Hunting Season is always a special time of the year. Whether you are planning on waiting patiently in a deer stand to bag that trophy buck or sitting knee deep in the marsh hoping to bag a band. Being able to take advantage of all the hunting seasons is why The Waterfowl Hunter has put together the hunting dates for Wisconsin.
These dates serve as a general guide for more specific hunting visit Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Deer Hunting Seasons
| Type of Hunt | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Archery and Crossbow | Sept. 16, 2017 | Jan. 7, 2018 |
| Archery and Crossbow *Metro Sub-Units Only* | Sept. 16, 2017 | Jan. 31, 2018 |
| Gun Hunt for Hunters With Disabilities (Not a Statewide Season ) | Oct. 7, 2017 | Oct. 15, 2018 |
| Youth Deer Hunt | Oct. 7, 2017 | Oct. 8, 2017 |
| Gun | Nov. 18, 2017 | Nov. 26, 2017 |
| Muzzleloader | Nov. 27, 2017 | Dec. 6, 2017 |
| December 4-day Antlerless Hunt | Dec. 7, 2017 | Dec. 10, 2017 |
| Antlerless-Only Holiday Hunt | Dec. 24, 2017 | Jan. 1, 2018 |
Bear
| Zones | First Day | Last Day | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone C (Dogs Not Permitted) | Sept. 6, 2017 | Oct. 10, 2017 | With Aid of Bait With All Other Legal Methods Not Using Dogs |
| All Other Zones (Dogs Permitted) | Sept. 6, 2017 | Sept. 12, 2017 | With Aid of Dogs Only |
| Sept. 13, 2017 | Oct. 3, 2017 | With Aid of Dogs With Aid of Bait With All Other Legal Methods | |
| Oct. 4, 2017 | Oct. 10, 2017 | With Aid of Bait With All Other Legal Methods Not Using Dogs |
Migratory Birds
| Dates Will Be Established In Mid-April |
|---|
Wild Turkey
| Season | Period | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Youth Turkey Hunt | April 15, 2017 | April 16, 2017 | |
| Spring 2017 | Period A | April 19, 2017 | April 25, 2017 |
| Period B | April 26, 2017 | May 2, 2017 | |
| Period C | May 3, 2017 | May 9, 2017 | |
| Period D | May 10, 2017 | May 16, 2017 | |
| Period E | May 17, 2017 | May 23, 2017 | |
| Period F | May 24, 2017 | May 30, 2017 | |
| Fall 2017 | Zones 1 – 5 | Sept. 16, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2017 |
| Zones 6 – 7 | Sept. 16, 2017 | Nov. 17, 2017 |
Small Mammals
Cottontail Rabbit
| Zone | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Zone | Sept. 16, 2017 | Feb. 28, 2018 |
| Southern Zone | Oct. 14, 2017 (9 a.m.) | Feb. 28, 2018 |
Squirrels (Gray and Fox)
| Zone | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Sept. 16, 2017 | Jan. 31, 2018 |
Other Game Birds
Pheasant
| Zones | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Oct. 14, 2017 (9 a.m.) | Dec. 31, 2017 |
Bobwhite Quail
| Zones | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Oct. 14, 2017 (9 a.m.) | Dec. 6, 2017 |
Ruffled Grouse
| Zones | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Zone A | Sept. 16, 2017 | Jan. 31, 2018 |
| Zone B | Oct. 14, 2017 | Dec. 8, 2017 |
Sharp-Tailed Grouse
| Season is Under Review |
|---|
Hungarian Partridge
| Zones | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide (Closed in Clark, Marathon, and Taylor Counties) | Oct. 14, 2017 (9 a.m.) | Dec. 31, 2017 |
Crow
| Zones | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Sept. 16, 2017 | Nov. 16, 2017 |
| Jan. 18, 2017 | March 20, 2017 |
Furbearers
Coyote
| Season | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting | Continuous Open Season | |
| Trapping | Oct. 14, 2017 | Feb. 15, 2018 |
Fox, Red, and Gray
| Season | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting | Oct. 14, 2017 | Feb. 15, 2018 |
| Trapping | Oct. 14, 2017 | Feb. 15, 2018 |
Beaver
| Season | Zone | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Zone A (Northwest) | Nov. 4, 2017 | April 30, 2018 |
| Zone B (Northeast) | Nov. 4, 2017 | April 30, 2018 | |
| Zone C (South) | Nov. 4, 2017 | March 31, 2018 | |
| Zone D (Mississippi River) | Day After Duck Season Closes | March 15, 2018 |
Mink
| Season | Zone | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Oct. 28, 2017 | March 4, 2018 |
| Mississippi River Zone | The Day After Duck Season Closes or the Second Monday in November (Nov. 13), Whichever Occurs First | March 4, 2018 |
Muskrat
| Season | Zone | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Oct. 28, 2017 | March 4, 2018 |
| Mississippi River Zone | The Day After Duck Season Closes or the Second Monday in November (Nov. 13), Whichever Occurs First | March 4, 2018 |
Bobcat
| Hunt Type | Period | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunting | Period 1 | Oct. 14, 2017 | Dec. 25, 2017 |
| Period 2 | Dec. 26, 2017 | Jan. 31, 2018 | |
| Trapping | North & South Zones, Period 1 | Oct. 14, 2017 | Dec. 25, 2017 |
| North & South Zones, Period 2 | Dec. 26, 2017 | Jan. 31, 2018 |
Otter
| Hunt Type | Zones | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | North Zone | Nov. 4, 2017 | April 30, 2018 |
| Central Zone | Nov. 4, 2017 | March 31, 2018 | |
| South Zone | Nov. 4, 2017 | March 31, 2018 |
Fisher
| Hunt Type | Zones | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Various Zones | Oct. 14, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2017 |
Raccoon
| Hunting/Trapping | First Day | Last Day |
|---|---|---|
| Resident | Oct. 14, 2017 | Feb. 15, 2018 |
| Non-Resident | Nov. 4, 2017 | Feb. 15, 2018 |
Opossum, Skunk, Weasel and Snowshoe Hare
| No Season Limits, bag limits, size limits or possession limits, but a license is required. |
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