Deer season 2026 · last checked Sep 26, 2026

Wisconsin deer season dates 2026

Official dates from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, by season and zone, plus the public land in Wisconsin from our directory. Archery opens Sept. 12, 2026. Firearms: Nov. 21, 2026 (Gun, statewide).

Last checked Sep 26, 2026 against the official Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources page. Dates vary by zone, unit and county, and agencies can change them. Confirm with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources before you hunt.

Quick answers

When does archery deer season start in Wisconsin?: Sept. 12, 2026, per Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. See the table for zone differences and closing dates.
When does gun (firearms) deer season start in Wisconsin?: Nov. 21, 2026 (Gun, statewide).
Where are the official rules?: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: hunting information. Bag limits, licenses, tags and weapon rules are not repeated here.

Wisconsin deer season dates, 2026

Deer

Season	Where	Dates
Archery and crossbow	Statewide	Sept. 12, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027
Archery and crossbow (extended)	Metro subunits and select Farmland counties	Sept. 12, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027
Youth deer hunt	Statewide (see DNR for excluded units)	Oct. 10–11, 2026
Gun	Statewide	Nov. 21–29, 2026
Gun	Metro subunits only	Nov. 21 – Dec. 9, 2026
Muzzleloader	Statewide	Nov. 30 – Dec. 9, 2026
Antlerless-only hunt	Statewide	Dec. 10–13, 2026
Antlerless-only holiday hunt	Select Farmland (Zone 2) counties	Dec. 24, 2026 – Jan. 1, 2027

The DNR notes that all dates are subject to change through rulemaking or legislation.
The DNR lists a gun deer hunt for hunters with disabilities (Oct. 3–11) that is not a statewide season. See the DNR page.

Official sources (checked Sep 26, 2026)

Public land in Wisconsin that may allow deer hunting

Our directory lists 152 named public land units in Wisconsin (about 2.4M ac, from USGS PAD-US 4.1): 43 state wildlife & game areas, 36 forests & grasslands, 30 wildlife refuges & WPAs, 1 BLM units, 1 lake & reservoir project lands, 41 other public land units. PAD-US shows who manages the land. It doesn’t cover hunting rules. Before you go, check the area’s own rules with the managing agency. WMAs, refuges and forests often have special dates, permits or closed zones.

State wildlife areas & game lands in Wisconsin

All 43 →

State wildlife / game area
New Wood Wildlife Area 1
5,000 acres
State: department of natural resources · Oneida County, Vilas County
Open access
State wildlife / game area
Waterloo Wildlife Area
4,199 acres
State: department of natural resources · Jefferson County, Dodge County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Mc Millan Wildlife Area
4,177 acres
State: department of natural resources · Marathon County
Mixed (open and restricted parcels)
State wildlife / game area
Statewide Wildlife Habitat
3,698 acres
State: department of natural resources · Oneida County, St. Croix County + 17 more
Mixed (open and restricted parcels)
State wildlife / game area
Avon Bottoms Wildlife Area
2,841 acres
State: department of natural resources · Rock County, Green County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Danbury Wildlife Area
2,218 acres
State: department of natural resources · Burnett County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Lima Marsh Wildlife Area
1,993 acres
State: department of natural resources · Rock County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Kiezer Lake Wildlife Area
1,390 acres
State: department of natural resources · Burnett County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Mack Wildlife Area
1,352 acres
State: department of natural resources · Outagamie County
Restricted access

National & state forests and grasslands in Wisconsin

All 36 →

National Forest land
Chequamegon National Forest
863,667 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Bayfield County, Ashland County + 4 more
Open access
National Forest land
Nicolet National Forest
663,369 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Forest County, Oconto County + 4 more
Open access
State forest
Northern Highland State Forest
176,586 acres
State: department of natural resources · Vilas County, Iron County
Open access
State forest
Flambeau River State Forest
90,845 acres
State: department of natural resources · Sawyer County, Rusk County + 2 more
Open access
State forest
Black River State Forest
68,954 acres
State: department of natural resources · Jackson County
Open access
State forest
American Legion State Forest
60,994 acres
State: department of natural resources · Oneida County
Open access

National wildlife refuges & WPAs in Wisconsin

All 30 →

National Wildlife Refuge
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge
52,684 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Crawford County, La Crosse County + 4 more
Restricted access
National Wildlife Refuge
Necedah National Wildlife Refuge
44,104 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Juneau County
Restricted access
National Wildlife Refuge
Horicon National Wildlife Refuge
21,881 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Dodge County, Fond du Lac County
Restricted access
National Wildlife Refuge
Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge
6,960 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Trempealeau County, Buffalo County
Restricted access

BLM land in Wisconsin

BLM public land
BLM Northeastern States District Office Public Lands
2,129 acres
Bureau of Land Management · Columbia County, Adams County + 16 more
Open access

Counties with the most listed public land

Browse all 152 public land areas in Wisconsin

Not legal advice and not an official source. This independent site is not affiliated with any government agency. Season dates are copied from the agency pages linked above as of the “last checked” date and may have changed since. The agency’s current regulations are what count. Full disclaimer.

Deer season dates in other states

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2026 deer season opening dates by state (table)