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Columbia County · WPA
Hunting at Severson Waterfowl Production Area
Severson Waterfowl Production Area, 251 acres in Columbia County: ducks and geese, whitetails, wild turkeys and pheasants, zones and tags, property rules, county harvest and the land nearby.
Photo: Mobilus In Mobili (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Severson Waterfowl Production Area
Severson Waterfowl Production Area on one card
Hunters reach Severson Waterfowl Production Area in Columbia County; it is a federal waterfowl production area. This is south-central Wisconsin, in the DNR South Central Region. Day-to-day it is in the hands of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Measured at 251 acres, it comes in 27th of 103 waterfowl production areas. Rio is the nearest town with a guide on this site, about 6 miles away; the land lies southeast of it. It sits within Leopold Wetland Management District.
From the source page (FWS Realty GIS acres (SUM_GISACRES) for the unit); region from the DNR county layer. Checked October 19, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Severson Waterfowl Production Area
Zones that take in Severson Waterfowl Production Area
Severson Waterfowl Production Area is Southern Farmland deer country, unit Columbia. Antlerless quota, 2026: 8,800. The Zone F bear quota for 2026 is 50, spread over 764 drawn permits. Zone 3 turkey numbers for 2025: 55,612 spring tags, 22% success. Wild deer with CWD have been confirmed in Columbia County. Leave the corn at home; Columbia County bans deer baiting.
Antlerless tags near Severson Waterfowl Production Area
| Unit | Zone | Quota 2026 | Bonus, public | Bonus, private | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | Southern Farmland | 8,800 | 1,000 | 4,000 | 4 |
Severson Waterfowl Production Area: other game zones
| Zone | Detail | Numbers | More | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear zone F | No hounds | 50 target, 764 permits | 1 point | 27 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey 3 | 55,612 spring tags (2025) | 22% success | 12,324 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Ruffed grouse B | Oct 17–Dec 8 | 2 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| Canada goose | Southern | Sep 16–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 Dec 19–Jan 2 | ||
| Wolf 6 | No harvest | Federal listing |
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.
What Severson Waterfowl Production Area requires of hunters
Severson Waterfowl Production Area access terms
The Fish and Wildlife Service opens WPAs to state-season hunting; stands and blinds may not stay overnight. In the Leopold district two WPAs, Blue Wing and Wilcox, are closed; elsewhere keep dogs controlled and mark gun-season blinds with orange or pink.
The rule book on Severson Waterfowl Production Area
Half of your outer clothing above the waist, and half of your hat, must be blaze orange or pink whenever a firearm deer season is open (waterfowl hunters excepted). Deer and turkeys go into GameReg online or by phone by 5 p.m. the next day.
Go Wild shopping list for Severson Waterfowl Production Area
A gun deer or archery license comes with a buck authorization; antlerless deer on this land need a public-access authorization.
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.
Where Severson Waterfowl Production Area sits in the larger property
Leopold Wetland Management District takes in Severson Waterfowl Production Area and 56 other units.
Sibling pages of Severson Waterfowl Production Area
| Unit | Category | County | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uihlein | WPA | Winnebago | 2,436 |
| Baraboo River | WPA | Columbia | 950 |
| Schoeneberg Marsh | WPA | Columbia | 735 |
| Harvey's Marsh | WPA | Dane, Rock | 681 |
| Trenton | WPA | Dodge | 514 |
| Oakfield | WPA | Fond du Lac | 430 |
| Becker | WPA | Columbia | 357 |
| Manthey | WPA | Columbia | 352 |
| New Chester | WPA | Adams | 343 |
| Hinkson Creek | WPA | Columbia | 337 |
| Rowe | WPA | Columbia | 334 |
| Kettle Moraine | WPA | Sheboygan | 303 |
| Schwengel | WPA | Ozaukee | 302 |
| Island Lake | WPA | Dane | 245 |
| Swan Pond | WPA | Dane | 240 |
What hunters pursue at Severson Waterfowl Production Area
Species the agency lists here: ducks and geese, whitetails, wild turkeys, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
Ducks and geese
White-tailed deer
Wild turkey
Pheasant
Small game
Furbearers
Unlisted species follow the Columbia County dates below, subject to the property rules.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Severson Waterfowl Production Area: opening and closing days
From bear baiting in September to the last spring turkey period, 40 season segments apply to Severson Waterfowl Production Area.
| Species | Hunt type | Zone or unit | Opening | Closing | 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.
