Wisconsin Deer Season 2026: Dates, Zones, Tags and CWD Rules

Last updated September 30, 2026, with the Wisconsin DNR’s 2026-27 deer regulations.

Quick answer: Wisconsin’s 2026 archery and crossbow deer season runs Sept. 12 – Jan. 3, 2027. The youth deer hunt is Oct. 10–11, and the nine-day gun deer season runs Nov. 21–29. Muzzleloader follows Nov. 30 – Dec. 9, the antlerless-only hunt is Dec. 10–13, and the holiday hunt runs Dec. 24 – Jan. 1, 2027 in 48 Farmland Zone counties. For 2026, bonus antlerless tags are sold in every unit except DMU 116, and the DNR will run fewer carcass dumpsters.

I’ve spent a lot of Novembers in a Wisconsin stand, and the Saturday before Thanksgiving still feels like a holiday. This page replaces our old 2020 guide. Every date and rule below was checked against the Wisconsin DNR, and if I couldn’t confirm it, I left it out.

Wisconsin deer season dates 2026

Season	Where/who	2026-27 dates
Archery and crossbow	Statewide	Sept. 12 – Jan. 3, 2027
Extended archery and crossbow	Metro sub-units and select Farmland Zone counties	Sept. 12 – Jan. 31, 2027
Gun hunt for hunters with disabilities	Enrolled properties	Oct. 3 – 11
Youth deer hunt (and disabled hunters)	Statewide	Oct. 10 – 11
Nine-day gun deer season	Statewide	Nov. 21 – 29
Gun deer season	Metro sub-units only	Nov. 21 – Dec. 9
Muzzleloader	Statewide	Nov. 30 – Dec. 9
December antlerless-only hunt	Statewide	Dec. 10 – 13
Antlerless-only holiday hunt	48 select Farmland Zone counties	Dec. 24 – Jan. 1, 2027

Source: Wisconsin DNR deer hunting page and DNR season dates. The DNR notes all dates are subject to change through rulemaking or legislation.

Key 2026 dates and deadlines

Aug. 17–20: Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations went on sale in stages: Forest Zones Aug. 17, Central Farmland Aug. 18, Southern Farmland Aug. 19, all zones Aug. 20. They’re sold one per person per day until a unit sells out or the season ends.
Sept. 12: Archery and crossbow opener.
Oct. 10–11: Youth deer hunt, plus the statewide weekend for hunters with disabilities.
Nov. 9: The Washburn County baiting and feeding ban expires, unless there are new detections.
Nov. 21: Nine-day gun deer opener.
Dec. 24: Holiday hunt opens in 48 counties.
Jan. 31, 2027: Extended archery and crossbow season closes in metro sub-units and 42 counties.

What’s new for Wisconsin deer hunters in 2026

Farmland tag numbers vary by unit. Two Farmland Zone authorizations per license is most common, but for 2026, 19 Citizen Deer Advisory Councils (CDACs) chose three, four chose four and one chose five.
No bonus tags in DMU 116. Bonus antlerless authorizations are sold in every unit except DMU 116, on that unit’s CDAC recommendation.
Fewer carcass dumpsters. A budget deficit means fewer DNR dumpster locations this fall, so plan another disposal option.
Washburn County baiting ban ending. Without new detections, the Washburn County baiting and feeding ban expires Nov. 9, 2026.

Hunters with disabilities

The gun hunt for hunters with disabilities runs statewide on youth hunt weekend, Oct. 10–11. On those two days, eligible hunters can hunt public land or any property they have permission to hunt, without the land being enrolled. The other seven days, Oct. 3–9, must be hunted on a sponsored, enrolled property.

Wisconsin deer management units and zones

Wisconsin manages deer by deer management unit (DMU), and the units are grouped into four zones:

Northern Forest Zone
Central Forest Zone
Central Farmland Zone
Southern Farmland Zone

The Northern and Central Forest Zones were realigned, and some DMU borders changed in 2025. If you haven’t hunted since then, don’t assume your old unit number still fits your land. Check the DNR DMU map or the public access lands map before you pick your Farmland authorizations or buy bonus tags.

Metro sub-units, around the state’s bigger urban areas, get the longest seasons: gun hunting through Dec. 9 and archery through Jan. 31, 2027. The DNR says some metro sub-units also have modified permit availability, so check yours.

