Wisconsin DNR seeking public feedback on deer seasons

Madison, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and County Deer Advisory Councils are seeking public feedback on Wisconsin’s deer management, including harvest quotas, management zones and more ahead of the 2025 deer season. 

Each county in Wisconsin has a County Deer Advisory Council that meets annually to provide input and recommendations to the DNR on local deer management based on deer herd metrics, county management goals and the public feedback they receive. These recommendations are reviewed and set annually to allow for adjustments in response to the previous year’s deer harvest, winter severity and other factors. 

This year, County Deer Advisory Councils in the Northern and Central Forest deer management zones will make recommendations on numbered deer management units. Boundaries in the Northern Forest Zone were changed from county lines to create habitat-based deer management units. Some County Deer Advisory Councils will make multiple recommendations based on the number of units within a county’s borders. 

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Modifications have also occurred to metro subunits in the southeastern portion of the state. A map of the 2025 DMUs is available on the DNR’s Deer Management webpage.

Following the County Deer Advisory Council process, the DNR will bring its recommendations for the 2025 season to the Natural Resources Board for review in June.

Submit feedback online

The DNR encourages input from anyone interested in helping shape local deer herd management preferences during the online input period. This feedback will be considered by the local County Deer Advisory Councils as they develop their recommendations for the DNR.

The survey link will be available on the County Deer Advisory Council webpage once the input period opens on April 5 and will remain open through April 13.

Participate in person

The public is also encouraged to attend their local County Deer Advisory Council meeting to join the discussion about local deer management and provide input on deer season details. Meetings include a review and discussion of current county data on harvest trends, herd health, the deer hunter experience and deer/human conflict issues like crop and property damage.

County Deer Advisory Council meetings will take place across the state from April 21 through May 1. More details, including meeting locations, are available in the 2025 County Deer Advisory Committee Meeting Schedule.

Any questions about the County Deer Advisory Council process may be submitted to DNRCDACWebMail@wisconsin.gov.

More information is available on the DNR’s County Deer Advisory Councils webpage.