Columbia County harvest near Severson Waterfowl Production Area
Deer registered in the Columbia County unit, 2025: 7,189. The decade peaked at 7,440 in 2020 and bottomed at 5,828 in 2017. Through Oct. 19, 2026: 262 antlered and 309 antlerless in Columbia (preliminary). CWD year 2025 brought 616 Columbia County samples and 169 positives. Running total since 1999: 9,739 tested. No harvest is published for Severson Waterfowl Production Area itself, so the county unit is the finest level.
Registered deer in the Severson Waterfowl Production Area county unit
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 tests in Columbia County
| CWD year | Wild deer sampled | 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.
Around Severson Waterfowl Production Area: more places to hunt
The big marker is Severson Waterfowl Production Area. Smaller ones are its 10 closest neighbours. The neighbours add 6,876 acres between them.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grassy Lake | Wildlife area | 700 | 2.8 mi | north |
| Grassy Lake | State natural area | 292 | 2.9 mi | north |
| Empire Prairies | State natural area | 116 | 4.8 mi | northwest |
| Mud Lake Forest and Ponds | State natural area | 131 | 5.7 mi | northwest |
| Mud Lake (Columbia County) | Wildlife area | 2,277 | 6.3 mi | west |
| Jennings Creek | Wildlife area | 531 | 6.3 mi | north |
| Roelke Creek | Fishery area | 40 | 8.3 mi | northwest |
| Paradise Marsh | Wildlife area | 1,594 | 8.4 mi | northeast |
| Rocky Run | Fishery area | 740 | 10.0 mi | northwest |
| Rocky Run Oak Savanna | State natural area | 455 | 10 mi | northwest |
Points from the DNR managed lands, SNA, county forest, FWS realty, USFS, NPS and DoD layers (FWS National Realty FWSInterest_Simplified_Authoritative (unit centroid) (polygon centroid)). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Severson Waterfowl Production Area: nearby towns and businesses
Town pages first, then shops, processors and DNR desks.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio | Columbia | 6.0 mi | 1,126 | 13,789 |
| Wyocena | Columbia | 10 mi | 732 | 15,185 |
| Cambria | Columbia | 11 mi | 768 | 8,055 |
| Poynette | Columbia | 12 mi | 2,834 | 8,779 |
County-level hunting pages: Columbia County.
Shops a short drive from Severson Waterfowl Production Area
DNR desks closest to Severson Waterfowl Production Area
Service center for Columbia County business: 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.
Severson Waterfowl Production Area: nearest ranges
About 5 miles separates Severson Waterfowl Production Area from Columbia County Shooting Range, the nearest public map range. Nearby rod and gun clubs round out the list.
rifle, shotgun on file
trap, archery, shotgun on file
handgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Shooting light at Severson Waterfowl Production Area by date
At Severson Waterfowl Production Area the offset is 8 minutes (Zone C). The times below already include it for both DNR shooting-hours areas.
| Day | Season | North table | South 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 89.17 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
What people ask about hunting Severson Waterfowl Production Area
If Severson Waterfowl Production Area is full, where next?
Within a short drive: Grassy Lake Wildlife Area (3 miles), Grassy Lake State Natural Area (3 miles) and Empire Prairies State Natural Area (5 miles).
Which Wisconsin license covers Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
Go Wild sells everything needed; antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
Which agency sets the rules on Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
The Fish and Wildlife Service treats it as a federal waterfowl production area.
Which property holds Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
The parent is Leopold Wetland Management District.
Where do Severson Waterfowl Production Area hunters spend the night?
Start from Rio; the land is 6 miles off, in Columbia County.
What acreage is listed for Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
Roughly 251 acres.
Which DMU takes in Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
Deer unit Columbia; zone Southern Farmland. The 2026 antlerless quota is 8,800 (Columbia); use a public-access antlerless tag here.
Which species are hunted on Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
Listed: ducks and geese, whitetails, wild turkeys, pheasants, squirrels, cottontails and hares and raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
Which turkey zone is Severson Waterfowl Production Area in?
Zone 3, one bird per spring authorization.
Which bear management zone holds Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
Bear Zone F. Zone F took 1 preference point in 2026.
Is deer baiting legal near Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
No: Columbia County bans deer baiting and feeding. Wild deer with CWD are documented in Columbia County.
What are the waterfowl zones for Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
It sits in the Southern duck and Southern goose zones. In the Southern Zone the regular duck split begins Oct 3.
How do I register a deer from Severson Waterfowl Production Area?
Through GameReg (online, phone or a station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Check Severson Waterfowl Production Area once more
Refuges, closed areas and park windows at Severson Waterfowl Production Area can shift mid-season; the property page and the DNR map have the current picture.
Sources for this page: FWS realty layer · USFWS: hunting · USFWS: leopold · eCFR: section 32.68; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: hedera.baltica (CC BY-SA 2.0); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0).