Hunting Seasons Open September 12: What to Know on the Preserves

A white-tailed deer splashes across a flooded meadow at Oak Road Nature Preserve. Photo by Jim Perry.

Wisconsin’s archery and crossbow deer season opens Saturday, September 12, with more fall seasons to follow. Many Door County Land Trust preserves are open to hunting, and every preserve stays open to hikers year-round, hunting seasons included. Here is what to know, whichever way you head into the woods this fall.

If you hunt

Hunters play an important role as conservation partners with the Door County Land Trust. You do not need individual permission to hunt on open preserves; you do need to know which lands and zones are open for which seasons. The Hunting Program page has zone maps, season tables, and the list of preserves closed to hunting.

The rules in brief: carry a valid Wisconsin license, follow DNR seasons and regulations, and wear blaze orange where the state requires it. Label tree stands and trail cameras with your name, address, and phone number, and take them out with you at the end of each day. Baiting and motorized vehicles are not permitted on any preserve. The full rules are on the program page.

One more ask: fill out the voluntary Hunting Info Form. Your info documents preserve use for the state grants that fund public hunting access. The more hunters who share, the stronger the case for opening more land.

Note that conservation easement lands are private property. The Land Trust cannot grant hunting permission there; contact the landowner directly.

If you hike

The trails are yours all fall. Hunters and hikers share these spaces safely by staying aware:

• Wear blaze orange or bright colors. Visibility protects you. Skip white; it resembles the tail of a white-tailed deer.
• Stay on marked trails. Hunters expect hikers on trails, not off-trail.
• Make noise. Talk, whistle, or use bells so hunters know you’re nearby.
• Keep pets leashed, and put a blaze orange vest on your dog if you have one.

Questions

Everything else, including season dates by preserve and a hunter FAQ, lives on the Hunting Program page. Still have a question? Email info@doorcountylandtrust.org or call (920) 746-1359.