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Monroe County, Wisconsin
Hunting around Warrens, Wisconsin
Hunting out of Warrens, Wisconsin: land inside a 10-mile ring, Monroe County deer, bear and turkey rules, season table, shooting light and the DNR counter nearest town.
Photo: Taken at Jackson County Forest, 2.3 mi out of Warrens. aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Warrens is in Monroe County, in the DNR West Central Region. Warrens was picked as the gateway to Fort McCoy, 5 miles to the line. About 541 residents live here (2024 estimate). Within 10 miles of the town point the DNR, county and federal maps add up to about 79,341 acres of public hunting land on 12 listed properties. Nearest on the list: Monroe County Forest, 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.
Public ground by distance from Warrens
Distances are straight lines from the Census point for Warrens; on town and county roads the drive runs longer.
For room to roam, Jackson County Forest offers 122,685 acres within the ring. State wildlife and habitat areas inside 10 miles: Meadow Valley Wildlife Area. Wooded public land in reach: Monroe County Forest and 2 more. 1 federal property inside 10 miles, nearest Fort McCoy. Smaller DNR natural areas (6) dot the 10-mile ring. Stocked pheasant ground nearby: Sand Creek.
| Public land | Type | Boundary | Centre | Acres | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County Forest north | County forest | 0.9 mi | 1.7 mi N | 7,443 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Jackson County Forest north | County forest | 2.3 mi | 13 mi N | 122,685 | deer, bear, turkey |
| Black River State Forest northwest | State forest | 2.8 mi | 13 mi NW | 68,861 | deer, turkey, bear |
| Mill Creek Fishery Area south | Fishery area | 3.1 mi | 3.9 mi S | 35 | furbearers |
| Jay Creek Pine Forest State Natural Area north | Natural area | 3.8 mi | 3.8 mi N | 441 | – |
| Fort McCoy southwest Key area | Army post | 4.6 mi | 10 mi SW | 45,648 | deer, turkey, furbearers |
| Meadow Valley Wildlife Area east | Wildlife area | 5.2 mi | 12 mi E | 58,071 | deer, turkey, waterfowl |
| Starlight Wetlands State Natural Area northwest | Natural area | 5.3 mi | 5.3 mi NW | 1,052 | – |
| Ketchum Creek Pines State Natural Area northwest | Natural area | 6.8 mi | 6.9 mi NW | 424 | – |
| Milllston Ridge Barrens State Natural Area west | Natural area | 7.5 mi | 7.5 mi W | 193 | – |
| Robinson Creek Pines State Natural Area northwest | Natural area | 8.3 mi | 8.4 mi NW | 126 | – |
| Washburn Marsh State Natural Area northwest | Natural area | 9.9 mi | 10.0 mi NW | 604 | – |
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 Warrens. Checked October 19, 2026. Statewide public land map.
Antlerless tags and CWD around Warrens
Antlerless tags in Wisconsin belong to a DMU and a land type. These are the units covering Monroe County.
By share of land, Monroe County is Central Farmland 89%, Central Forest 11%. Each deer license bought for the Monroe (Central Farmland) unit comes with 4 free Farmland antlerless tags, tied to public or private land. 2026 antlerless quota: 7,600 deer across 2 units touching Monroe County. The Holiday Hunt (Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 1, 2027) is open in Monroe County. Extended archery keeps bows legal in Monroe County until Jan 31, 2027.
| DMU | Zone | Quota, 2026 | Starting bonus (public / private) | Remaining Oct 19 | Included tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe (Central Farmland) | Central Farmland | 6,000 | 600 / 1,500 | 586 / 1,495 | 4 |
| DMU 205 | Central Forest | 1,600 | 600 / 1,000 | 533 / 936 | – |
| Fort McCoy | – | – | – | – | – |
Deer baiting and feeding are banned in Monroe County. CWD tally for Monroe County since 1999: 73 of 6,038. 736 deer were tested in CWD year 2025, of which 37 were positive.
Deer Metrics shows 3,328 bucks and 4,809 antlerless registered in Monroe for 2025. The ten-year average (2016-2025) is 7,598, and 2025 places 9th of the county units. As of October 19, preliminary 2026 totals read 575 for Monroe (Central Farmland) and 22 for DMU 205.
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.
Monroe County season rows for Warrens
21 species and 43 segments reach Warrens. The last column compares each one with today.
| Quarry | Season | Zone | From | To | Status 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 | 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: Monroe (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 E/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 1 | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring youth turkey hunt | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 17, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period A | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 21, 2027 | Apr 27, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period B | Turkey Zone 1 | Apr 28, 2027 | May 4, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period C | Turkey Zone 1 | May 5, 2027 | May 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period D | Turkey Zone 1 | May 12, 2027 | May 18, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period E | Turkey Zone 1 | May 19, 2027 | May 25, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring turkey Period F | Turkey Zone 1 | May 26, 2027 | Jun 1, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone A | Sep 12, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| Ruffed Grouse | Ruffed grouse | Grouse Zone B | Oct 17, 2026 | Dec 8, 2026 | |
| 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 | 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 (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 (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.
Warrens hunting businesses, nearest first
Closest first, in straight-line miles from Warrens. Processors come from the DNR deer donation list, DNR CWD sampling stations and directory listings that name deer or game. Deer donation: Villmann Butcher Block, 8.6 mi away.
| Service | Within 15 mi | Within 35 mi | Nearest | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processors | 2 | 6 | Villmann Butcher Block 8.6 mi southeast | Tomah |
| Mount makers | 3 | 17 | Art Works Taxidermy 1.9 mi north | Warrens |
| Hunting preserves | 1 | 1 | Woods and Meadow – Hunting Preserve 7.0 mi north | Warrens |
| Gun, bow and outdoor shops | 8 | 36 | Silver Bullet Firearms LLC 6.3 mi south | Tomah |
Processors
Mount makers
Hunting preserves
Gun, bow and outdoor 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.
