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Small game hunting

Male ruffed grouse

Season Dates, Regulations and Hours

Small game hunting is a favorite way to enjoy the outdoors and put wild game on the table. A wide variety of species are included in the category "small game," such as upland game birds, migratory game birds, small game mammals and furbearers. Since so many species fall under this category, hunters should spend extra time reviewing the season dates and regulations for their target game species. 

Regulations

Reminder: It is not legal to use bait when hunting bobcats.

Check the Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 Combined Hunting Regulations for complete season dates and requirements information.

Hours

Hunting hours differ depending on the time of year and location (northern or southern half of the state). Hunters can use the following documents to check hunting hours in the part of the state they hunt. See pages 29-31 in the Hunting regulations for more information.

Pheasant Hunting Noon Closure Areas

Shooting hours deviate from standard times within the boundaries of the properties below. Pheasant hours for these properties close at 12 p.m. on weekdays from Oct.–Nov. 3.

  • Allenton Wildlife Area (W.A.) (Washington County) 
  • Brooklyn W.A. (Dane, Green) 
  • C.D. “Buzz” Besadny Fish and W.A. (Kewaunee)
  • Dunnville W.A. (Dunn) 
  • Eldorado Marsh W.A. (Fond Du Lac) 
  • Goose Lake W.A. (Dane) 
  • Grand River W.A. (Green Lake, Marquette)
  • Holland W.A. (Brown) 
  • Horicon W.A. (Dodge) 
  • Jackson Marsh W.A. (Washington)
  • Killsnake W.A. (Calumet and Manitowoc) 
  • Mazomanie Unit, Lower Wisconsin State Riverway (Dane) 
  • Mud Lake W.A. (Dodge)
  • Mud Lake W.A. (Columbia) 
  • New Munster W.A. (Kenosha) 
  • Nichols Creek W.A. (Sheboygan)
  • Pine Island W.A. (Columbia, Sauk) 
  • Theresa W.A. (Dodge and Washington) 
  • Tichigan W.A. (Racine) 
  • Vernon W.A. (Waukesha) 
  • White River W.A. (Green Lake, Marquette) 

Note: After Oct. 19, daily shooting hours close at 2 p.m. for all species at Richard Bong State Recreation Area, except that normal shooting hours apply while hunting waterfowl south of Hwy. 142 or while archery deer hunting.

Season Dates

Season dates can be found on the Hunting Season Dates webpage. Hunters can also view and print 2024 season dates and application deadlines.

Upland Game Birds

2024 Seasons
PheasantStatewideOct. 19 (9 a.m.) – Jan. 5, 2025
Ruffed grouse
Zone ASept. 14 – Jan. 5, 2025
Zone BOct. 19 – Dec. 8
Crow
StatewideNov. 23 – March 26, 2025
Hungarian partridgeStatewide (closed in Clark, Marathon, and Taylor counties)Oct. 19 (9 a.m.) – Jan. 5, 2025
Bobwhite quailStatewideOct. 19 (9 a.m.) – Dec. 11

Migratory Game Birds

2024 Seasons
Early TealSept. 1 – 9
Early GooseSept. 1 – 15
Rail (Virginia, Sora)Sept. 1 – Nov. 9
SnipeSept. 1 – Nov. 9
Common GallinuleSept. 1 – Nov. 9
Mourning DoveSept. 1 – Nov. 29
Youth WaterfowlSept. 14 – 15
WoodcockSept. 21 – Nov. 4
Northern Duck ZoneSept. 21 – Nov. 19
Southern Duck ZoneSept. 28 – Oct. 6, Oct. 12 – Dec. 1
Open Water Duck ZoneOct. 12 – Dec. 10
Coot*Same as duck season for each zone
Northern Goose ZoneSept. 16 – Dec. 16
Southern Goose ZoneSept. 16 – Oct. 6, Oct. 12 – Dec. 1, Dec. 21 – Jan. 9, 2025
Mississippi River Goose ZoneSept. 16 – Oct. 6, Oct. 12 – Dec. 1, Dec. 21 – Jan. 9, 2025

Small Game Mammals and Furbearers

Squirrels (Gray and Fox)Sept. 14 - Feb. 28, 2025
Cottontail Rabbit

Northern Zone: Sept. 14 - Feb. 28, 2025

Southern Zone: Oct.19 (9 a.m.) - Feb. 28, 2025

Fox (Red and Gray)Oct. 19 - Feb. 15, 2025
CoyoteYear-round
Raccoon

Resident: Oct. 19 - Feb. 15, 2025

Nonresident: Nov. 2 - Feb. 15, 2025

Bobcat

Period 1: Oct. 19 - Dec. 25

Period 2: Dec. 26 - Jan. 31, 2025

*Permits required

Weasel, Woodchuck, Porcupine, Opossum, Skunk and Snowshoe HareThere are no season limits, bag limits, size limits or possession
limits, but a license is required.

Purchase A Hunting License

Purchase a Hunting License
       https://gowild.wi.gov/

Wisconsin has made it easy to buy licenses and registrations. Hunters can manage all their hunting applications and licenses through Go Wild. Please refer to the tables below to know which license is needed to hunt each species.

NOTE: A person authorized to purchase a license for a permit or harvest authorization issued under a cumulative preference drawing may transfer their awarded permit or harvest authorization to another who meets the required qualifications on the Authorization Transfer webpage.

