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Fairchild area, Eau Claire County
Hunting around Fairchild, Wisconsin
How far Fairchild sits from wildlife areas, county forest and federal land, which DMU and zones cover Eau Claire County, what the county registers each fall, and where to take a deer.
Photo: This is Eau Claire County Forest, 1.0 mi from town. aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Fairchild is a village in Eau Claire County, DNR West Central Region; Eau Claire is the county seat. It is the base town for Eau Claire County Forest, whose nearest boundary lies 1 mile from the town point. Roughly 433 people live here, per the 2024 estimate. 8 public properties reach inside 10 miles, together about 78,661 mapped acres. For the shortest trip, start with Buffalo River State Trail, whose boundary is under a mile away.
Town point, land area and population from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; 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 Fairchild
Quota, bonus authorizations and Farmland tags for the units that cover Fairchild, with the county’s CWD and bait status.
The county is split between deer zones: Central Farmland 76%, Central Forest 24%. Farmland hunters in Eau Claire (Central Farmland) get 2 antlerless tags with each archery, crossbow or gun license. For 2026 the antlerless quota sums to 3,300. Eau Claire County holds part of the Eau Claire metro sub-unit, with its own gun season, Nov 21 to Dec 9, 2026. Eau Claire County is one of the Holiday Hunt counties: Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027, antlerless only. Archers get extra January days in Eau Claire County, through Jan 31, 2027.
| Unit | Zone | Antlerless quota 2026 | Bonus tags at start (public / private) | Still listed Oct 19 | Free Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire (Central Farmland) | Central Farmland | 2,600 | 300 / 1,000 | 279 / 986 | 2 |
| DMU 201 | Central Forest | 700 | 750 / 1,600 | 103 / 1,414 | – |
| Eau Claire metro sub-unit | Central Farmland | – | 0 / 250 | 0 / 248 | 1 |
No deer bait or feed is allowed in Eau Claire County. Eau Claire County CWD testing to date: 3,366 wild deer sampled, 41 positives. The 2025 CWD year added 219 samples (10 positive).
Eau Claire County’s unit gave up 3,672 registered deer in 2025, 1,742 of them bucks. Among county-named units it was 39th in 2025. Preliminary 2026 numbers to October 19 (archery, crossbow and youth hunt): Eau Claire (Central Farmland) 285, DMU 201 76 and Eau Claire metro sub-unit 39.
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.
Fairchild public land, nearest first
Lands touching the 10-mile ring around Fairchild come first. Anchor tags mark the areas this town was picked for.
The largest property in the ring is Clark County Forest at 134,742 acres. The closest state wildlife area is Augusta Wildlife Area (2,127 acres). Eau Claire County Forest is the closest forest property (1.0 mi to its line). 1 stocked pheasant property lie close, nearest Northfield Lakes (Beaver Creek) Fish Rearing Station.
| Land | Kind | Edge | Middle | Acreage | Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo River State Trail west | State trail | 0.7 mi | 12 mi W | 450 | – |
| Eau Claire County Forest north Anchor | County forest | 1.0 mi | 11 mi N | 52,712 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Clark County Forest east | County forest | 1.9 mi | 9.5 mi E | 134,742 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Buffalo River Fishery Area southwest | Fishery area | 4.0 mi | 6.5 mi SW | 1,578 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Halls (Stockwell) Creek Fishery Area south | Fishery area | 4.7 mi | 7.2 mi S | 814 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Jackson County Forest southeast | County forest | 8.1 mi | 32 mi SE | 122,685 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Augusta Wildlife Area northwest | Wildlife area | 9.2 mi | 11 mi NW | 2,127 | deer, bear, turkey |
| North Branch Trempealeau River Fishery Area south | Fishery area | 9.7 mi | 15 mi S | 306 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Northfield Lakes (Beaver Creek) Fish Rearing Station southwest | Fishery area | outside 10 mi | 11 mi SW | 575 | deer, turkey, pheasant |
| S Branch Trempealeau River Fishery Area (Remnant) south | Fishery area | outside 10 mi | 14 mi S | 180 | – |
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 Fairchild. Checked October 19, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Where Fairchild hunters take deer and buy gear
Counts cover 15 and 35 mile rings around Fairchild; each group below shows the closest few businesses. Donated deer can go to Mars Meats.
| Category | Count, 15 mi | Count, 35 mi | First stop | Located in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat processors | 0 | 9 | Mars Meats 19 mi northwest | Cadott |
| Taxidermy | 2 | 19 | Burrows Taxidermy 1.9 mi west | Fairchild |
| Guide services | 0 | 2 | Dreamcatcher Outfitters & Taxidermy 33 mi northwest | Eau Claire |
| Gun and archery stores | 3 | 36 | Country Gun Works 5.7 mi southeast | Humbird |
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 Fairchild hunters reach the DNR
For license help, permits and CWD questions, start with the nearest DNR service center to Fairchild. Field offices see visitors by appointment only.
