
No bait or feed in Columbia and Sauk counties. The county list for CWD includes Columbia and Sauk counties.
When does orange apply at Pine Island Wildlife Area?
Pink counts the same as orange: 50% above the waist in firearm deer seasons.
Does a Pine Island Wildlife Area deer go into GameReg?
By 5 p.m. the following day, through GameReg; bears also go to a station or online the same way.
What paperwork does Pine Island Wildlife Area need?
Gun deer ($24), archer ($24) or small game ($18) for residents; nonresident gun deer is $200.
Which public land sits closest to Pine Island Wildlife Area?
Waterfowl Production Area 2 Waterfowl Production Area (1 mile), Baraboo River Waterfowl Production Area (4 miles) and Leopold Wetland Management District (4 miles), each with a page here.
How many units does Pine Island Wildlife Area have?
1; the largest is Pine Island Savanna State Natural Area.
Is Pine Island Wildlife Area DNR, county or federal ground?
A DNR state wildlife area; the manager is the Wisconsin DNR.
Is Pine Island Wildlife Area a big property?
5,608 acres in the source data.
Which town works as a base for Pine Island Wildlife Area?
Columbia and Sauk counties; Portage, the nearest town we cover, is 5 miles away.
Signing off on Pine Island Wildlife Area
Gates, refuges and open areas at Pine Island Wildlife Area are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
Sources for this page: DNR: Pineisland · DNR GIS · DNR: alpha · DNR GIS · DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).