Hunting Adventures in Price County

Bear Hunting | Ruffed Grouse Hunting | Deer Hunting
Turkey Hunting | Data for Quota Permit Zones
Rifle Ranges~ Hunting Seasons | Guides

~ Hunting in the Chequamegon-Nicolet N. F.

Things to Know About Hunting in the CNNF

Hunting Regulations | Fall Hunting Forecast
Outdoor/Hunting Conditions

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Hunting in Price County

Hunting opportunities abound in Price County. The county holds some of the best public hunting lands in the state. In fact, with acres of managed habitat, there's no better place to hunt ruffed grouse than Price County. In addition to grouse, turkey, deer and bear attract many hunters.

Ruffed Grouse Hunting

Northern Wisconsin boasts of the largest Ruffed Grouse population in the nation, and Price County is located right in the center of Wisconsin's Northwoods with over 300,000 acres of huntable land available. Park Falls in northern Price County claims to have the most habitat for Ruffed Grouse anywhere and its claim to fame is as the "Ruffed Grouse Capital of the World". Ruffed Grouse are found throughout the forest with the best populations in areas with a combination of young and old aspen trees. Aspen is one of the most common tree species in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Clumps of evergreen trees interspersed among the aspen provide ideal hiding places for grouse. Miles of mapped hunter walking trails have been developed. The trails are seeded and mowed and are gated to exclude motorized vehicles. Guides are available to assist you in your quest for "feathered dynamite" in the Price County region. For additional information regarding grouse in Wisconsin please visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's website grouse hunting page.

The WDNR has released the 2009 Ruffed Grouse Drumming Survey and are reporting increases in the spring drumming count over last year. You can view the entire 2009 Ruffed Grouse Drumming Report at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/harvest/reports/09finaldrum.pdf.

Bear Hunting

Price County boasts one of the highest bear harvests year after year. Close to 200 bears are harvested annually in Price County. For additional information regarding bear in Wisconsin please visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's website bear hunting page.

Deer Hunting

Wisconsin is recognized as one of the premier deer hunting states in the nation as Wisconsin is home to a thriving deer herd. Wildlife habitat changes during the past century due to farming, logging, and urban expansion have led to the evolution of new method for managing our deer populations in an attempt to control their numbers under a wide array of habitats and social conditions. For additional information regarding deer in Wisconsin please visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's website deer hunting page.

Turkey Hunting

The wild turkey is truly one of Wisconsin's wildlife management success stories. A key role in the success of the wild turkey management program can be attributed to hunters through their purchase of the Wild Turkey Stamp which provides vital financial support in providing for future opportunities for turkey management and hunting in Wisconsin. Since wild turkeys were first successfully reintroduced into Wisconsin in 1976, population levels continue to increase and expand statewide. Successful restoration of the wild turkey resulted from tremendous hunter and landowner support, good survival, and high quality habitat. For additional information regarding turkey in Wisconsin please visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's website turkey hunting page.

Fall Hunting Forecast

To view the 2009 WI DNR Fall Hunting Forecast, go to

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/forecast/fallhuntingforecast.pdf.

Deer and Bear Data for Deer Management/ Quota Permit Zones

Do you know the four basic rules of firearm safety?

Hunting on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest - http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf/rec/hunting/

Deer regulation booklets are available at DNR licensing locations, and can be found online: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/regs/. If you have questions regarding the hunting regulations, you may contact the DNR Call Center, toll free at 1-888-WDNRINFo (1-888-936-7463). The Call Center is open 7 days a week from 7am - 10pm.

DNR deer population map helps hunters keep track of deer populations throughout the state - http://www.wjfw.com/stories.html?sku=20091027171218

Hunters registered 195,647 deer during the November 2009 hunt - Price County - 2009: 1,227 Bucks, 1,023 Anterless, 2,250 Total; 2008: 1,559 Bucks, 1,839 Anterless, 3,398 Total - http://dnr.wi.gov/news/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=1511

Proposed for 2010 - 16-day deer hunt starting Saturday before Thanksgiving

In 2009, 626,404 licenses were purchased for Wisconsin’s Gun Deer Season. Of these, 9,592 were 10- and 11-year-olds who were able to participate in this year’s hunt under the new Hunting Youth Mentorship Program. Nearly one-third of all hunters were under the age of 30. Deer license and tag sales will continue through the hunting seasons. Of the hunters purchasing 2009 gun deer licenses:

592,287 (95 percent) were residents and 34,117 were nonresidents;
Over 79,000 youth hunters under 18 years old participated in this year’s hunt, representing 13 percent of the total number of deer hunters;
More than 54,000 hunters were age 65 or older, and over 191,000 (31 percent) are under 30-years-old;
Females represent 8.5 percent of the total hunters, and 20 percent of new 10- and 11-year-old hunters;
Hunters throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries purchased a Wisconsin gun deer license. The highest number of nonresident hunters came from Minnesota (16,413), Illinois (8,568), Michigan (1,078), and Florida (898);
The most deer licenses were sold in Dane County (29,024), with Brown, Washington, Marathon and Waukesha counties following;
More than 170,000 antlerless deer tags have been sold this year.

