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Season dates and application deadlines

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Deer

2024 Seasons

Archery and Crossbow*

*No bucks may be harvested during the antlerless-only hunts identified below.

Sept. 14 – Jan. 5, 2025

Archery and Crossbow *Metro Sub-units and counties with extended archery seasons*
See the map for counties with extended archery seasons.

Sept. 14 – Jan. 31, 2025
Gun hunt for hunters with disabilities: This is not a statewide season. Learn more... Oct. 5 – 13
Youth deer hunt Oct. 5 – 6
Gun Nov. 23 – Dec. 1
Muzzleloader Dec. 2 – 11
December 4-Day Antlerless-Only Hunt Dec. 12 – 15

Antlerless-Only Holiday Hunt
*Open only in select Farmland (Zone 2) counties. Please see page 12 of combined hunting regulations for valid counties.

Dec. 24 – Jan. 1, 2025*
All dates are subject to change through rulemaking or a legislative process. Please check the Wisconsin Hunting Regulations for the complete dates and unit designations.

Bear

The application deadline for bear permits is always Dec. 10, the year before the season.

2024 Seasons
Note: Bear Management Zones
Zones A, B, D: where dogs are permitted
Sept. 4 – 10
  • with the aid of bait
  • with all other legal methods not using dogs
Sept. 11 – Oct. 1
  • with the assistance of dogs
  • with the help of bait
  • with all other legal methods
Oct. 2 – 8
  • with the help of dogs only
Zones C, E, F: where dogs are not permitted
Sept. 4 – Oct. 8
  • with the help of bait
  • with all other legal methods not using dogs

Migratory Birds

2024 Seasons
Early Teal Sept. 1 – 9
Early Goose Sept. 1 – 15
Rail (Virginia, Sora) Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
Snipe Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
Common Gallinule Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
Mourning Dove Sept. 1 – Nov. 29
Youth Waterfowl Sept. 14 – 15
Woodcock Sept. 21 – Nov. 4
Northern Duck Zone Sept. 21 – Nov. 19
Southern Duck Zone

Sept. 28 – Oct. 6, Oct. 12 – Dec. 1

Open Water Duck Zone Oct. 12 – Dec. 10
Coot *Same as duck season for each zone
Northern Goose Zone Sept. 16 – Dec. 16
Southern Goose Zone Sept. 16 – Oct. 6, Oct. 12 – Dec. 1, Dec. 21 – Jan. 9, 2025
Mississippi River Goose Zone Sept. 16 – Oct. 6, Oct. 12 – Dec. 1, Dec. 21 – Jan. 9, 2025

Falconry

2024 Seasons
Rail (Virginia, Sora), Snipe, Common Gallinule & Woodcock Half an hour before sunrise to sunset Sept. 1 – Dec. 4
Early Teal Sunrise to Sunset Sept 1 – 9
Ducks, mergansers & coots Half an hour before sunrise to sunset All Zones Sept. 14 – 15, Jan. 10 – Feb. 14
South Zone

Sept. 28 – Oct. 6, Oct. 12 – Dec. 1

Open Water Zone Oct. 12 – Dec. 10
North Zone Sept. 21 – Nov. 19
Geese Half an hour before sunrise to sunset *Same as the regular goose season dates; it depends on the zone
The total daily bag limit for migratory game birds is 3, singly or in the aggregate, to include not more than the legal limit for Canada geese in the zone/season you are hunting.
The possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.

Wild Turkey

The application deadline for spring turkey harvest authorizations is always Dec. 10.

2024 Seasons
2024 Spring Turkey Youth Hunt April 13 – 14
Spring 2024
Period A April 17 – 23
Period B April 24 – 30
Period C May 1 – 7
Period D May 8–14
Period E May 15– 21
Period F May 22 – 28
Fall 2024
Zones 1 - 5 Nov. 23 – Jan. 5, 2025

Statewide

Sept. 14 – Nov. 22

Small Mammals

2024 Seasons
Cottontail rabbit
Northern zone Sept. 14 – Feb. 28, 2025
Southern zone Oct. 19 (9 a.m.) – Feb. 28, 2025
Milwaukee County Year-round
Squirrels (gray and fox)
Statewide Sept. 14 – Feb. 28, 2025
Hunting protected species like badgers, jackrabbits, moose, and flying squirrels is prohibited.
Check the small game hunting regulations for a complete set of rules.

Other Game Birds

2024 Seasons
Pheasant Statewide Oct. 19 (9 a.m.) – Jan. 5, 2025
Ruffed grouse
Zone A Sept. 14 – Jan. 5, 2025
Zone B

Oct. 19 – Dec. 8

Crow
Statewide Nov. 23 – March 26, 2025
 
Hungarian partridge Statewide (closed in Clark, Marathon, and Taylor counties) Oct. 19 (9 a.m.) – Jan. 5, 2025
Sharp-tailed grouse The season is under review.  
Bobwhite quail Statewide Oct. 19 (9 a.m.) – Dec. 11
Check the regulations for a complete set of rules.

Furbearers

The application deadline for bobcat and fisher permits is always Aug. 1. An otter application is no longer required for the season.

Wolf
Hunting  
Hunting with the aid of dogs  
Trapping  
2024 Seasons
Coyote
Hunting Year-round
Trapping Oct. 19 – Feb. 15, 2025
Fox (red and gray)
Hunting and Trapping Oct. 19 – Feb. 15. 2025
Beaver See beaver trapping seasons.
Mink See mink trapping seasons.
Muskrat See muskrat trapping seasons.
Bobcat
Hunting and Trapping
Period 1: Oct. 19 – Dec. 25
Period 2: Dec. 26 – Jan. 31, 2025
Fisher See fisher trapping seasons.
Otter See otter trapping seasons.
Raccoon
Hunting and Trapping Resident: Oct. 19 – Feb. 15, 2025
Nonresident: Nov. 2 – Feb. 15, 2025