Bear and gobbler rules near Warrens
Zone, harvest target, permits and points needed for bear, then the spring turkey zone and its 2025 figures.
Warrens sits in Bear Zone E, which drew 2,628 applicants for 2026. Bear hunting here is by bait or still-hunting; hounds are not allowed. The 2025 bear count for Monroe County is 7 (6 males). Warrens turkey hunters draw for Zone 1; 2025 success there was 21%. Gobbler periods open Apr 21, 2027 and close Jun 1, 2027. Elk range reaches Monroe County: the Central Elk Management Zone, formerly called the Black River Elk Range.
| Zone | Area share | Hounds | 2026 goal | Class A drawn | Preference points | Harvest 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Zone E | 85% | Not allowed | 185 | 2,628 | 1 | 128 |
| Bear Zone C | 15% | Not allowed | 875 | 4,465 | 2 | 663 |
| Zone | Of county | Authorizations (2025) | Success (2025) | Birds, spring 2025 | Birds, fall 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey Zone 1 | 100% | 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.
Warrens first and last legal light
Deer, bear, elk, small game and fall turkey: 30 minutes before sunrise until 20 minutes after sunset. Ducks, geese, doves and spring turkey: same start, done at sunset.
| Day | Reason | Northern table | Southern 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 90.52 W, checked October 19, 2026. Shooting hours for every county.
DNR offices serving Warrens
Questions about rules or tags near Warrens? The DNR service center counter is the place to ask.
DNR La Crosse Service Center, 42 mi southwest
Fort McCoy Permit Sales Office (Natural Resources Branch), 11 mi southwest
DNR Black River Falls Field Office, 20 mi northwest
From the DNR office locations and field locations pages and the federal office pages listed in services.json, checked October 19, 2026.
Upcoming hunting dates near Warrens
Inside roughly 30 straight-line miles: 4 upcoming events (DU dinner, DU gun bingo and NWTF banquet). Retrieved October 19, 2026.
Dates ahead
| Held | What | How far | Where | Register | Source page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4, 2026 | Sparta Ducks Unlimited Banquet / DU dinner | 20 | Club 16 Sparta Monroe Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Tomah Ducks Unlimited Gun Bingo Night / DU gun bingo | 10 | Cranberry Country Lodge Tomah Monroe Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| Apr 24, 2027 | Lemonwier Long Beards NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | 25 | New Lisbon Juneau Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
| May 1, 2027 | Meadow Valley NWTF Banquet / NWTF banquet | 10 | Tomah Monroe Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Where Warrens hunters shoot
Three ranges closest to Warrens, with the access rule on each.
sporting clays, shotgun on file
trap, shotgun on file
5-stand, trap, sporting clays, rifle, handgun on file
Nearest public map range: Sherwood Shooting Range, 24 miles.
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 19, 2026.
Hunting out of Warrens, common questions
How big is the public land base around Warrens?
Some 79,341 acres, by the GIS measure. 12 properties have a boundary inside the ring.
Which deer zone and unit is Warrens in?
Monroe (Central Farmland), DMU 205 and Fort McCoy. The 2026 quota there is 6,000 antlerless deer.
Where do Warrens hunters get extra antlerless tags?
The 2026 sale opened with 600 public-land tags for Monroe (Central Farmland). The October 19 list showed 586 public and 1,495 private remaining. Bonus tags sell through Go Wild, one per person per day.
Do CWD and baiting rules apply in Monroe County?
The county’s running CWD total is 73 positive of 6,038 tested. Deer bait is prohibited.
How do I apply for a bear license near Warrens?
Bear licenses for this area are Zone E licenses. Minimum points, Zone E, 2026: 1. 7 bears (2025).
How do spring gobbler hunters fare near Warrens?
Warrens is in Turkey Zone 1. Zone 1 had 64,574 spring authorizations and 21% success in 2025.
When can I rifle hunt deer around Warrens?
From Nov 21, 2026 through Nov 29, 2026. After it come muzzleloader (Nov 30 to Dec 9, 2026) and the December antlerless hunt (Dec 10 to Dec 13, 2026). Plus the Holiday Hunt from Dec 24, 2026.
What are the opening-day hunting hours at Warrens?
Deer hours run 30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset, which on the opener means 6:40 a.m.-4:46 p.m. (northern table), or 6:35 a.m.-4:52 p.m. (southern table).
Who cuts and wraps venison for Warrens hunters?
Villmann Butcher Block is closest, at 9 miles. Count of processors within 35 miles of town: 6.
Where is the nearest taxidermist to Warrens?
The list puts Art Works Taxidermy closest. 3 within 15 miles, 17 within 35.
How do Warrens hunters buy licenses and tags?
Online in Go Wild, or at any DNR license agent. Warrens Mall (1.1 mi) is the closest agent. The DNR La Crosse Service Center is 42 miles from town.
Is there a deer registration station near Warrens?
Online or phone through GameReg, before 5 p.m. the following day.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above, checked October 19, 2026.
Last checks in Warrens
Distances on this page are straight lines from Warrens. State, county and federal properties each add rules of their own, so open the property page and the 2026-27 DNR regulations first.
Other photos on this page: Anne Marie Peterson from Madison, WI, US (CC BY-SA 2.0); aarongunnar (CC BY-SA 2.0); Aaron Volkening (CC BY 2.0); Doc Searls from Santa Barbara, USA (CC BY 2.0); royal_broil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Yellowstone National Park (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Falashad (CC BY 2.0).