Upland Game Birds

PheasantSmall game hunting license and Pheasant Stamp
Ruffed GrouseSmall game hunting license
Sharp-tailed GrouseNo season in 2024 (previously small game hunting license and permit required)
Hungarian PartridgeSmall game hunting license
Bobwhite QuailSmall game hunting license
CrowSmall game hunting license

Migratory Game Birds

Early Canada GooseSmall game hunting license, State waterfowl stamp, Federal migratory bird hunting stamp, Early Season Canada Goose permit and HIP Certification
Early TealSmall game hunting license, State waterfowl stamp, Federal migratory bird hunting stamp and HIP Certification
DuckSmall game hunting license, State waterfowl stamp, Federal migratory bird hunting stamp and HIP Certification
Regular GooseSmall game hunting license, State waterfowl stamp, Federal migratory bird hunting stamp, Regular Season Canada Goose permit and HIP Certification
WoodcockSmall game hunting license and HIP Certification
Mourning DoveSmall game hunting license and HIP Certification

Small Game Mammals and Furbearers

Squirrels (Gray and Fox)Small game hunting license
Cottontail RabbitSmall game hunting license
Fox (Red and Gray)Residents - Small game hunting license 
Nonresidents - Furbearer license
Coyote Residents - Small game hunting license 
Nonresidents - Furbearer license
RaccoonResidents - Small game hunting license 
Nonresidents - Furbearer license
BobcatResidents - Small game hunting license 
Nonresidents - Furbearer license and receive a permit by application
Weasel, Woodchuck, Porcupine, Opossum, Skunk and Snowshoe HareSmall game hunting license

Where To Hunt

Find Properties Open to Public Hunting

  • Voluntary Public Access program
    • Through this program, hundreds of landowners have opened their land to the public for hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife viewing. Over 30,000 acres of private land are accessible to the public and can be found using the VPA interactive map.
  • Public land access
    • From hunting and fishing to camping and hiking, use this resource to find everything you need to enjoy the outdoors.

Find Properties Stocked with Pheasants

Where to Hunt for Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed grouse use various habitat types, but young, early successional forest types are most important when finding a good grouse hunting spot. Seeking out the densest woody cover available is usually the quickest way to locate grouse in a new hunting area.

Where to Hunt Mourning Dove

Doves use a wide range of habitats, but fields with abundant weed seeds or grain, open gravel areas and water sources are good locations to find doves.

Hunting Safety Tips

  • Follow the four rules of basic firearm safety – TAB-K.
    • T = Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. Never assume a gun is unloaded and never treat it that way, even if you watch as it is unloaded. Make it a habit to treat guns like they are always loaded.
    • A = Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. About one-third of all hunting incidents are self-inflicted injuries. That means the muzzle was pointed at some part of the hunter's body. A safe approach is where the bullet will travel and harm no one in the event of an unwanted discharge. There are no accidental discharges with firearms, only unwanted discharges.
    • B = Be sure of your target and what's beyond it. Positive target identification is a must. To shoot at something you only think is a legal target is gambling. In the case of human injury, that means gambling on human life. You must be specific and correct in judgment before deciding to shoot. Otherwise, it's reckless behavior. In addition to identifying the target, a hunter must know that a safe backstop for their bullet is present in every shooting situation. We don't always hit our target; in some cases, the bullet passes through the target. A safe backstop guarantees that no one will get hurt.
    • K = Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot. If a hunter stumbles with a firearm in one hand and nothing in the other, whatever that person does with their free hand will automatically happen with the hand holding the gun. If a finger is inside the trigger guard, that hand will likely close around the gun's pistol grip and on the trigger causing an unwanted discharge.

Register A Harvest

Bobcat

You must register your bobcat harvest with the DNR by 5 p.m. the day after recovery by visiting GameReg or by calling 844-GAME-REG (844-426-3734) AND you must exhibit your bobcat to an authorized DNR representative for certification no later than seven days after the month of harvest. The bobcat pelt must be separated from the carcass and both parts must be presented at the time of certification.

Other Small Game Species

Registration isn't required for the remaining small game species.

Small Game Health and Diseases

Information on Game Birds and HPAI

In the spring of 2022, a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in numerous domestic and wild birds throughout Wisconsin. It is expected that the virus will continue to circulate in wild bird populations this year. In general, upland birds such as pheasants have behaviors and prefer habitats that make them less likely to encounter avian influenza viruses in the wild.

Hunters should never harvest wild birds that appear sick. If you observe a sick pheasant, ruffed grouse, or other game bird, contact the DNR's Wildlife Switchboard by emailing DNRWildlifeSwitchboard@wisconsin.gov or leaving a voicemail for a return phone call at 608-267-0866.

This strain of HPAI does not pose a food safety risk. However, hunters should always ensure the proper handling of game meat. Harvested birds should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Additional recommendations for hunters are on the USDA website. Visit the DNR's wildlife diseases page for more information on avian influenza and other diseases affecting wildlife health.

West Nile Virus Sampling Project 2018-2021

2021 was the fourth and final year of a region-wide effort to understand better the West Nile virus in ruffed grouse in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The primary objectives of this multi-year monitoring effort were to:

  1. Assess the feasibility of utilizing hunter-harvested ruffed grouse to obtain biological samples from harvested birds for disease screening and collecting relevant metadata.
  2. Determine the prevalence of exposure to WNV in ruffed grouse populations and if there is a significant change by year in Wisconsin.
  3. Evaluate whether samples can be collected sufficiently to assess prevalence across different state regions.
  4. Examine submitted samples for evidence of clinical disease associated with WNV infection.

Self-Sampling Kits

Thank you to all hunters who submitted a self-sampling kit for the 2018-2021 seasons; a final report on results by year can be found below.