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Babcock area, Wood County
Hunting around Babcock, Wisconsin
How far Babcock sits from wildlife areas, county forest and federal land, which DMU and zones cover Wood County, what the county registers each fall, and where to take a deer.
Photo: This is Sandhill Wildlife Area, 0.5 mi from town. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Babcock is a unincorporated community (a Census-designated place) in Wood County, DNR West Central Region; Wisconsin Rapids is the county seat. It is the base town for Meadow Valley Wildlife Area, whose nearest boundary lies 2 miles from the town point. Hunters bound for Wood County Forest use Babcock as a base; the boundary is 1 mile off. 8 public properties reach inside 10 miles, together about 85,496 mapped acres. For the shortest trip, start with Sandhill Wildlife Area, whose boundary is under a mile away.
Town point, land area and population from the Census 2024 Gazetteer; public acreage and boundary distances within 10 miles are a GIS measure over the DNR managed lands layer, county forest, USFS, USFWS, NPS and DoD boundaries. Checked October 19, 2026.
Deer management around Babcock
Quota, bonus authorizations and Farmland tags for the units that cover Babcock, with the county’s CWD and bait status.
The county is split between deer zones: Central Farmland 80%, Central Forest 20%. Farmland hunters in Wood (Central Farmland) get 2 antlerless tags with each archery, crossbow or gun license. For 2026 the antlerless quota sums to 5,100. Wood County is one of the Holiday Hunt counties: Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027, antlerless only. Archers get extra January days in Wood County, through Jan 31, 2027.
| Unit | Zone | Antlerless quota 2026 | Bonus tags at start (public / private) | Still listed Oct 19 | Free Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood (Central Farmland) | Central Farmland | 4,600 | 300 / 3,000 | 258 / 2,977 | 2 |
| DMU 204 | Central Forest | 500 | 250 / 550 | 16 / 355 | – |
No deer bait or feed is allowed in Wood County. Wood County CWD testing to date: 2,733 wild deer sampled, 3 positives. The 2025 CWD year added 292 samples (1 positive).
Wood County’s unit gave up 5,416 registered deer in 2025, 2,266 of them bucks. Among county-named units it was 24th in 2025. Preliminary 2026 numbers to October 19 (archery, crossbow and youth hunt): Wood (Central Farmland) 445 and DMU 204 43.
Units and zones from counties.json and the DNR 2026 antlerless quota and permit table; bonus counts listed on the DNR bonus availability page on October 19; Holiday Hunt and extended archery from the DNR 2026 map; CWD from the DNR CWD county summary; baiting from the DNR baiting page; harvest from DNR Deer Metrics and the preliminary 2026 harvest page. Checked October 19, 2026.
Babcock public land, nearest first
Lands touching the 10-mile ring around Babcock come first. Anchor tags mark the areas this town was picked for.
The largest property in the ring is Meadow Valley Wildlife Area at 58,071 acres. The closest state wildlife area is Sandhill Wildlife Area (9,642 acres). Wood County Forest is the closest forest property (0.6 mi to its line). Closest federal tract: Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. 2 State Natural Areas also fall inside 10 miles; most are small and open to hunting unless posted.
| Land | Kind | Edge | Middle | Acreage | Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandhill Wildlife Area northwest Anchor | Wildlife area | 0.5 mi | 3.6 mi NW | 9,642 | deer, furbearers |
| Wood County Forest west Anchor | County forest | 0.6 mi | 6.4 mi W | 37,826 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Yellow River Floodplain Forest State Natural Area northwest | Natural area | 0.7 mi | 0.7 mi NW | 86 | – |
| Wood County Wildlife Area west Anchor | Wildlife area | 0.9 mi | 6.4 mi W | 19,240 | turkey, waterfowl, furbearers |
| Meadow Valley Wildlife Area southwest Anchor | Wildlife area | 1.9 mi | 13 mi SW | 58,071 | deer, turkey, waterfowl |
| Necedah National Wildlife Refuge south | Federal refuge | 4.9 mi | 13 mi S | 45,000 | deer, turkey, waterfowl |
| Juneau County Forest south | County forest | 5.3 mi | 25 mi S | 17,799 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Cranberry Creek Mound Group State Natural Area south | Natural area | 9.0 mi | 9.9 mi S | 675 | – |
| Kingston Pines State Natural Area southwest | Natural area | outside 10 mi | 12 mi SW | 535 | – |
| Saratoga Barrens State Natural Area east | Natural area | outside 10 mi | 12 mi E | 13 | – |
Lands, acreage and species from DNR property pages and federal hunting pages; boundary distances inside 10 miles from places.json (DNR managed lands, county forest, USFS, USFWS, NPS and DoD layers); centre distances are straight lines from the Census point for Babcock. Checked October 19, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Where Babcock hunters take deer and buy gear
Counts cover 15 and 35 mile rings around Babcock; each group below shows the closest few businesses. Donated deer can go to OMG Butchering.
| Category | Count, 15 mi | Count, 35 mi | First stop | Located in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat processors | 2 | 11 | Scott's Custom Butchering 10 mi east | Nekoosa |
| Taxidermy | 1 | 22 | Artistic Fish Taxidermy 10 mi east | Nekoosa |
| Guide services | 0 | 1 | Woods and Meadow – Hunting Preserve 21 mi west | Warrens |
| Gun and archery stores | 5 | 46 | Dixon Gun Shop 11 mi east | Nekoosa |
Meat processors
Taxidermy
Guide services
Gun and archery stores
Processors from the DNR deer donation list, DNR CWD sampling stations and Yellow Pages; shops from the DNR license sales locations (license-only agents left out) and Yellow Pages; guides and preserves from Yellow Pages. Checked October 19, 2026; hours were not checked.
Where Babcock hunters reach the DNR
For license help, permits and CWD questions, start with the nearest DNR service center to Babcock. Field offices see visitors by appointment only.
DNR Wausau Service Center, 51 mi northeast
DNR Wisconsin Rapids Field Office, 14 mi east
Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, 20 mi south
From the DNR office locations and field locations pages and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 19, 2026.
Opening and closing days near Babcock
Archery, the nine-day gun hunt, muzzleloader, bear, turkey, upland birds, rabbits, furbearers and the duck and goose splits for Babcock.
| 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 and disabled gun deer 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 | Statewide antlerless-only (December 4-day hunt) | Statewide | Dec 10, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Wood (Central Farmland) | 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 license by drawing) | Bear Zone C | Sep 9, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Elk | Elk (archery, crossbow and firearm) | Central Elk Zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 3/1 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 3/1 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 3/1 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 3/1 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 3/1 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 3/1 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 3/1 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 3/1 | 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 (hunting and trapping) | Northern Zone (State Hwy. 64 line) | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat Period 1 (hunting and trapping) | Southern Zone (State Hwy. 64 line) | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 25, 2026 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat Period 2 (hunting and trapping) | Northern Zone (State Hwy. 64 line) | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Bobcat Period 2 (hunting and trapping) | Southern Zone (State Hwy. 64 line) | Dec 26, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Unprotected species | Unprotected species (opossum, skunk, weasel, woodchuck, porcupine, starling, English sparrow, chukar, coturnix quail, etc.) | 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.
Drawing zones that cover Babcock
Turkey authorization levels shown are the 2025 numbers; the DNR has not released spring 2027 levels.
For bear, Babcock hunters apply for Zone C. The county’s bear zones prohibit hounds. 27 bears came out of Wood County in 2025. Turkey Zone 3 covers Babcock; the DNR issued 55,612 spring authorizations there at 2025 levels (2027 levels are not out yet). Periods A-F: Apr 21 to Jun 1, 2027. The Central Elk Management Zone overlaps Wood County; elk licenses go by drawing.
| Zone | Share | Dogs allowed | 2026 target | Drawn | Min. points | Registered 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Zone C | 100% | Not allowed | 875 | 4,465 | 2 | 663 |
| Zone | Area share | 2025 spring tags | 2025 success | 2025 spring harvest | 2025 fall harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Zone 3 | 80% | 55,612 | 22% | 12,324 | 848 |
| Turkey Zone 1 | 20% | 64,574 | 21% | 13,813 | 485 |
Bear zones from counties.json (DNR layer) and the DNR bear drawing summary; bear harvest from the DNR 2025 bear harvest report; turkey from the DNR spring turkey report; elk from the DNR elk page. Checked October 19, 2026.
