Deer Management Units change for this year’s hunting season

Wisconsin’s annual gun deer season opens on Saturday, Nov. 22, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 30.  

Through Oct. 31, 2025, year-to-date sales for gun, bow, crossbow, sports and patron licenses reached 463,983. Of that total, 137,394 are for gun privileges only, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR reminds hunters that Deer Management Units (DMUs) have changed.

DMUs in the Northern Forest Management Zones have been converted to habitat-based units, as opposed to county-based units. A map of the new DMUs is available at https://tinyurl.com/bdec2sut.

Forest Zone DMUs are now referred to by a number. Hunters need to know their DMU name or number when requesting antlerless permits.

All harvested deer must be registered electronically by 5 p.m. the day after the deer is recovered. Hunters need the unique harvest authorization number associated with each permit. Registration provides accurate harvest data for DNR wildlife managers and County Deer Advisory Councils for the management of Wisconsin’s deer herd.

The three options to register a deer are: 

ν Online with GameReg at https://gowild.wi.gov/wildlife/harvest

ν By phone at 1-844-426-3734 

ν Electronically at a participating in-person registration station. To find a station, visit https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/cwd/RegStation/Search.