DNR Eau Claire Service Center, 31 mi northwest
DNR Black River Falls Field Office, 22 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 Fairchild
Archery, the nine-day gun hunt, muzzleloader, bear, turkey, upland birds, rabbits, furbearers and the duck and goose splits for Fairchild.
| 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 | Metro sub-unit gun | Metro sub-unit: Eau Claire | 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 | Antlerless-only Holiday Hunt | Holiday Hunt: Eau Claire (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/E | 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 4 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 4 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 4 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 4 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 4 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 4 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 4 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 4 | 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.
Drawing zones that cover Fairchild
Turkey authorization levels shown are the 2025 numbers; the DNR has not released spring 2027 levels.
For bear, Fairchild hunters apply for Zone C (the county also touches E). The county’s bear zones prohibit hounds. 26 bears came out of Eau Claire County in 2025. Turkey Zone 4 covers Fairchild; the DNR issued 34,997 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 Eau Claire County; elk licenses go by drawing.
| Zone | Share | Dogs allowed | 2026 target | Drawn | Min. points | Registered 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Zone C | 73% | Not allowed | 875 | 4,465 | 2 | 663 |
| Bear Zone E | 27% | Not allowed | 185 | 2,628 | 1 | 128 |
| Zone | Area share | 2025 spring tags | 2025 success | 2025 spring harvest | 2025 fall harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Zone 4 | 100% | 34,997 | 24% | 8,472 | 679 |
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.
Fairchild: 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 90.96 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Closest ranges to Fairchild
Augusta Area Sportsmans Club is closest, about 10 miles from Fairchild.
rifle, handgun, trap, shotgun on file
trap, shotgun on file
sporting clays, shotgun on file
About 30 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.
Fairchild hunters ask
Where is the nearest public ground to Fairchild, Wisconsin?
It is Buffalo River State Trail, whose boundary is under a mile away. A close second is Eau Claire County Forest.
How many public acres lie within 10 miles of Fairchild?
Mapped public land within 10 miles totals about 78,661 acres. 1 of them are state wildlife or habitat areas.
Which DMU applies around Fairchild?
Pick Eau Claire (Central Farmland) (or DMU 201 and Eau Claire metro sub-unit where those lines apply). The DNR set its quota at 2,600.
Are bonus deer tags left for Eau Claire (Central Farmland)?
1,000 private-land and 300 public-land bonus tags were set for Eau Claire (Central Farmland). Still for sale on October 19: 279 public and 986 private. Sales run through Go Wild while supplies last.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Eau Claire County?
3,366 deer tested, 41 positive. Bait and feed are not allowed in the county.
Can I hunt bear near Fairchild?
Bear hunting here follows Zone C and E rules. Zone C drawing needed 2 preference points in 2026. County bear harvest in 2025: 26.
What turkey zone covers Eau Claire County?
Turkey Zone 4 covers the town. At 2025 levels the zone got 34,997 spring tags; hunters succeeded 24% of the time.
When does deer camp open for Fairchild 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 Fairchild?
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 Fairchild hunters drop off a deer?
Try Mars Meats in Cadott, about 19 miles off. 9 processing listings lie inside a 35-mile ring.
Which taxidermy shop is closest to Fairchild?
Burrows Taxidermy in Fairchild is the nearest. 2 listings sit inside 15 miles, 19 inside 35.
Where can I buy a Wisconsin hunting license near Fairchild?
Buy through Go Wild or at an agent. Try Provision Partners Cooperative, 0.8 mi from town. DNR service center: DNR Eau Claire Service Center (31 miles).
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above, checked October 19, 2026.
Ready to hunt from Fairchild?
The DNR can adjust quotas and bonus availability during the season. Re-check Go Wild and the Eau Claire County page before you go.
Other photos on this page: Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); greenebriar (Public domain); Don Henise (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Mark Nenadov (CC BY 2.0); paparutzi (CC BY 2.0).