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Grant County · Wildlife area
Hunting at Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
Snowden Branch State Habitat Area, 20 acres in Grant County: zones and tags, property rules, county harvest and the land nearby.
Photo: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 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.
Snowden Branch State Habitat Area on one card
Hunters reach Snowden Branch State Habitat Area in Grant County; it is a DNR state wildlife area. This is south-central Wisconsin, in the DNR South Central Region. Day-to-day it is in the hands of the Wisconsin DNR. Measured at 20 acres, it comes in 261st of 285 state wildlife areas. Sandy Hook is the nearest town with a guide on this site, about 8 miles away; the land lies north of it.
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 Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
Zones that take in Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
Snowden Branch State Habitat Area is Southern Farmland deer country, unit Grant. Antlerless quota, 2026: 6,500. The Zone F bear quota for 2026 is 50, spread over 764 drawn permits. Zone 1 turkey numbers for 2025: 64,574 spring tags, 21% success. Wild deer with CWD have been confirmed in Grant County. Leave the corn at home; Grant County bans deer baiting.
Antlerless tags near Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
| Unit | Zone | Quota 2026 | Bonus, public | Bonus, private | Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant | Southern Farmland | 6,500 | 750 | 3,000 | 2 |
Snowden Branch State Habitat 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 1 | 64,574 spring tags (2025) | 21% success | 13,813 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 Snowden Branch State Habitat Area requires of hunters
Snowden Branch State Habitat Area access terms
Public hunting and trapping run on the statewide calendar; refuges and closed areas are posted, and the NR 45 code covers everything else.
The rule book on Snowden Branch State Habitat 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). Ground blinds need a 144-square-inch orange or pink patch in gun deer seasons on DNR ground. Stands may not damage trees. North of Hwy. 64 they can stay overnight Sept. 1, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027 (two per hunter per county); south of Hwy. 64 they come down daily. Deer and turkeys go into GameReg online or by phone by 5 p.m. the next day.
Go Wild shopping list for Snowden Branch State Habitat 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.
What hunters pursue at Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
Nothing narrows the game at Snowden Branch State Habitat Area; all open seasons apply as long as the property rules are followed.
The Grant County season table below has 43 dated rows for that reason.
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.
Snowden Branch State Habitat Area: opening and closing days
From bear baiting in September to the last spring turkey period, 43 season segments apply to Snowden Branch State Habitat 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: Grant | 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 F/E | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 1 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 1 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 1 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 1 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 1 | 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 1) | Mississippi River Zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Southern Goose Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose (split 2) | Mississippi River Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 5, 2027 | |
| 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.
Grant County harvest near Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
Deer registered in the Grant County unit, 2025: 5,741. The decade peaked at 7,615 in 2018 and bottomed at 5,741 in 2025. Through Oct. 19, 2026: 113 antlered and 191 antlerless in Grant (preliminary). CWD year 2025 brought 396 Grant County samples and 82 positives. Running total since 1999: 9,043 tested. The 2024 bear count for Grant County was 1. No harvest is published for Snowden Branch State Habitat Area itself, so the county unit is the finest level.
Registered deer in the Snowden Branch State Habitat Area county unit
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,728 | 3,013 | 5,741 |
| 2024 | 2,760 | 3,254 | 6,014 |
| 2023 | 3,004 | 3,460 | 6,464 |
| 2022 | 2,802 | 3,591 | 6,393 |
| 2021 | 2,884 | 3,516 | 6,400 |
| 2020 | 3,296 | 4,083 | 7,379 |
CWD tests in Grant County
| CWD year | Wild deer sampled | Positive |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 396 | 82 |
| 2024 | 389 | 84 |
| 2023 | 489 | 89 |
| 2022 | 479 | 78 |
| 2021 | 577 | 83 |
Bear numbers near Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
| Year | Total | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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 Snowden Branch State Habitat Area: more places to hunt
The big marker is Snowden Branch State Habitat Area. Smaller ones are its 10 closest neighbours. The neighbours add 38,575 acres between them.
| Nearby | Kind | Acres | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich Prairie | State natural area | 18 | 7.3 mi | east |
| Belmont Prairie | State natural area | 36 | 11 mi | northeast |
| Hardscrabble Prairie | State natural area | 171 | 11 mi | southeast |
| Belmont Mound Woods | State natural area | 87 | 13 mi | northeast |
| Belmont Mound | State park | 276 | 13 mi | northeast |
| Headwaters Little Platte River | Wildlife area | 7 | 14 mi | northeast |
| Pecatonica River Woods | State natural area | 106 | 17 mi | northeast |
| Upper Mississippi River Refuge Winona District | Refuge district | 37,789 | 19 mi | west |
| Cassville Bluffs | State natural area | 55 | 19 mi | west |
| Dewey Heights Prairie | State natural area | 30 | 24 mi | west |
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.
Snowden Branch State Habitat Area: nearby towns and businesses
Town pages first, then shops, processors and DNR desks.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Hook | Grant | 8.3 mi | — | 4,682 |
| Lancaster | Grant | 15 mi | 4,042 | — |
| Darlington | Lafayette | 22 mi | 2,482 | 4,485 |
| Edmund | Iowa | 26 mi | — | 7,329 |
County-level hunting pages: Grant County.
Shops a short drive from Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
DNR desks closest to Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
Service center for Grant 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.
Snowden Branch State Habitat Area: nearest ranges
About 29 miles separates Snowden Branch State Habitat Area from Yellowstone Shooting Range, the nearest public map range. Nearby rod and gun clubs round out the list.
rifle, handgun, archery, shotgun on file
archery, 3D archery on file
trap, rifle, archery, 3D archery, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Shooting light at Snowden Branch State Habitat Area by date
At Snowden Branch State Habitat Area the offset is 12 minutes (Zone D). 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 | 6:07 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 90.56 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
What people ask about hunting Snowden Branch State Habitat Area
Do I need blaze orange at Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
In any open firearm deer season, wear blaze orange or pink on at least half your coat and cap.
Is deer baiting legal near Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
No: Grant County bans deer baiting and feeding. Wild deer with CWD are documented in Grant County.
Which Wisconsin license covers Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
Go Wild sells everything needed; antlerless tags on public land must be public-access tags.
How do I register a deer from Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
Through GameReg (online, phone or a station) by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Which agency sets the rules on Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
The Wisconsin DNR treats it as a DNR state wildlife area.
If Snowden Branch State Habitat Area is full, where next?
Within a short drive: Ipswich Prairie State Natural Area (7 miles), Belmont Prairie State Natural Area (11 miles) and Hardscrabble Prairie State Natural Area (11 miles).
Where do Snowden Branch State Habitat Area hunters spend the night?
Start from Sandy Hook; the land is 8 miles off, in Grant County.
What acreage is listed for Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
Roughly 20 acres.
Which DMU takes in Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
Deer unit Grant; zone Southern Farmland. The 2026 antlerless quota is 6,500 (Grant); use a public-access antlerless tag here.
What game is legal on Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
Any species in an open season, as long as you follow the property rules.
Which turkey zone is Snowden Branch State Habitat Area in?
Zone 1, one bird per spring authorization.
Which bear management zone holds Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
Bear Zone F. Zone F took 1 preference point in 2026.
What are the waterfowl zones for Snowden Branch State Habitat Area?
It sits in the Southern duck and Southern goose zones. In the Southern Zone the regular duck split begins Oct 3.
Check Snowden Branch State Habitat Area once more
Refuges, closed areas and park windows at Snowden Branch State Habitat Area can shift mid-season; the property page and the DNR map have the current picture.
Sources for this page: DNR GIS; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain).