Hunting and Trapping Season Dates

Hunters Season dates for all species are found on this page. Some species listed are protected and therefore do not have a season. Some seasons are subject to change before hunting and trapping regulations pamphlets are published. Consult the regulation pamphlets before going into the field.

Check the Outdoor Report for the most up to date hunting and outdoor news releases or the Hunting and Trapping Regulations for more details on hunting and trapping in Wisconsin.

Reference the 2007 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping season dates document. [PDF 131KB]

Download the 2008 Wisconsin Hunting and Trapping season dates for season dates extending into and ending in 2009. [PDF 803KB]

The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission Regulations (Exit DNR)

2008 Season Dates

American Woodcock	Badger	Beaver
Black Bear	Bobcat	Bobwhite Quail
Cottontail Rabbit	Coyote	Crow
Dove	Fisher	Flying Squirrel
Fox	Gray/Fox Squirrels	Gray Partridge
Jackrabbit	Mink	Muskrat
Opossum	Otter	Raccoon
Ring-necked Pheasant	Ruffed Grouse	Sharp-tailed Grouse
Skunk	Snowshoe Hare	Waterfowl
Weasel	White-tailed Deer	Wild Turkey
Woodchuck

White-tailed Deer (non-CWD units and non-metro units)

Due to pending rules, these deer seasons may be modified.

Bow - Sept. 13 - Nov. 20, 2008 and Dec. 1, 2008 - Jan. 4, 2009
Gun - Nov. 22 - Nov. 30, 2008
Muzzleloader - Dec. 1 - Dec. 10, 2008
Youth Deer Hunt - Oct. 11 & 12, 2008
Statewide Antlerless Hunt - Dec. 11 - Dec. 14, 2008
CWD Zones Season Dates

**See the 2008 Deer Hunting Regulations for October anterless only gun hunting opportunities likely to be in place on October 16-19; list of Herd Control and Earn-a-Buck units; and for CWD hunt dates.

Black Bear

Zone C where dogs are not permitted: - Sept. 3 - Oct. 7, 2008

All other zones where dogs are permitted:

Sept. 3 - Sept. 9, 2008

with aid of bait
with other methods not utilizing dogs

Sept. 10 - 30, 2008

with aid of dogs
with aid of bait
with other methods

Oct. 1 - Oct. 7, 2008

with aid of dogs only

Wild Turkey

Youth Turkey Hunt: April 12 - 13, 2008

2008 Spring Open Zones:

Period A: Apr 16 - 20, 2008
Period B: Apr 23 - 27, 2008
Period C: Apr 30 - May 4, 2008
Period D: May 7 - 11, 2008
Period E: May 14 - 18, 2008
Period F: May 21 - 25, 2008

2008 Fall Season - September 13 - November 20, 2008

Ring-necked Pheasant

Statewide - Oct. 18 (noon) - Dec. 31, 2008

Ruffed Grouse

Zone A - Sept. 13 - Jan. 31, 2009
Zone B - Oct. 18 - Dec. 8, 2008

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Oct. 18 - Nov. 9, 2008

Bobwhite Quail

Statewide - Oct. 18 (noon) - Dec. 10, 2008

Gray (Hungarian) Partridge

Statewide* - Oct. 18 (noon) - Dec. 31, 2008

*Closed in Clark, Marathon, and Taylor Counties

Crow

Jan. 18 – March 20, 2008
Sept. 13 - Nov. 20, 2008

Mourning Dove

Statewide - Sept. 1 - Oct. 30, 2008

Cottontail Rabbit

Northern Zone - Sept. 13, 2008 - Feb. 28, 2009
Southern Zone - Oct. 18 (noon), 2008 - Feb. 28, 2009

Gray and Fox Squirrels

Statewide - Sept. 13, 2008 - Jan. 31, 2009

Raccoon

Resident Hunting/Trapping - Oct. 18, 2008 - Jan. 31, 2009
Non-Resident Furbearer - Nov. 1, 2008 - Jan. 31, 2009

Fox (All Species)

Northern Zone - Oct. 18, 2008 - Feb. 15, 2009
Southern Zone - Oct. 25, 2008 - Feb. 15, 2009

Coyote

Hunting:
Continuous open season except closed in the northern Wisconsin wolf management zone during the regular gun deer, December antlerless only, and muzzleloader seasons.

Trapping:

Northern Zone - Oct. 18, 2008 - Feb. 15, 2009
Southern Zone - Oct. 25, 2008 - Feb. 15, 2009

Opossum, Skunk, Weasel, and Snowshoe Hare

No season limits, bag limits, size limits, or possession limits

Protected Species

Hunting Protected Species such as badger, woodchuck, wolf, elk, jackrabbit and flying squirrel is prohibited. See Small Game Regulations for more details.

