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Fishery area · West Central region
Richard A Hemp Fishery Area for Wisconsin hunters
A hunter's summary of Richard A Hemp Fishery Area in Portage County: zones and quota, rules, CWD numbers and local help.
Photo: wackybadger (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
- Parking areaParking · 3.7 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.
Richard A Hemp Fishery Area: record card
Richard A Hemp Fishery Area: a DNR fishery area that is open to hunting, located in Portage County. Region on record: the DNR West Central Region. The Wisconsin DNR writes the rules on the ground. The 1,347 acres on record put it 21st of the 245 fishery areas we list. Base town: Polonia, some 4 miles away.
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 Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
Richard A Hemp Fishery Area deer unit, quota and game zones
The deer unit is Portage, in the Central Farmland zone. The 2026 antlerless quota for that unit is 6,000. For black bear this is Zone C, with no hound hunting; 4,465 permits for 2026. Turkey hunting falls under Zone 3, which had 55,612 spring permits in 2025. The DNR counts Portage County among its CWD-affected counties. Portage County sits under the DNR deer baiting and feeding ban.
The deer unit around Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
| DMU | Deer zone | Antlerless quota | Public-land bonus | Private-land bonus | Free tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | Central Farmland | 6,000 | 932 | 5,041 | 3 |
Bear, turkey and bird zones at Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
| Zone | Rule | Numbers | Extra | 2025 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear C | Bait only | 875 target, 4,465 permits | 2 points | 663 bears in 2025 |
| Wild turkey 3 | 55,612 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 12,324 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse zone A | Sep 12–Jan 3 | 5 a day | ||
| Ducks | Northern | Sep 26–Nov 24 | ||
| Geese | Northern | Sep 16–Dec 16 | ||
| Wolf zone 4 | 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 Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
Entry terms for Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
Only the parcels shown open on the DNR map can be hunted; there, state seasons and NR 45 apply.
Wisconsin rules that follow you to Richard A Hemp Fishery 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.
Richard A Hemp Fishery Area: licenses and tags
Go Wild carries every license. For antlerless deer on public ground, use a public-access tag for the right DMU.
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 Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
Raccoons, foxes and coyotes, per the property record.
Furbearers
Other legal game follows the Portage 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 Richard A Hemp Fishery 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: Portage | 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 C/F | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 3 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 3 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 3 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 3 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 3 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 3 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 3 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 3 | 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 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.
Richard A Hemp Fishery Area described by the DNR
Quoted as published; nothing here is our wording.
The Richard A Hemp Fishery Area is a 1,372-acre property in Portage County. The property consists of a trout stream corridor, lowland forest (swamp conifer and bottomland hardwoods), and mixed hardwood forest. Directions: Richard A Hemp Fishery Area starts at Rolling Hills Road (County Hwy Q) north of Nelsonville and continues north to County Hwy Z. Numerous access sites are available.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Harvest numbers for the country around Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
2025 in Portage County: 3,648 bucks, 4,736 antlerless, 8,384 in all. Range since 2016: 5,841 to 8,384 deer a year. Early 2026 registrations (archery, crossbow, youth hunt): Portage 749. The DNR sampled 465 deer from Portage County in 2025; 3 had CWD. 18 positives overall, from 5,979 deer. In 2025, Portage County produced 17 registered bears. Figures are for the whole county unit, not Richard A Hemp Fishery Area alone; the DNR does not report harvest by property.
Portage County unit harvest
| Season | Bucks | Does and fawns | Registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,648 | 4,736 | 8,384 |
| 2024 | 3,626 | 4,015 | 7,641 |
| 2023 | 2,967 | 3,592 | 6,559 |
| 2022 | 3,361 | 4,174 | 7,535 |
| 2021 | 3,053 | 3,697 | 6,750 |
| 2020 | 3,141 | 4,347 | 7,488 |
CWD samples, Portage County
| Year | Tested | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 40 | 0 |
| 2025 | 465 | 3 |
| 2024 | 434 | 2 |
| 2023 | 401 | 2 |
| 2022 | 388 | 2 |
| 2021 | 393 | 1 |
Bears registered in Portage County
| Season | Bears | Boars | Sows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| 2025 | 17 | 10 | 7 |
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 Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
Where to sleep, where to buy shells, where to drop off a deer.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polonia | Portage | 4.4 mi | — | 8,350 |
| Stevens Point | Portage | 10 mi | 26,465 | 7,182 |
| Plover | Portage | 11 mi | 14,208 | 6,983 |
| Bancroft | Portage | 18 mi | — | 13,258 |
Season and zone pages by county: Portage County.