Bag limits, licenses and tags

Bag limit: One buck per unused buck harvest authorization, valid statewide, and one antlerless deer per unused antlerless authorization. Bow authorizations are weapon-specific.
Farmland Zone tags: Every deer license comes with at least one Farmland Zone antlerless authorization, and some units give up to five.
Bonus antlerless tags: $12 for residents, $20 for nonresidents and $5 for hunters under 12. The DNR set 272,720 for 2026, sold through Go Wild and license agents. Unit-by-unit availability is on the DNR availability page.
Tribal units (Lac Courte Oreilles, Red Cliff, Bad River, Lac du Flambeau and Menominee) are not open to non-tribal antlerless harvest.
Antlerless-only hunts: During the Dec. 10–13 hunt and the holiday hunt, only antlerless deer may be harvested. Archers and crossbow hunters have buck restrictions during those hunts too, so read the regs for your unit.

How to register your deer in Wisconsin (GameReg)

Every deer must be registered through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after you recover it. Have your harvest authorization number ready, because you’ll enter it first. You can register three ways:

Online at GameReg through Go Wild, the fastest way
By phone at 1-844-426-3734
In person at a deer registration station

You’ll get a 10-character confirmation number. Keep it.

CWD sampling and carcass rules in 2026

CWD testing is free for deer harvested in Wisconsin and is available statewide. For 2026, the DNR offers four ways to get a deer tested:

Self-service kiosks, open 24/7. Drop off the head with 5 inches of neck attached.
Cooperating meat processors and taxidermists, who can take the sample at drop-off.
At-home lymph node extraction with a kit from a kiosk.
By appointment with local DNR wildlife staff.

Results usually come back in about two weeks. If your deer tests positive, the DNR issues a replacement harvest authorization within 2–4 days.

Carcass movement and disposal: The DNR recommends not moving whole carcasses outside the county, or adjacent county, where the deer was killed. Whole carcasses and certain parts from CWD-affected states and provinces can’t come into Wisconsin unless they go to a licensed processor or permitted taxidermist within 72 hours. Use a landfill, transfer station or curbside pickup for leftover parts. Find kiosks and dumpsters on the DNR CWD sampling page.

Baiting and feeding: Bans apply county by county, and the DNR says rules changed in select counties this year. Check the DNR baiting and feeding map before you put out anything.

Before you head out: opener checklist

Blaze orange or fluorescent pink. During firearm deer seasons, at least 50% of your outer clothing above the waist must be blaze orange or fluorescent pink. A hat, if worn, must be at least 50% orange or pink.
Shooting hours. Check the DNR’s 2026 tables for the northern region or southern region.
Confirm your DMU on the current map, since borders changed in 2025.
Harvest authorization number handy for GameReg.
Know your county’s baiting rules and where the nearest CWD kiosk is.

Buck’s tip for the Wisconsin gun opener

Get in early on opening morning. Half the state is walking in before daylight. Be on stand early and let the other hunters move deer to you.
Don’t quit after the opening weekend. Pressure drops hard by midweek. Deer that went to ground in swamps and cattail edges will start moving again.
Bowhunters, work the late rut. If you’re in a metro unit or extended-archery county, a grunt call still pulls bucks in December. Here are our best deer calls. Hunting across the line? See our Minnesota deer season guide and Michigan deer season guide.

Frequently asked questions

When does Wisconsin deer season open in 2026?

Archery and crossbow opens Sept. 12, 2026. The youth hunt is Oct. 10–11, and the nine-day gun deer season opens Saturday, Nov. 21.

When is the Wisconsin gun deer season in 2026?

Nov. 21–29, 2026, statewide. In metro sub-units, gun season runs Nov. 21 – Dec. 9.

When is muzzleloader season in Wisconsin in 2026?

Nov. 30 – Dec. 9, 2026, statewide.

When is the Wisconsin holiday deer hunt in 2026?

Dec. 24, 2026 – Jan. 1, 2027, in 48 select Farmland Zone counties. It is antlerless-only.

When does bow season end in Wisconsin?

Jan. 3, 2027, in most of the state. In metro sub-units and select Farmland Zone counties, archery and crossbow run through Jan. 31, 2027.

How do I register a deer in Wisconsin?

Use GameReg online, by phone at 1-844-426-3734, or at an in-person station by 5 p.m. the day after you recover the deer. Have your harvest authorization number ready.

How much is a bonus antlerless tag in Wisconsin?

$12 for residents, $20 for nonresidents and $5 for hunters under 12. They’re sold one per person per day until sold out, in every unit except DMU 116.

Is CWD testing free in Wisconsin?

Yes. Testing is free for deer harvested in Wisconsin and available statewide through kiosks, cooperating processors and taxidermists, at-home kits or DNR appointments.

Sources

Dates and rules come from the Wisconsin DNR as of September 30, 2026. Regulations can change, so always check current Wisconsin DNR regulations before you hunt.