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Marathon County · State park
Rib Mountain State Park hunting guide
Everything we could verify about Rib Mountain State Park: acreage, zones, property rules, harvest around it and nearby ground.
Photo: newagecrap (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Rib Mountain State Park
Parking, trailheads and gates near Rib Mountain State Park
- Parking areaParking ยท 0.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp ยท 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp ยท 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp ยท 2.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp ยท 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking ยท 3.1 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 Rib Mountain State Park
In Marathon County you will find Rib Mountain State Park, a state park with hunting in its open areas. On the DNR map it belongs to the West Central Region. The managing body is the Wisconsin DNR. At 1,555 acres it sits 15th by area in a field of 49 state parks. About 2 miles north of Rib Mountain. Inside it are 1 separate record.
From the source page (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS ACRES field, whole property (hunting only in areas the property hunting map shows open)); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Rib Mountain State Park
Rib Mountain State Park, as the managers tell it
Word for word from the property page.
Hunting Rib Mountain State Park Hunting and trapping are allowed in the open areas of the park during the Wisconsin state parks hunting and trapping time frame. Trapping is not permitted in closed areas, as noted on the park hunting map or within 100 yards of any designated use area, including trails. Certain trap types are restricted on state park properties. For more information, please see: Hunting and trapping in Wisconsin State Parks Rib Mountain State Park hunting and trapping map In addition to the opportunities that are available during the state parks hunting/trapping time frame, hunting opportunities in state parks that were already established by rule and in place prior to the enactment of 2011 ACT 168, remain in place.
At Rib Mountain State Park, the 19-day muzzleloader deer hunting season and the archery deer hunting season that falls between Nov. 15 through the Sunday nearest Jan. 6 are allowed in the open areas of the park.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Rib Mountain State Park: what is allowed
How access works on Rib Mountain State Park
Two windows apply here: April 1 to the Tuesday nearest May 3, and Nov. 15 to Dec. 15; archery hunters keep going to the Sunday nearest Jan. 6. Bring a state park vehicle sticker.
- Part of park archery only; muzzleloader deer hunting only.
Rib Mountain State Park: 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 Rib Mountain State Park 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.
Posted closures at Rib Mountain State Park
1 row of closures apply to Rib Mountain State Park. Exception: Hunting/trapping restrictions apply, check property map(s) at link provided.
| Closed area | Type | Period | Acres | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rib Mountain State Park | Hunting/trapping Restrictions | See property map link provided | 1,552 | NR 29.089(1m)(b) |
Hunting windows set for Rib Mountain State Park
| Species | Period | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| All open seasons | Spring | April 1 through the Tuesday nearest May 3 (gun and archery hunting, limited trapping, open areas only) | |
| All open seasons | Fall/Winter | Nov. 15-Dec. 15 (gun and archery hunting and trapping in open seasons); archery through the Sunday nearest Jan. 6 | Exceptions for Buckhorn, Big Bay, Blue Mound, Governor Dodge, Rock Island and Tower Hill state parks. |
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 Rib Mountain State Park
For deer it lies in the Central Farmland zone (Marathon). This season the unit quota is 6,500 antlerless deer. Zone C bear permits took 2 preference points in 2026; the target is 875 bears. The 2025 spring level for Turkey Zone 3 was 55,612 authorizations; 12,324 birds were registered. Marathon County: CWD found in wild deer, and a CWD-positive deer earns a replacement authorization. No deer bait or feed: Marathon County is a ban county.
Rib Mountain State Park: antlerless quota and bonus tags
| Deer unit | Zone | 2026 quota | Public bonus left | Private bonus left | Free farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon | Central Farmland | 6,500 | 950 | 3,449 | 2 |
Every other zone Rib Mountain State Park touches
| Zone | Detail | Figures | Points or note | Taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bear C | Hounds barred | 875 target, 4,465 permits | 2 points | 663 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey zone 3 | 55,612 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 12,324 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 4 | 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, Rib Mountain State Park
The list for Rib Mountain State Park reads: whitetails and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
White-tailed deer
Furbearers
The list is what the agency names, not a limit: other Marathon County seasons apply under the same rules.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Rib Mountain State Park season calendar, 2026-27
Archery, the nine-day gun hunt, muzzleloader, bear, turkey, upland birds, rabbits, furbearers and the duck and goose splits for Rib Mountain State Park.
| 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 C | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 3/4/5 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 3/4/5 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 3/4/5 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 3/4/5 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 3/4/5 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 3/4/5 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 3/4/5 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 3/4/5 | 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 | |
| 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.
