Wisconsin Mixed Bag: Leftover turkey tags go on sale this week

Madison — More than 100,000 leftover spring turkey tags will go on sale this week, by zone, beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, March 16, with leftover tags in Zone 1, which has more than 11,000 tags remaining in each of the last three seasons.

Zone 2 leftovers go on sale Tuesday, March, 17, and so on. Notably, Zone 2 has more than 17,500 tags available in the last three periods.  Zone 2 has a limited number of fourth week tags, but nearly 8,000 for the fifth period and more than 8,400 for the sixth period.

Zone 3 has more than 9,000 tags remaining for each of the last three seasons. Zone 4 has more than 5,000 tags left for the last two seasons. There are no leftover tags in Zone 6; Zone 7 has just 106 leftovers for the last season.

The tags are $10 for residents and $15 for nonresidents. Hunters must have a spring license and a stamp to buy a bonus tag ($15 for residents; $65 for nonresidents). The 2026 turkey stamp is $5.25.

The youth turkey weekend is April 11-12, with the first of six seven-day hunt periods beginning April 15 and ending May 26.

MORE COVERAGE FROM WISCONSIN OUTDOOR NEWS:

Federal funds for Wisconsin’s Voluntary Public Access program still in limbo

Three-pound perch from Green Bay could be biggest caught in Wisconsin in 70 years

Ask a Fisheries Biologist: How often are Wisconsin anglers limiting out on panfish?

Elk Tag Application Period Opened March 1

Madison — The elk application period opened Sunday, March 1, and will continue through Sunday, May 31. For the third year in a row, there will be increased opportunity within the Central Elk Management Zone (formerly Black River Elk Range), as additional bull and cow tags will be available. The 2026 elk quota for the Central Elk Management Zone is six bulls and six antlerless elk, up from a quota of four bulls and five antlerless in 2025.

The Northern Elk Management Zone (formerly Clam Lake Elk Range) quota will be eight bulls, subject to a 50% declaration by the state’s six Chippewa tribes.

Applicants will have the choice to submit one bull application and/or one antlerless application, separately. Applicants may apply to any unit grouping with an associated quota for a bull or antlerless. The order of drawing will be bull licenses first, followed by antlerless. Selected applicants will be notified in early June.   

In 2026, there will be one continuous hunting season, opening Saturday, Oct. 17, and continuing through Sunday, Dec. 13, eliminating the split-season structure that was in effect from 2018-25. This offers elk hunters more opportunities and flexibility to pursue elk in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin residents may submit elk license applications online through the Go Wild license portal or in person at a license sales agent. The application fee is $10 for each of the bull elk and antlerless elk drawings and is limited to one application per person, per authorization type.

The DNR recommends that all applicants check and update their contact information to ensure contact with successful applicants.

Rowley’s Bay Boat Launch Temporarily Closed

Liberty Grove, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will temporarily close the Rowley’s Bay boat launch in the town of Liberty Grove near Newport State Park in Door County from ice off until approximately 4 p.m. Sunday,
May 31 to  make improvements on the concrete launch.

People hoping to access Rowley’s Bay with trailered boats will have to find different access points or fishing locations during this time; however, the access may still be used to launch rowboats, canoes or kayaks during the repairs.

Pheasant Fest Headed to Omaha in 2027

Minneapolis, Minn. — Before wrapping up its 2026 National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic at the Minneapolis Convention Center recently, Pheasants Forever announced that Omaha, Neb., will host the 2027 event. It marks the organization’s fifth trip to Omaha.

“Please join us next year, as chapters, members, exhibitors, speakers and attendees celebrate the accomplishments and mission of The Habitat Organization on March 5-7, 2027, at the CHI Health Center,” the group said in a statement early last week.

Continuous and General CRP Enrollment Period Now Open

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture 2026 enrollment periods are open, with offers being accepted for continuous CRP for the first batching period through March 20. The general CRP signup is running from March 9 through April 17.

“We’re still very close to the 27-million acre statutory cap with 1.9 million acres available for all CRP enrollments this fiscal year, so enrollment is likely to be competitive,” USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce said. “This isn’t about the total number of acres enrolled, it’s about producers and landowners offering and USDA accepting the acres that can best deliver real, lasting benefits to soil, water and wildlife.”

This enrollment is especially crucial for states with the highest number of acres expiring from CRP this year. Four states have over 100,000 acres expiring in 2026: Iowa, Washington, Illinois, and Kansas.

DNR Monitoring Walworth Co. Manure Spill

Madison — The DNR is responding to a manure discharge to an unnamed tributary in Walworth County that is impacting Geneva Lake. On March 6, in response to rain in the area of a recent field application of manure by Merry-Water Farms, DNR staff conducted a site visit and observed manure running off farm fields near the intersection of South Lakeshore Drive and Linn Road in the town of Linn. The discharge has entered Geneva Lake via an unnamed tributary on the south end of the lake.

The DNR advises members of the public to avoid activities that may result in incidental ingestion of water from Geneva Lake or the unnamed tributary in the town of Linn. DNR staff are on site to monitor the situation as the farm works to address the discharge.