Who processes a deer from Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
Where to ask about Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
Licenses and questions for Portage County go through the 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.
Richard A Hemp Fishery Area and nearby public ground
Richard A Hemp Fishery Area at the big pin; the nearest 10 public places around it. Combined, 4,071 acres are on record.
| Public land | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hope Pines | State natural area | 171 | 3.9 mi | northeast |
| Flume Creek Cedars | State natural area | 138 | 6.4 mi | northeast |
| Trout-Nace Creek | Fishery area | 45 | 6.7 mi | east |
| Little Wolf River | Fishery area | 2,339 | 8.2 mi | northeast |
| Leer and Griffen Creek | Fishery area | 254 | 8.4 mi | east |
| Bradley Creek Swamp Conifers | State natural area | 21 | 9.2 mi | northeast |
| Little Wolf River | State natural area | 160 | 9.4 mi | northeast |
| Skunk and Foster Lakes | State natural area | 265 | 9.9 mi | southeast |
| Little Plover River | Fishery area | 245 | 9.9 mi | southwest |
| Peterson and Sannes Creek | Fishery area | 433 | 9.9 mi | southeast |
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) (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Shooting-hour table for Richard A Hemp Fishery 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 89.34 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Richard A Hemp Fishery Area: nearest ranges
About 11 miles separates Richard A Hemp Fishery Area from Dewey Shooting Range, the nearest public map range. Club ranges within 30 miles are included.
rifle, handgun on file
handgun, rifle, archery, 3D archery on file
archery, 3D archery on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Before-the-trip answers for Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
When does orange apply at Richard A Hemp Fishery Area?
Pink counts the same as orange: 50% above the waist in firearm deer seasons.
Does a Richard A Hemp Fishery 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 Richard A Hemp Fishery Area need?
Gun deer ($24), archer ($24) or small game ($18) for residents; nonresident gun deer is $200.
Which public land sits closest to Richard A Hemp Fishery Area?
New Hope Pines State Natural Area (4 miles), Flume Creek Cedars State Natural Area (6 miles) and Trout-Nace Creek Fishery Area (7 miles), each with a page here.
Is Richard A Hemp Fishery Area DNR, county or federal ground?
A DNR fishery area that is open to hunting; the manager is the Wisconsin DNR.
Is Richard A Hemp Fishery Area a big property?
1,347 acres in the source data.
Which town works as a base for Richard A Hemp Fishery Area?
Portage County; Polonia, the nearest town we cover, is 4 miles away.
Which species does the record give for Richard A Hemp Fishery Area?
Raccoons, foxes and coyotes, plus any other season open in the county.
What deer tags work on Richard A Hemp Fishery Area?
It is in Portage (Central Farmland). This year the antlerless quota is 6,000.
How hard is a bear permit for Richard A Hemp Fishery Area?
Zone C; hounds may not be used there.
Which zone do I apply for to hunt turkeys at Richard A Hemp Fishery Area?
Zone 3. Success in 2025 was 22%.
Which goose zone is Richard A Hemp Fishery Area in?
Ducks follow the Northern zone, Canada geese the Northern zone. Opening day for Northern Zone ducks is Sep 26.
Can I bait deer at Richard A Hemp Fishery Area?
No bait or feed in Portage County. The county list for CWD includes Portage County.
Signing off on Richard A Hemp Fishery Area
Gates, refuges and open areas at Richard A Hemp Fishery Area are the manager's call; confirm them before opening day.
Sources for this page: DNR: 2122richardahemp · DNR GIS · DNR: county; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: xulescu_g (CC BY-SA 2.0); Wesley Fryer (CC BY 2.0).