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2026-27 · Fishery area
Tainter and McGraw Creeks, a hunter's guide
Who runs it, which deer unit and bear zone cover it, what it holds (raccoons, foxes and coyotes), and the public land and towns around it in Vernon, Monroe, Crawford and La Crosse counties.
Photo: chief_huddleston (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Tainter and McGraw Creeks
What the record says about Tainter and McGraw Creeks
On paper it is a DNR fishery area that is open to hunting; on the map it is in Vernon, Monroe, Crawford and La Crosse counties. DNR staff of the West Central Region cover this part of west-central Wisconsin. Manager: the Wisconsin DNR. Its 1,385 acres rank 20th of the 245 Wisconsin fishery areas with an acreage on file. From Viroqua, our closest town page, it is roughly 5 miles to the east.
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 Tainter and McGraw Creeks
Tainter and McGraw Creeks in the agency's words
Unedited text from the official page.
DNR Fisheries AreasLa Crosse Area Comprehensive Fishery Area Tainter and McGraw Creeks are class 1 trout streams. Uplands consist of a mix of hardwoods, pine, and underbrush. Picture Title (picture optional) © photographer Location/Directions T 11N, R 4W, sections 7, 8, 17, & 18.
Quoted from the property page, retrieved 2026-10-19; checked October 19, 2026.
Tainter and McGraw Creeks rules and licenses
Access rules at Tainter and McGraw Creeks
State seasons on the open parcels only. The DNR map shows which pieces of this fishery land those are.
State law on Tainter and McGraw Creeks
Orange or pink, 50% above the waist and 50% of the head covering, is the rule while gun deer seasons run; duck and goose hunters are exempt. Gun-season ground blinds on DNR property display 144 sq in of orange or pink from every direction. No screw-in steps or cut shooting lanes on DNR land. Overnight stands are legal north of Hwy. 64 from Sept. 1 to Jan. 31; south of it, remove them every day. By 5 p.m. the following day, register the deer on GameReg (online, phone or station).
Which licenses Tainter and McGraw Creeks needs
Get licenses on Go Wild or at an agent. Antlerless tags are unit-specific and labelled public or private land.
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.
Tainter and McGraw Creeks: DMU, bear zone and turkey zone
Deer management: Vernon, Monroe, Crawford and La Crosse, Southern Farmland and Central Farmland zones. The Natural Resources Board set 10,000, 6,000, 4,000 and 4,000 antlerless deer as the 2026 quota there. Bear Zone E has a 2026 harvest target of 185 with 2,628 Class A permits drawn; it took 1 preference point to win one. Spring turkey tags are sold for Zone 1; the DNR issued 64,574 there in 2025, the newest level published. Chronic wasting disease has turned up in wild deer in Vernon, Monroe, Crawford and La Crosse counties; DNR testing is free and voluntary statewide. The deer baiting ban covers Vernon, Monroe, Crawford and La Crosse counties.
Deer units that cover Tainter and McGraw Creeks
| Deer unit | Zone | Antlerless goal | Public tags left | Private tags left | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon | Southern Farmland | 10,000 | 400 | 1,300 | 3 |
| Monroe Central Farmland | Central Farmland | 6,000 | 586 | 1,495 | 4 |
| Crawford | Southern Farmland | 4,000 | 350 | 1,000 | 3 |
| La Crosse | Central Farmland | 4,000 | 397 | 1,191 | 3 |
| La Crosse County Metro Sub-Unit | Metro sub-unit | Counted in parent | 49 | 100 | 1 |
Zones beyond deer for Tainter and McGraw Creeks
| Zone | Setting | Data | Also | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear E | Dogs barred | 185 target, 2,628 permits | 1 point | 128 bears in 2025 |
| Turkey zone 1 | 64,574 spring tags (2025) | 21% success | 13,813 gobblers | 1,500 fall bonus |
| Grouse zone B | Oct 17–Dec 8 | 2 a day | ||
| Duck zone | Southern | Oct 3–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 | ||
| Goose zone | Southern | Sep 16–Oct 11 Oct 17–Dec 6 Dec 19–Jan 2 | ||
| Wolf zone 6 | No season | Listed 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.
Tainter and McGraw Creeks: species with bag limits
Listed game at Tainter and McGraw Creeks: raccoons, foxes and coyotes.
Furbearers
The Vernon County calendar below covers the rest.
Species from the property record (species named by the source); bag limits from the DNR regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Season dates that cover Tainter and McGraw Creeks
Tainter and McGraw Creeks sits in the Southern Farmland deer zone. These 43 rows are the dated hunting segments the DNR schedule puts there, from the September archery opener into spring turkey.
| Game | Season | Applies in | Begins | Through | Right 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: Vernon | 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 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.
Public property near Tainter and McGraw Creeks
The large pin is Tainter and McGraw Creeks; the others are the 10 closest public properties. Together they hold 11,440 acres.
| Name | Type | Size (ac) | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Branch Creek | Fishery area | 122 | 2.6 mi | northwest |
| Maple Dale Creek | Fishery area | 19 | 2.8 mi | northwest |
| West Fork of the Kickapoo River | Fishery area | 43 | 3.8 mi | north |
| Elk Creek (Remnant) | Fishery area | 104 | 9.2 mi | southeast |
| Camp Creek (Remnant) | Fishery area | 382 | 9.3 mi | east |
| Kickapoo Valley Reserve | Reserve | 8,569 | 11 mi | northeast |
| Vernon | County forest | 1,942 | 12 mi | west |
| Mill Creek (Remnant) | Fishery area | 25 | 13 mi | southeast |
| Rainbow Springs | Fishery area | 5 | 13 mi | west |
| Blackhawk-Kickapoo Watershed | DNR property | 229 | 14 mi | southwest |
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.
