Wisconsin DNR seeking public input on the 2026 deer season

Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the state’s Citizen Deer Advisory Councils are seeking public feedback on Wisconsin’s deer management, including harvest quotas, season structure and more ahead of the 2026 deer season.

Each unit in Wisconsin has a Citizen Deer Advisory Council that meets annually to provide input and recommendations to the DNR on local deer management based on deer herd metrics, unit management goals and the public feedback they receive. This process is done annually to allow for adjustments in response to the previous year’s deer harvest, winter severity and other factors.

Citizen Deer Advisory Councils in the Northern and Central Forest Deer Management zones will make recommendations on their new habitat-based deer management units. As a reminder, unit boundaries in the Northern Forest Zone were changed from county lines to create habitat-based deer management units.

Modifications have also occurred to metro subunits in the southeastern portion of the state. A map of the 2026 deer management units is available on the DNR’s Deer Management webpage.

Following the Citizen Deer Advisory Council process, the DNR will bring its recommendations for the 2026 season to the Natural Resources Board for review in June.

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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 Citizen Deer Advisory Councils as they develop their recommendations for the DNR.

The survey link is available on the Citizen Deer Advisory Council webpage and will remain open through April 12.

Participate In Person

The public is encouraged to attend their local Citizen 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 unit data on harvest trends, herd health, the deer hunter experience and deer/human conflict issues like crop and property damage.

Citizen Deer Advisory Council meetings will take place across the state from April 20 through April 30. More details, including meeting locations, are available online.

More information about this process is available on the DNR’s Citizen Deer Advisory Councils webpage. Questions about the Citizen Deer Advisory Councils may be submitted to DNRCDACWebMail@wisconsin.gov.