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Douglas County, DNR Northern
Hunting around Brule, Wisconsin
Public land measured from Brule, the Douglas County deer units with their 2026 antlerless quota and bonus tags, bear and turkey zones, CWD and baiting rules, harvest, and the shops and processors closest to town.
Photo: Photo from Brule River State Forest, a short drive (at town) from Brule. aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Douglas County is home to the unincorporated community (a Census-designated place) of Brule, in the Northwoods. Brule River State Forest begins right at town, which is why Brule has a page. A 10-mile ring around Brule takes in roughly 84,777 mapped public acres across 9 properties. At the top of the distance list is Brule River State Forest, which reaches the edge of town.
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.
Where Brule hunters go on public land
Sorted by the closest boundary, then by centre-point distance. Open any property page for its own rules, closed areas and season notes.
281,853 acres make Douglas County Forest the largest nearby property. 1 DNR wildlife or habitat area reach inside 10 miles, the nearest being Lake Nebagamon State Habitat Area. Forest ground nearby includes Brule River State Forest, Bayfield County Forest and Douglas County Forest. Federal options start with Washburn Ranger District (Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest). Look at Brule Rush Lake State Natural Area and 2 other natural areas for quiet hunts.
| Name | Owner type | Nearest edge | Point, miles | Size (ac) | Hunted for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brule River State Forest southwest Main area | State forest | at town | 12 mi SW | 47,314 | deer, bear, waterfowl |
| Bayfield County Forest southeast | County forest | 1.2 mi | 7.0 mi SE | 175,557 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Douglas County Forest southwest | County forest | 2.3 mi | 25 mi SW | 281,853 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Brule Rush Lake State Natural Area south | Natural area | 4.8 mi | 4.8 mi S | 25 | – |
| Jones Lake State Natural Area east | Natural area | 5.1 mi | 4.9 mi E | 44 | – |
| Brule St. Croix Legacy Forest south | Easement | 6.3 mi | 19 mi S | 74,398 | – |
| Washburn Ranger District (Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest) southeast | Ranger district | 8.1 mi | 13 mi SE | 205,368 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Lake Nebagamon State Habitat Area southwest | Wildlife area | 8.8 mi | 8.8 mi SW | 38 | – |
| Motts Ravine State Natural Area south | Natural area | 9.1 mi | 9.1 mi S | 655 | – |
| Schacte Creek State Habitat Area northeast | Wildlife area | 10+ mi | 11 mi NE | 38 | – |
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 Brule. Checked October 19, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Douglas County bear and turkey zones near Brule
What a Brule hunter applies for: the bear zone and its odds, the turkey zone and recent success.
Douglas County falls in Bear Zone A; Class A bear licenses are drawn by preference point. Dogs are legal for bear in Zone A. Bear hunters took 145 bears in Douglas County during 2025. Turkey Zone 6 applies here, with 1,362 spring birds registered zone-wide in 2025. Spring 2027 runs from Apr 21, 2027 (Period A) to Jun 1, 2027 (Period F).
| Bear zone | Part of county | With hounds | Target | Permits | Points to draw | 2025 bears |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Zone A | 100% | Allowed | 1,100 | 1,675 | 11 | 1,235 |
| Turkey zone | County share | Spring permits | Success rate | Spring birds | Fall birds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Zone 6 | 100% | 6,001 | 23% | 1,362 | 336 |
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. Checked October 19, 2026.
Brule: DMU, bonus tags and harvest
The unit you pick at purchase decides your free Farmland tags and which bonus tags you can buy. Douglas County units are listed here.
All of Douglas County lies in the Northern Forest deer zone. Antlerless goals for 2026 add up to 3,200 in the Douglas County units. Public-land bonus tags for DMU 101 were sold out on October 19. Inside the Superior metro sub-unit, firearm deer hunting continues Nov 21 to Dec 9, 2026.
| Unit | Zone | Antlerless quota | Bonus authorizations (pub / priv) | Listed Oct 19 | Free tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 102 | Northern Forest | 925 | 1,350 / 2,500 | 404 / 1,718 | – |
| DMU 107 | Northern Forest | 2,155 | 5,650 / 3,400 | 4,503 / 2,891 | – |
| DMU 101 | Northern Forest | 120 | 180 / 120 | 0 / 0 | – |
| Douglas County Superior Metro Sub-Unit | Northern Forest | – | 200 / 100 | 166 / 85 | – |
Unlike most of the state, Douglas County allows limited deer baiting. Since 1999 the DNR has tested 1,608 wild deer from Douglas County for CWD, with 0 positive. In the 2025 CWD year, 63 were sampled and 0 tested positive.
Douglas County has no county-named deer unit; the forest units it shares registered 2,184 (DMU 102), 2,406 (DMU 107) and 1,194 (DMU 101) in 2025. 2026 to date, preliminary and before the gun opener: DMU 102 184, DMU 107 217 and DMU 101 56.
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.
Agency offices near Brule
DNR service centers sell licenses and answer hunting questions at the counter, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. The one closest to Brule is listed first.