Beaver

Trapping Only:

Zone A (Northwest) - Nov. 1, 2008 - April 30, 2009
Zone B (Northeast) - Nov. 1, 2008 - April 30, 2009
Zone C (South) - Nov. 1, 2008 - March 31, 2009
Zone D (Mississippi River) - Day after duck season closes to March 15, 2009.
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Muskrat

Northern Zone - Oct. 18, 2008 - Feb. 28, 2009
South Zone - Oct. 25, 2008 - Feb. 28, 2009
Winnebago - Oct. 25, 2008 - March 15, 2009
Mississippi River - Begins the day after duck season closes or the second Monday in November, whichever occurs first, and ends February 28, 2009.

Mink

North Zone - Oct. 18, 2008 - Feb. 28, 2009
South Zone - Oct. 25, 2008 - Feb. 28, 2009
Winnebago - Oct. 25, 2008 - March 15, 2009
Mississippi River - Begins the day after duck season closes or the second Monday in November, whichever occurs first, and ends on February 28, 2009.

Otter

Permits required

Trapping Only:

Northern Zone - Nov. 1, 2008 - April 30, 2009
Central Zone - Nov. 1, 2008 - March 31, 2009
South Zone - Nov. 1, 2008 - March 31, 2009

Fisher

Permits required

Trapping Only:

Various Zones - Oct. 18 - Dec. 31, 2008

Bobcat

Permits required

Hunting/Trapping:

North of Hwy 64 - Oct. 18 - Dec. 31, 2008

Waterfowl

Early September Canada Goose Season

Dates: September 1-15, 2008 with a daily bag of 5 geese.

Youth Waterfowl Hunt

Dates: September 20-21, 2008. The daily bag is the same as the regular seasons.

Ducks

Dates:

Northern Zone: September 27 – November 25, 2008;
Southern Zone: October 4 - 12, 2008, October 18 - December 7, 2008

Bag: 60 Day Season – Daily bag of 6 ducks, no more than 4 mallards of which only 1 may be a hen, 3 wood ducks, 1 black duck, 2 redheads, 1 scaup for 40 days and 2 for 20 days, 1 pintail (60 days). Closed canvasback season. In addition, 5 mergansers to include not more than two hooded mergansers. Coot daily bag of 15. *Opening day shooting hours will begin at 9am.

Scaup

The Migratory Committee of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress agreed upon the following dates and the WDNR concurred.

Special Scaup Season - North zone:

September 27 – October 17, 2008 – 1 duck daily bag
October 18 – November 6, 2008 – 2 duck daily bag
November 7 – 25, 2008 – 1 duck daily bag

Special Scaup Season South zone:

October 4 – 12, 2008 – 1 duck daily bag
October 13 - 17, 2008 – Overall duck season closed
October 18 – 31, 2008 – 1 duck daily bag
November 1 – 20, 2008 – 2 duck daily bag
November 21- December 7, 2008 – 1 duck daily bag

Canada Geese

Year 2 of 5 year Mississippi Flyway stable Canada goose season.

Dates:
Bag: Daily Bag of two geese.

Exterior Zone North: September 20 – December 13, 2008
Exterior Zone South: September 20 – October 12 and October 18 - December 18, 2008
Mississippi River Subzone: October 4 – 12 and October 18 – January 1, 2009

Horicon Zone: Only 2 periods simplify and provide more hunting days.
Bag: Daily bag of two, six tags per hunter.

H1: September 16 – November 2, 2008
H2: November 3 – December 16, 2008

Collins Zone:
Bag: Daily bag of two, six tags per hunter

Period 1: September 16 – October 3, 2008 and October 4 (9am) - 5, 2008
Period 2: October 6 – 26, 2008
Period 3: October 27 – November 21, 2008

Other Geese

Light geese (Snow, Blue and Ross) and Brant: Seasons are the same as for the Canada goose zones and subzones. Daily Bag Limit: 1 brant and 20 light geese.

White-fronted geese: Season is the same as for Canada geese in the Exterior and Collins zones. In the Horicon zone the season will be September 22 – December 16. Daily Bag Limit: 1 white-fronted goose.

Important Changes for 2008

Federal frameworks close canvasback season, offer scaup at 40 days/1 bird bag and 20 days with a 2 bird bag for a total of 60 days, and an increased daily bag of wood ducks from 2 to 3.
Horicon zone simplified to 2 time periods.
Mourning dove season extended by 10 days, Sept. 1- Nov.9; Non-toxic shot required on DNR managed lands

Falconry

Ducks - Dates are all the days ducks are open to gun hunting in the respective zones plus September 20 and 21 and January 9 - February 22, 2009.

Geese - Dates are the same as the statewide gun season.

Woodcock:

Sept. 20 - Nov. 3, 2008.

Contact your local DNR office

Questions for Wildlife Management

Last Revised: Thursday August 14 2008