Babcock: legal hunting light
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.
| Day | Season | North table | South table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery, fall turkey and 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 90.11 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Dinners, trials and hunts near Babcock
DU gun bingo, NWTF banquet and Whitetails Unlimited banquet within about 30 miles: 4 upcoming events. Distances are straight-line.
Still to come
| On | Event | Mi | Where held | Sign-up | Found at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 5, 2026 | Marshfield WI Chapter Banquet / Whitetails Unlimited banquet | 25 | Marshfield Wood Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Tomah Ducks Unlimited Gun Bingo Night / DU gun bingo | 29 | Cranberry Country Lodge Tomah Monroe Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Apr 24, 2027 | Lemonwier Long Beards NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | 30 | New Lisbon Juneau Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| May 1, 2027 | Meadow Valley NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | 29 | Tomah Monroe Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Closest ranges to Babcock
Heart of Wisconsin Sportsmans Club is closest, about 14 miles from Babcock.
trap, skeet, shotgun on file
handgun, smallbore rimfire, muzzleloader, benchrest, silhouette on file
trap, shotgun on file
About 18 miles to Sherwood Shooting Range, the nearest range open to everyone on the DNR map.
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 19, 2026.
Babcock hunters ask
Are bonus deer tags left for Wood (Central Farmland)?
3,000 private-land and 300 public-land bonus tags were set for Wood (Central Farmland). Still for sale on October 19: 258 public and 2,977 private. Sales run through Go Wild while supplies last.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Wood County?
2,733 deer tested, 3 positive. Bait and feed are not allowed in the county.
Can I hunt bear near Babcock?
Bear hunting here follows Zone C rules. Zone C drawing needed 2 preference points in 2026. County bear harvest in 2025: 27.
What turkey zone covers Wood County?
Turkey Zone 3 covers the town. At 2025 levels the zone got 55,612 spring tags; hunters succeeded 22% of the time.
When does deer camp open for Babcock hunters?
Gun deer: Nov 21 to Nov 29, 2026. Then muzzleloader to Dec 9, 2026 and antlerless-only Dec 10 to Dec 13, 2026. Then the antlerless Holiday Hunt, Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027.
When is legal shooting light at Babcock?
Use the DNR table for your side of the area line: 6:40 a.m. until 4:46 p.m. versus 6:35 a.m. until 4:52 p.m. on the opener.
Where can Babcock hunters drop off a deer?
Try Scott's Custom Butchering in Nekoosa, about 10 miles off. 11 processing listings lie inside a 35-mile ring.
Which taxidermy shop is closest to Babcock?
Artistic Fish Taxidermy in Nekoosa is the nearest. 1 listings sit inside 15 miles, 22 inside 35.
Where can I buy a Wisconsin hunting license near Babcock?
Buy through Go Wild or at an agent. Try Lakeside Oasis, 5.3 mi from town. DNR service center: DNR Wausau Service Center (51 miles).
What is the deer registration deadline near Babcock?
GameReg handles it; the deadline is 5 p.m. the day after recovery.
Which elk zone is near Babcock?
Elk range here means the Central Elk Management Zone. You need a drawn elk license. Dates: Oct 17 to Dec 13, 2026.
How many deer were taken near Babcock in 2025?
Hunters registered 5,416 deer in 2025.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above, checked October 19, 2026.
Ready to hunt from Babcock?
The DNR can adjust quotas and bonus availability during the season. Re-check Go Wild and the Wood County page before you go.
Other photos on this page: Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Greg Gilbert (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0); NPS Natural Resources (Public Domain Mark 1.0).