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Iron Belt area, Iron County
Hunting around Iron Belt, Wisconsin
How far Iron Belt sits from wildlife areas, county forest and federal land, which DMU and zones cover Iron County, what the county registers each fall, and where to take a deer.
Photo: This is Iron County Forest, 0.8 mi from town. jchapiewsky (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Iron Belt is a unincorporated community (a Census-designated place) in Iron County, DNR Northern Region; Hurley is the county seat. It is the base town for Iron County Forest, whose nearest boundary lies 1 mile from the town point. Hunters bound for Great Northern Conservation Easement use Iron Belt as a base; the boundary is 5 miles off. 5 public properties reach inside 10 miles, together about 90,192 mapped acres. For the shortest trip, start with Iron County Forest, 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 Iron Belt
Quota, bonus authorizations and Farmland tags for the units that cover Iron Belt, with the county’s CWD and bait status.
Iron County is wholly Northern Forest Zone for deer. For 2026 the antlerless quota sums to 640.
| Unit | Zone | Antlerless quota 2026 | Bonus tags at start (public / private) | Still listed Oct 19 | Free Farmland tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 118 | Northern Forest | 90 | 150 / 150 | 23 / 0 | – |
| DMU 117 | Northern Forest | 550 | 1,000 / 1,100 | 620 / 619 | – |
The ban list skips Iron County, so small bait piles are legal here. Iron County CWD testing to date: 832 wild deer sampled, 0 positives. The 2025 CWD year added 26 samples (0 positive).
Harvest here is counted by habitat unit: DMU 118 475 deer and DMU 117 895 deer in 2025. Preliminary 2026 numbers to October 19 (archery, crossbow and youth hunt): DMU 118 61 and DMU 117 105.
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.
Iron Belt public land, nearest first
Lands touching the 10-mile ring around Iron Belt come first. Anchor tags mark the areas this town was picked for.
The largest property in the ring is Iron County Forest at 175,343 acres. The closest state wildlife area is Snake Track State Habitat Area (15 acres). Iron County Forest is the closest forest property (0.8 mi to its line). 1 State Natural Area also fall inside 10 miles; most are small and open to hunting unless posted.
| Land | Kind | Edge | Middle | Acreage | Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County Forest southeast Anchor | County forest | 0.8 mi | 9.2 mi SE | 175,343 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Snake Track State Habitat Area southwest | Wildlife area | 2.0 mi | 2.1 mi SW | 15 | – |
| Great Northern Conservation Easement south Anchor | Easement | 5.2 mi | 7.8 mi S | 13,994 | – |
| Twin Lakes Conservation Easement south Anchor | Easement | 6.1 mi | 8.8 mi S | 13,991 | – |
| Island Lake Hemlocks State Natural Area south | Natural area | 8.0 mi | 8.2 mi S | 113 | – |
| Underwood Wildlife Area southeast | Wildlife area | outside 10 mi | 13 mi SE | 1,553 | furbearers |
| Caroline Lake State Natural Area southwest | Natural area | outside 10 mi | 14 mi SW | 131 | deer |
| Lake Evelyn State Natural Area southeast | Natural area | outside 10 mi | 15 mi SE | 303 | – |
| Town of Morse State Habitat Area west | Wildlife area | outside 10 mi | 15 mi W | 722 | – |
| Moose Lake State Natural Area south | Natural area | outside 10 mi | 15 mi S | 4,293 | – |
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 Iron Belt. Checked October 19, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Where Iron Belt hunters take deer and buy gear
Counts cover 15 and 35 mile rings around Iron Belt; each group below shows the closest few businesses. Donated deer can go to Pearce's Sausage Kitchen. Heritage Meats hosts a DNR CWD sampling station.
| Category | Count, 15 mi | Count, 35 mi | First stop | Located in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat processors | 0 | 2 | Heritage Meats 28 mi south | Butternut |
| Taxidermy | 0 | 3 | Tom's Taxidermy 22 mi southeast | Mercer |
| Guide services | 0 | 1 | North Country Outfitters 19 mi west | Highbridge |
| Gun and archery stores | 1 | 13 | Brauer Archery 7.2 mi northeast | Hurley |
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 Iron Belt hunters reach the DNR
For license help, permits and CWD questions, start with the nearest DNR service center to Iron Belt. Field offices see visitors by appointment only.