Many deer management units (DMU) have changed unit designations and tagging regulations since 2008. Please review the season structure map and tagging regulations in your unit: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/HUNT/DEER/dmu.htm

There are more "Regular" units this year (appears as solid white units on map). In these units, gun hunters who wish to tag an antlerless deer must have a unit-specific antlerless tag. These limited quantity tags must be purchased in addition to your normal hunting license. These tags are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some Regular units will not have any antlerless tags available this year, and others have already sold out. Check the tag availability online and act quickly if tags are running low for your unit: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cs/BonusAvailability.htm. The free antlerless tag that automatically comes with your license is not valid in Regular units.
Herd Control Units (appears as shaded units on map) - Many of these units were formerly Earn-a-Buck (EAB) units in 2008. Hunters are no longer required to pre-qualify for a buck by harvesting an antlerless deer first in these units. A free "Antlerless Deer Carcass Tag" comes with your license, which is valid in these units. Unlimited, additional "Antlerless Herd Control Carcass Tags" can be purchased any time after you purchase a 2009 deer hunting license.
CWD Management Units (appears as white cross-hatched units on the map) - The same season dates and tagging requirements will apply this year as 2008. Earn-a-Buck regulations are still in effect for CWD units. Hunters that have saved a yellow "2008-2009" Buck Authorization Sticker from last year are eligible to tag a buck in these units this year. Or, hunters can earn-a-buck by tagging an antlerless deer in 2009. Hunters must request an orange "2009-2010" Buck Authorization Sticker at the deer registration station for each antlerless deer they tag and register. Stickers will not be mailed out to hunters.

Deer carcass tag tip sheet available - There are some important deer carcass tagging changes in 2009 that hunters will want to be aware of.

Deer Donation program

Mentored hunting program report

The Wisconsin DNR is giving all deer hunters the chance to record their sightings of deer and other wildlife during deer seasons on the Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey. The WDNR is interested in all hunting trips, even if you do not see anything during your hunt. This data will be used to measure the relative abundance and distribution of deer and other mammalian/avian wildlife species in the state.

Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey Results for the first two months of the 2009 archery hunt, the youth, and antlerless only deer seasons: Hunters have reported over 5,600 hunting trips on the. Hunters are averaging 4.1 hours per hunting trip. Deer hunters see on average about 1.55 deer per trip, or about 0.38 deer per hour of hunting time. Does are the most commonly sighted deer, followed by fawns, then bucks. Turkeys are the next most commonly seen animal, with an average of 1.44 turkeys seen per trip. Ruffed grouse and raccoons are the next most commonly seen animal after turkeys.

Chronology of Wisconsin Gun Deer Hunting

Rifle Ranges

These public ranges are open free-of-charge, year-round, during daylight hours. No reservation are required.

FLAMBEAU RIVER PUBLIC SHOOTING RANGE - The rifle range located east of Park Falls near Blockhouse Lake is owned by the DNR and managed in cooperation with the Flambeau Area Sportsman Club. Directions: Six (6) miles east on Hwy. 182, then north on Forest Road 153 to the Blockhouse Lake boat ramp, continue north two miles to the rifle range. For more information, contact: DNR-Park Falls Area, 875 S. 4 th Avenue, Park Falls , WI 54552, 715-762-3204 or Flambeau Area Sportsman Club, N16847 Old 13 Road, Butternut , WI 54514, 715-762-1707.

CRANBERRY CREEK RIFLE RANGE - This rifle range, located south west of Phillips, is maintained by the Phillips Chapter of Whitetails Unlimited and is located on Price County Forest land. Directions: Five (5) miles south of Phillips on Hwy. 13 to Aspen Road, west then south about one mile total on Aspen Road to Cranberry Creek Road . Go west on Cranberry Creek Road about a mile and a half. The range is on the right. For more information, contact: Phillips Chapter of Whitetails Unlimited, Dick Bogdanovic, 715-339-4446, or Price County Forestry and Parks Department, 104 N. Eyder Avenue, Third Floor, Phillips , WI 54555,

715-339-6371, pcforest@co.price.wi.us.

Hunting in Wisconsin - Wisconsin DNR page detailing Wisconsin's hunting seasons and regulations.

Guide Services in Price County