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Douglas County · DNR Northern Region
Hunting around Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin
A trip sheet for hunters based in Lake Nebagamon: the nearest public ground with acres and miles, 2026-27 season dates for Douglas County, DNR shooting hours and local services.
Photo: Photo of Douglas County Forest (1.8 mi from Lake Nebagamon), not the town itself. Sank63 (CC BY 2.0)
In Douglas County, Lake Nebagamon is a village in the Northwoods. Brule River State Forest is the reason Lake Nebagamon is listed: its closest line is 3 miles away. 1,136 people lived in Lake Nebagamon as of the 2024 estimate. Draw 10 miles around town and you cover some 88,730 acres of public ground (9 listed). The nearest option is Lake Nebagamon State Habitat Area, whose boundary is 1 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.
Distance from Lake Nebagamon to open public ground
Every property whose boundary falls inside 10 miles of Lake Nebagamon is listed first, nearest line first; after that come the mapped lands farther out, by distance to their centre point.
By size, Douglas County Forest leads the 10-mile list with 281,853 acres. Wildlife areas close to Lake Nebagamon: Lake Nebagamon State Habitat Area. County and state forest land: Douglas County Forest and Brule River State Forest. The ring includes 3 State Natural Areas, such as Brule Glacial Spillway State Natural Area.
| Property | Category | Boundary miles | Centre miles | Acres | Species named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Nebagamon State Habitat Area west | Wildlife area | 1.1 mi | 1.2 mi W | 38 | – |
| Douglas County Forest southwest | County forest | 1.8 mi | 18 mi SW | 281,853 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Brule River State Forest south Base area | State forest | 2.9 mi | 5.1 mi S | 47,314 | deer, bear, waterfowl |
| Brule St. Croix Legacy Forest south | Easement | 3.9 mi | 14 mi S | 74,398 | – |
| Brule Glacial Spillway State Natural Area south | Natural area | 6.1 mi | 6.1 mi S | 2,656 | – |
| Motts Ravine State Natural Area southeast | Natural area | 6.5 mi | 6.4 mi SE | 655 | – |
| Bayfield County Forest east | County forest | 7.4 mi | 10 mi E | 175,557 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Brule Rush Lake State Natural Area east | Natural area | 7.4 mi | 7.1 mi E | 25 | – |
| Solon Springs State North Country Trail Area southwest | North Country Trail | 8.2 mi | 11 mi SW | 55 | – |
| Jones Lake State Natural Area east | Natural area | farther out | 11 mi E | 44 | – |
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 Lake Nebagamon. Checked October 19, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Lake Nebagamon deer unit, quota and CWD
Deer around Lake Nebagamon: the zone, the units and their 2026 quotas, then CWD testing and registered harvest.
For deer, Lake Nebagamon and the rest of Douglas County are Northern Forest Zone. The Douglas County units carry a 2026 antlerless quota of 3,200. By October 19 the public bonus tags in DMU 101 were gone. Around the urban core, the Superior metro sub-unit runs gun deer Nov 21 to Dec 9, 2026.
| DMU | Zone | 2026 quota | Initial bonus (pub / priv) | Available Oct 19 | Farmland tags per license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | – |
Douglas County is one of the 12 counties where deer baiting and feeding stay legal, within the 2-gallon limits. Cumulative CWD results for Douglas County: 0 positive out of 1,608 sampled. For CWD year 2025: 0 positive of 63.
2025 registrations for the forest units covering Douglas County: DMU 102 2,184, DMU 107 2,406 and DMU 101 1,194. The DNR’s preliminary 2026 count, posted October 19, shows 184 in DMU 102, 217 in DMU 107 and 56 in DMU 101; it will change.
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.
Lake Nebagamon area season dates, 2026-27
Private and public land share these dates. A state park, refuge or Fort McCoy can close sooner, so read the property page before you go.
| Animal | Segment | Scope | Starts | Ends | Open now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Lake Nebagamon hunter services by distance
Gas stations and hardware stores that only sell licenses are left out of the shop list; it holds gun, archery, outdoor and chain sporting stores. Closest deer donation site: Hursh Meat Processing (7.7 mi). For CWD sampling, Timberghost Taxidermy (15 mi) is a listed DNR station.
| Type | Inside 15 | Inside 35 | Nearest one | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processing shops | 1 | 1 | Hursh Meat Processing 7.7 mi northwest | Poplar |
| Mounts | 1 | 10 | Lundgren's Taxidermy 3.0 mi west | Lake Nebagamon |
| Game farms and guides | 0 | 1 | Link's Wild Safaris 28 mi south | Minong |
| Outdoor stores | 3 | 16 | D J's Guns 11 mi southeast | Solon Springs |
Processing shops
Mounts
Game farms and guides
Outdoor 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.