How the land around Tainter and McGraw Creeks hunts, by the numbers
Vernon County hunters registered 9,561 deer in 2025, 3,877 of them bucks. Totals swing between 6,948 and 9,561 across the years charted. 2026 so far, still changing: Vernon, 513, Monroe Central Farmland, 575 and Crawford, 245. CWD sampling in Vernon County, CWD year 2025: 850 wild deer sampled, 120 positive. Overall: 8,319 samples and 347 positives. The DNR reports deer by unit, not by property: read these as the Vernon County picture.
Vernon County bucks and antlerless
| Year | Bucks | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,877 | 5,684 | 9,561 |
| 2024 | 3,746 | 5,254 | 9,000 |
| 2023 | 3,768 | 5,019 | 8,787 |
| 2022 | 3,643 | 5,190 | 8,833 |
| 2021 | 3,464 | 4,411 | 7,875 |
| 2020 | 3,780 | 5,080 | 8,860 |
Vernon County CWD sampling
| Year | Sampled | Positives |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | 61 | 13 |
| 2025 | 850 | 120 |
| 2024 | 807 | 79 |
| 2023 | 712 | 47 |
| 2022 | 637 | 31 |
| 2021 | 671 | 20 |
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.
Tainter and McGraw Creeks: nearest ranges
No range sits on Tainter and McGraw Creeks; the nearest on the DNR public range map is Viola Sportsman's Club, about 5 miles away. Nearby club or private ranges are shown too.
rifle, trap, shotgun, air gun, smallbore rimfire on file
trap, skeet, rifle, handgun, smallbore rimfire on file
trap, archery, shotgun on file
From the DNR public range map and its map layer, checked October 19, 2026.
Home bases for a Tainter and McGraw Creeks trip
Closest towns, measured as the crow flies, then the businesses around them.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viroqua | Vernon | 5.4 mi | 4,407 | 2,829 |
| Westby | Vernon | 8.9 mi | 2,414 | 3,490 |
| Cashton | Monroe | 14 mi | 1,157 | 1,868 |
| St. Joseph | La Crosse | 22 mi | — | 8,001 |
Read up on the county: Vernon County, Monroe County, Crawford County, La Crosse County.
Taxidermy and supplies for Tainter and McGraw Creeks hunters
Phone numbers for Tainter and McGraw Creeks questions
The DNR service center listed for Vernon County is DNR La Crosse Service Center, 608-785-9000.
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.
Tainter and McGraw Creeks: legal shooting time, table by date
Big game and small game hunters get 20 minutes after sunset in Wisconsin, not 30. Waterfowl and spring gobbler hunters quit at sunset.
| Date | Hunt | Northern Area hours | Southern Area hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 90.78 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Straight answers on Tainter and McGraw Creeks
Where in the state does Tainter and McGraw Creeks lie?
Vernon, Monroe, Crawford and La Crosse counties holds it, 5 miles from Viroqua.
What is Tainter and McGraw Creeks hunted for?
The agency names raccoons, foxes and coyotes; other legal game follows the county dates.
Which deer management unit holds Tainter and McGraw Creeks?
The Southern Farmland and Central Farmland zones, Vernon, Monroe and Crawford. Quota for 2026: 10,000, 6,000, 4,000 and 4,000 antlerless.
Is bear hunting possible at Tainter and McGraw Creeks?
Zone E; hound hunting is not allowed there.
Can I turkey hunt Tainter and McGraw Creeks in spring?
Zone 1; 2025 saw 13,813 birds registered in the zone.
When can I hunt ducks at Tainter and McGraw Creeks?
Southern for ducks, Southern for geese. The regular Southern Zone duck season opens Oct 3.
Has CWD turned up in the county around Tainter and McGraw Creeks?
The deer baiting ban applies in Vernon, Monroe, Crawford and La Crosse counties. CWD: yes, in Vernon, Monroe, Crawford and La Crosse counties.
Is blaze pink legal at Tainter and McGraw Creeks?
Orange or pink, half of the upper clothing, whenever a gun deer season runs (not for waterfowl).
Where do I register game taken on Tainter and McGraw Creeks?
Register on GameReg by 5 p.m. the next day; the confirmation number starts with W.
Is there a separate permit for Tainter and McGraw Creeks?
The standard license for your game; no landowner permission on public ground.
Which public properties lie near Tainter and McGraw Creeks?
Three to try: Bishop Branch Creek (3 miles), Maple Dale Creek Fishery Area (3 miles) and West Fork of the Kickapoo River Fishery Area (4 miles).
How is Tainter and McGraw Creeks classified?
DNR fishery area that is open to hunting, under the Wisconsin DNR.
How much land is in Tainter and McGraw Creeks?
It covers 1,385 acres by the recorded figure.
Last checks on Tainter and McGraw Creeks before you go
Treat this page as a starting point: the manager of Tainter and McGraw Creeks has the final say on closures and maps.
Sources for this page: DNR: 1230LCACtaintercreek · DNR GIS · DNR: county · DNR: 1230LCACbostwickcreek · DNR: 1230LCAC · DNR: 1230LCACMyricPark · DNR: 1230LCACfarmersvalley · DNR: 1230LCAChornbycreeklower · DNR: 1230LCAChornbycreekupper; regulations from the Fall 2026-Spring 2027 Wisconsin hunting regulations. Checked October 19, 2026.
Other photos on this page: The Hidden Hide with Ray (CC BY 2.0); Calistemon (CC BY-SA 4.0).