DNR Spooner Service Center, 53 mi south
DNR Superior Field Office, 28 mi northwest
David R. Obey Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, 29 mi east
From the DNR office locations and field locations pages and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 19, 2026.
Brule processors, taxidermists and hunting shops
Wisconsin keeps no public list of taxidermist or guide permit holders, so those rows come from DNR CWD partners and directory listings. Call before you drive. Hursh Meat Processing is a DNR deer donation processor. Nearest CWD station at a business: Timberghost Taxidermy.
| Kind | 15 mi | 35 mi | Closest listing | In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer cutting | 1 | 2 | Hursh Meat Processing 10 mi west | Poplar |
| Taxidermists | 3 | 9 | Timberghost Taxidermy 8.2 mi east | Iron River |
| Preserves and guides | 0 | 1 | Link's Wild Safaris 34 mi south | Minong |
| Hunting shops | 3 | 19 | Southside Bait And Tackle Iron River 7.7 mi east | Iron River |
Deer cutting
Taxidermists
Preserves and guides
Hunting shops
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.
Brule: season calendar
Deer dates are statewide in Wisconsin; bear, turkey, grouse, cottontail and waterfowl dates follow zone lines, so only the rows for Brule are listed.
| Species | Season | Where it applies | Opens | Closes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Metro sub-unit gun | Metro sub-unit: Superior | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 9, 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 | Extended archery and crossbow | Metro sub-unit | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone A | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone A | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone A | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 6 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 6 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 6 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 6 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 6 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 6 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 6 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 6 | 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Teal | Early teal | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 9, 2026 | |
| Geese | Regular goose | Northern Goose Zone | Sep 16, 2026 | Dec 16, 2026 | |
| 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.
Brule gun ranges
Three ranges closest to Brule, with the access rule on each.
trap, shotgun on file
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, shotgun on file
rifle on file
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 19, 2026.
Shooting hours at Brule
The DNR tables are worked out for Zone A in the east; Brule lies in longitude Zone E, so add 16 minutes to each table time.
| Date | Why it matters | Northern Area | Southern Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2026 | Archery, fall turkey and grouse opener | 6:11 a.m. to 7:43 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Pheasant and duck dates | 6:55 a.m. to 6:37 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Early November | 6:16 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 6:13 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opener | 6:44 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. | 6:39 a.m. to 4:56 p.m. |
| Dec 1, 2026 | Muzzleloader week | 6:56 a.m. to 4:44 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 4:51 p.m. |
| Dec 24, 2026 | Holiday Hunt opener | 7:15 a.m. to 4:46 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. |
| Jan 3, 2027 | Archery close (most units) | 7:17 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 5:02 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 E offset of 16 minutes for longitude 91.57 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Brule hunting FAQ
How soon must a deer be registered in Wisconsin?
Deer go through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery. Timberghost Taxidermy hosts a CWD station.
Can I buy a deer license in Brule?
Use Go Wild online, or a license agent counter. Closest agent: Brule Cenex. The DNR Spooner Service Center counter is 53 miles away.
How many acres can Brule hunters reach within 10 miles?
Roughly 84,777 acres inside 10 miles. The table lists 10 properties in all.
What public hunting land is closest to Brule?
Closest is Brule River State Forest, which reaches the edge of town. The next-closest property is Bayfield County Forest.
Can I still buy a bonus antlerless tag near Brule?
Bonus authorizations for DMU 102: 1,350 public and 2,500 private at the start. Left on October 19: 404 public, 1,718 private. Buy them in Go Wild or at a license agent, one a day.
What deer unit is Douglas County?
The county’s units are DMU 102, DMU 107, DMU 101 and Douglas County Superior Metro Sub-Unit. Antlerless quota, 2026: 925.
Which of the six bear zones holds Brule?
Douglas County is in Bear Zone A. Expect to need 11 points, based on 2026. 145 bears were registered in the county in 2025.
Can I bait deer near Brule?
DNR results list 0 positives for Douglas County. Limited baiting is allowed.
What dates is the firearm deer season near Brule?
The nine-day gun deer season runs Nov 21 to Nov 29, 2026. Muzzleloader runs Nov 30 to Dec 9, 2026; the four-day antlerless hunt is Dec 10 to Dec 13, 2026.
How many spring turkey tags does the zone near Brule get?
Douglas County is Zone 6 for turkeys. 2025: 6,001 authorizations, 23% success.
Which shop closest to Brule will process a whitetail?
Shortest haul: Hursh Meat Processing, 10 miles. 2 are on file within 35 miles.
What time can I shoot on opening day near Brule?
For Nov 21, 2026, start at 6:44 a.m. and stop at 4:50 p.m. under the Northern Area table; the Southern Area table reads 6:39 a.m. to 4:56 p.m.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above, checked October 19, 2026.
Brule trip checklist
Before leaving Brule, confirm your unit, your Farmland or bonus tags and the property’s closed areas.
Other photos on this page: aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); AcrylicArtist (CC BY 2.0); NPS Natural Resources (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Larry Lamsa (CC BY 2.0).