Lake Nebagamon: bear, turkey and elk
Bear preference points, permits drawn and harvest by zone, followed by the spring turkey picture.
Bear Zone A covers 100% of Douglas County, where 1,675 licenses were drawn for 2026. Bear hounds: allowed in Zone A. County-level bear harvest, 2025: 145. For spring turkey, Douglas County is Zone 6, where hunters registered 1,362 birds in spring 2025. Spring 2027 periods A to F run Apr 21 to Jun 1, 2027.
| Bear zone | Share of county | Hounds | 2026 target | Permits drawn 2026 | Points needed | Zone harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Zone A | 100% | Allowed | 1,100 | 1,675 | 11 | 1,235 |
| Turkey zone | Part of county | Tags issued 2025 | Hunter success | Spring registered | Fall registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
When you can shoot at Lake Nebagamon
At Lake Nebagamon the offset is 16 minutes (Zone E). The times below already include it for both DNR shooting-hours areas.
| Date | Hunt | Northern Area hours | Southern Area hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 91.70 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
Lake Nebagamon: DNR and federal contacts
Agency offices closest to Lake Nebagamon: the DNR service center, then any field, Forest Service or refuge office within 40 miles.
DNR Spooner Service Center, 48 mi south
DNR Superior Field Office, 25 mi northwest
Hayward Office (Great Divide Ranger District), 35 mi south
From the DNR office locations and field locations pages and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 19, 2026.
Lake Nebagamon gun ranges
Hawthorne Trap & Wildlife Club is closest, about 8 miles from Lake Nebagamon.
trap, shotgun on file
rifle, handgun, archery, trap, shotgun on file
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 19, 2026.
Things Lake Nebagamon hunters often ask about
Which deer unit should Lake Nebagamon hunters choose?
DNR lists DMU 102, DMU 107, DMU 101 and Douglas County Superior Metro Sub-Unit for Douglas County. Quota for 2026: 925.
How much public hunting land surrounds Lake Nebagamon?
Close to 88,730 acres sit inside a 10-mile radius. That spreads over 9 properties.
What are the CWD and bait rules near Lake Nebagamon?
Since 1999: 0 positive wild deer in Douglas County. Bait is allowed in small amounts.
How many bonus antlerless tags were offered near Lake Nebagamon?
For DMU 102 the DNR offered 1,350 public-land and 2,500 private-land bonus tags. By October 19, 404 public-land tags remained. They are sold first-come in Go Wild.
How successful are spring turkey hunters near Lake Nebagamon?
Turkey Zone 6 is the one. Success there in 2025 was 23% on 6,001 authorizations.
Where does Lake Nebagamon fall on the bear zone map?
The county is Zone A for bear. In 2026 the minimum to draw Zone A was 11 points. In 2025 the county produced 145 bears.
What are deer shooting hours near Lake Nebagamon?
Legal light on the gun opener near Lake Nebagamon opens at 6:39 a.m. in the Southern Area and 6:44 a.m. in the Northern Area; closing is 4:56 p.m. and 4:50 p.m.
When is gun deer season near Lake Nebagamon?
It opens Nov 21, 2026 and closes Nov 29, 2026. The December antlerless-only hunt is Dec 10 to Dec 13, 2026, after muzzleloader week.
Can I get a buck mounted near Lake Nebagamon?
Lundgren's Taxidermy (Lake Nebagamon) is nearest at 3 miles. The 35-mile count is 10.
Is there a venison processor close to Lake Nebagamon?
Hursh Meat Processing (Poplar) is 8 miles from town. Within 35 miles: 1.
How do Lake Nebagamon hunters register game?
Register through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery, online or by phone. Timberghost Taxidermy also takes CWD samples.
Does Lake Nebagamon have a Go Wild license agent?
Go Wild online, or in person at an agent. 9 agents within 15 miles; the nearest is Midland Market Place. DNR Spooner Service Center sells them at the counter, 48 miles out.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above, checked October 19, 2026.
Finishing the Lake Nebagamon plan
Wear blaze orange or pink during firearm deer seasons and register every deer through GameReg by 5 p.m. the next day.
Other photos on this page: Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); aarongunnar (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); Rodney Campbell (CC BY 2.0); Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren (CC BY 2.0); chumlee10 (CC BY-SA 2.0).