Rib Mountain State Park: the units it holds
136 acres across 1 unit make up the listed parts of Rib Mountain State Park.
| Name | Type | County | Acreage | Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rib Mountain Talus Forest | State natural area | Marathon | 136 | — |
Nearest public ground to Rib Mountain State Park, mapped
10 more properties lie close to Rib Mountain State Park, shown with smaller pins. Acres across them: 77,178.
| Neighbour | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon | County forest | 30,674 | 4.1 mi | south |
| George W. Mead | Wildlife area | 32,624 | 18 mi | southwest |
| Krueger Pines | State natural area | 29 | 18 mi | north |
| Mead Conifer Bogs | State natural area | 932 | 18 mi | southwest |
| Council Grounds | State park | 493 | 19 mi | north |
| Dewey Marsh | State natural area | 1,222 | 20 mi | south |
| Plover River | Fishery area | 1,470 | 20 mi | east |
| Plover River Woods | State natural area | 284 | 20 mi | east |
| Dewey Marsh | Wildlife area | 6,035 | 20 mi | south |
| Paul J. Olson | Wildlife area | 3,415 | 21 mi | south |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (WI DNR Managed Lands GIS (polygon centroid) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Registered deer and bears near Rib Mountain State Park
The 2025 registered deer total for the Marathon County unit was 12,041 (6,260 antlered). 2016 was the busiest year shown (12,152 deer) and 2019 the leanest (9,950). The 2026 season to date shows 1,280 deer in Marathon; the DNR calls it preliminary. 554 samples, 2 positive: that is Marathon County in CWD year 2025. All years combined: 8 of 5,677. 98 bears came out of Marathon County in 2025. These numbers describe the county around Rib Mountain State Park, not the property alone.
Deer registered near Rib Mountain State Park
| Year | Bucks registered | Antlerless registered | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,260 | 5,781 | 12,041 |
| 2024 | 5,900 | 5,815 | 11,715 |
| 2023 | 4,941 | 5,141 | 10,082 |
| 2022 | 5,771 | 6,228 | 11,999 |
| 2021 | 5,453 | 5,314 | 10,767 |
| 2020 | 5,353 | 6,254 | 11,607 |
Marathon County CWD by year
| CWD year | Samples | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 53 | 1 |
| 2025 | 554 | 2 |
| 2024 | 535 | 1 |
| 2023 | 431 | 1 |
| 2022 | 513 | 2 |
| 2021 | 486 | 0 |
Marathon County bear harvest
| Year | Bear harvest | Males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 130 | 78 | 52 |
| 2025 | 98 | 55 | 43 |
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.
Rib Mountain State Park: nearest ranges
For a public range, drive about 5 miles to Corbin (County forest). Closer club options sit beside it.
rifle, handgun, archery on file
rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire, archery on file
trap, skeet, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Towns, offices and services around Rib Mountain State Park
Towns, then services in this county and the next one over.
| Town | County | Distance | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rib Mountain | Marathon | 1.6 mi | 7,275 | 9,731 |
| Wausau | Marathon | 3.5 mi | 40,262 | 6,929 |
| Kronenwetter | Marathon | 8.4 mi | 8,435 | 20,070 |
| Knowlton | Marathon | 14 mi | — | 35,035 |
Our county write-ups: Marathon County.
Butchers, mounts and gun counters near Rib Mountain State Park
Service centers near Rib Mountain State Park
For Marathon County, the DNR points to its DNR Wausau 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 Rib Mountain State Park
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Rib Mountain State Park lies in longitude Zone C, so add 8 minutes to each table time.
| Day | Reason | Northern table | Southern table |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 89.69 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Rib Mountain State Park in questions and answers
Is Rib Mountain State Park in the northern or southern duck zone?
Northern duck zone and Northern goose zone. First regular duck day in the Northern Zone: Sep 26.
Is Rib Mountain State Park good turkey ground?
Apply for Zone 3; spring periods A-F run in 2027 from April 21.
Can pink replace orange at Rib Mountain State Park?
Yes while gun deer seasons are open; half your upper clothing and hat in orange or fluorescent pink.
What are the CWD and bait rules for Rib Mountain State Park?
Deer bait is illegal in Marathon County. Marathon County: CWD-positive deer on record.
Is a permit required for Rib Mountain State Park?
Your Wisconsin license is enough; residents pay $24 for gun deer, $18 for small game.
How fast must I register a kill on Rib Mountain State Park?
GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the animal.
What neighbours Rib Mountain State Park?
Closest first: Marathon County Forest (4 miles), George W. Mead Wildlife Area (18 miles) and Krueger Pines State Natural Area (18 miles).
When does Rib Mountain State Park open for hunters?
Hunt April 1 to early May and Nov. 15-Dec. 15 in open areas; bows stay legal to about Jan. 6.
Who is the land manager for Rib Mountain State Park?
The Wisconsin DNR manages it; the land is a state park with hunting in its open areas.
What pages sit under Rib Mountain State Park?
It has 1 units with their own pages.
How far is the drive from Rib Mountain to Rib Mountain State Park?
Marathon County, roughly 2 miles out of Rib Mountain.
How large is Rib Mountain State Park, in acres?
Acreage on record: 1,555.
Is Rib Mountain State Park forest or farmland deer country?
Marathon in the Central Farmland zone. The unit quota stands at 6,500 antlerless deer this year.
Rib Mountain State Park, final notes
Print the Rib Mountain State Park map, carry your tags, and check the manager page the week you go.
Sources for this page: DNR: hunt · DNR: hunting · DNR: ribmt · DNR GIS · DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tom Shockey (CC BY 2.0); Intermountain Region US Forest Service (Public domain).