DNR Woodruff Service Center, 46 mi southeast
DNR Ashland Field Office, 30 mi northwest
Washburn Ranger District Office, 33 mi northwest
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 Iron Belt
Archery, the nine-day gun hunt, muzzleloader, bear, turkey, upland birds, rabbits, furbearers and the duck and goose splits for Iron Belt.
| 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 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone A/B | Sep 9, 2026 | Sep 15, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone A/B | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Bear (Class A license by drawing) | Bear Zone A/B | Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall turkey | Turkey Zone 7 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 7 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 7 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 7 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 7 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 7 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 7 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 7 | 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 Iron Belt
Turkey authorization levels shown are the 2025 numbers; the DNR has not released spring 2027 levels.
For bear, Iron Belt hunters apply for Zone A (the county also touches B). Zone A and B permits hound hunting. 106 bears came out of Iron County in 2025. Turkey Zone 7 covers Iron Belt; the DNR issued 4,401 spring authorizations there at 2025 levels (2027 levels are not out yet). Periods A-F: Apr 21 to Jun 1, 2027.
| Zone | Share | Dogs allowed | 2026 target | Drawn | Min. points | Registered 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Zone A | 84% | Allowed | 1,100 | 1,675 | 11 | 1,235 |
| Bear Zone B | 16% | Allowed | 850 | 1,545 | 11 | 851 |
| Zone | Area share | 2025 spring tags | 2025 success | 2025 spring harvest | 2025 fall harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Zone 7 | 100% | 4,401 | 16% | 726 | 162 |
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.
Iron Belt: 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 90.32 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Iron Belt gun ranges
Snaketrack Shooting Range is closest, about 2 miles from Iron Belt.
rifle, handgun on file
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, shotgun on file
archery, 3D archery on file
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 19, 2026.
Iron Belt hunters ask
What turkey zone covers Iron County?
Turkey Zone 7 covers the town. At 2025 levels the zone got 4,401 spring tags; hunters succeeded 16% of the time.
When does deer camp open for Iron Belt hunters?
Gun deer: Nov 21 to Nov 29, 2026. Then muzzleloader to Dec 9, 2026 and antlerless-only Dec 10 to Dec 13, 2026.
When is legal shooting light at Iron Belt?
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 Iron Belt hunters drop off a deer?
Try Heritage Meats in Butternut, about 28 miles off. 2 processing listings lie inside a 35-mile ring.
Which taxidermy shop is closest to Iron Belt?
Tom's Taxidermy in Mercer is the nearest. 0 listings sit inside 15 miles, 3 inside 35.
Where can I buy a Wisconsin hunting license near Iron Belt?
Buy through Go Wild or at an agent. Try Cary Mine Convenience, 5.5 mi from town. DNR service center: DNR Woodruff Service Center (46 miles).
What is the deer registration deadline near Iron Belt?
GameReg handles it; the deadline is 5 p.m. the day after recovery. Nearest CWD station at a business: Heritage Meats.
Where is the nearest public ground to Iron Belt, Wisconsin?
It is Iron County Forest, whose boundary is under a mile away. A close second is Snake Track State Habitat Area.
How many public acres lie within 10 miles of Iron Belt?
Mapped public land within 10 miles totals about 90,192 acres. 1 of them are state wildlife or habitat areas.
Which DMU applies around Iron Belt?
Pick DMU 118 (or DMU 117 where those lines apply). The DNR set its quota at 90.
Are bonus deer tags left for DMU 118?
150 private-land and 150 public-land bonus tags were set for DMU 118. Still for sale on October 19: 23 public and 0 private. Sales run through Go Wild while supplies last.
Has chronic wasting disease been found in Iron County?
832 deer tested, 0 positive. The county is not under the bait ban.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above, checked October 19, 2026.
Ready to hunt from Iron Belt?
The DNR can adjust quotas and bonus availability during the season. Re-check Go Wild and the Iron County page before you go.
Other photos on this page: jchapiewsky (CC BY-SA 2.0); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); Yellowstone National Park (Public domain); Tracie Hall (CC BY-SA 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Harlequeen (CC BY 2.0).