Season dates and application deadlines
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Deer
2024 Seasons | |
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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* |
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 |
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 | |
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Note: Bear Management Zones | |
Zones A, B, D: where dogs are permitted | |
Sept. 4 – 10 |
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Sept. 11 – Oct. 1 |
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Oct. 2 – 8 |
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Zones C, E, F: where dogs are not permitted | |
Sept. 4 – Oct. 8 |
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Migratory Birds
2024 Seasons | |
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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 | |||
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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 |
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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 | ||
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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 | ||
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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 | ||
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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 |
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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 | ||
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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 |