Natural Resources Board approves 2026 deer harvest quotas

The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board approved the 2026 deer harvest quotas and season framework during its June 24 meeting.

The recommendations were developed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with input from Citizen Deer Advisory Councils (CDACs), public feedback and local deer population goals.

Antlerless harvest opportunities vary between deer management units (DMUs) based on local deer population levels and management goals.

For the 2026 season, 272,720 bonus antlerless harvest authorizations will be available for purchase statewide. The permits go on sale beginning Aug. 17 through the Go Wild license system and at license sales locations.

One exception is DMU 116. It covers parts of Price and Oneida counties. No bonus antlerless harvest authorizations will be available in the unit this year after the local CDAC recommended a buck-only season.

Acting Deer Program Specialist Ryan Haffele said the local CDAC remains concerned about low deer numbers.

“With the new habitat-based DMUs developed to try and better manage deer populations, the CDAC felt compelled to go to a buck-only unit this year to see if it will have an impact in increasing the deer population,” said Haffele.

Haffele said deer populations in northern Wisconsin have been lagging behind historical highs since the severe winter of 2013. He said the department believed the herd could have sustained another modest antlerless harvest. However, it ultimately supported the council’s recommendation after considering concerns from local hunters and other stakeholders.

Despite the buck-only season, junior antlerless harvest authorizations will still be valid in DMU 116. Qualified active-duty military members and Purple Heart recipients may also harvest antlerless deer in the unit under state law.

Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations go on sale by management zone on Aug. 17. Remaining permits become available statewide beginning Aug. 20. Hunters can find the 2026 deer harvest quotas and season framework on the DNR’s White-tailed Deer Hunting webpage.