Metro Sub-Unit 103, Wisconsin

Metro Sub-Unit 103 covers the three-county southeastern Wisconsin corridor of Waukesha, Washington, and Ozaukee counties, a glacially shaped landscape dominated by rolling morainic terrain, kettles, and drumlins left by the last ice age. Elevations range roughly from 650 feet near Lake Michigan in Ozaukee County to about 1,361 feet at Holy Hill in Washington County and 1,233 feet at Lapham Peak in Waukesha County — the highest points in the region. The Kettle Moraine, a dramatic interlobate moraine complex running north-south through the unit, provides steep-sided ridges, conical kames, and dense oak-hickory and mixed hardwood forest interspersed with wetland kettles and sedge meadows. Away from the moraine, terrain flattens into rolling agricultural land — corn, soybeans, and hay fields — broken by woodlots, stream corridors along the Milwaukee River, Menomonee River, and Fox River systems, and numerous lakes and ponds. Ozaukee County along the Lake Michigan shore is flatter and more developed, with wooded ravines cutting toward the lake. Wetlands are scattered throughout, particularly in Washington County marshes like Jackson Marsh and Theresa Marsh. Overall the unit is a patchwork of suburban sprawl, remnant farm fields, and forested moraine ridges.

Hunting pressure in Metro Sub-Unit 103 is high, particularly on public land during gun deer season. The Kettle Moraine State Forest — the largest block of public hunting land — draws heavy crowds on opening weekend of gun season and throughout the nine-day November gun hunt. Forum hunters describe the Northern Kettle Moraine as always busy and very difficult to get away from people. Non-hunting recreational users (hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and trail runners) share the forest year-round, complicating hunt setups near popular trails. Weekdays see significantly less pressure than weekends. Archery season pressure is more moderate, and the extended metro sub-unit archery season running through January 31 sees the lightest competition of the year. WMAs and county parks receive moderate pressure during gun season and lighter use during archery and muzzleloader seasons. Private land in the unit is less pressured but access is difficult to obtain. The suburban and exurban character of much of the unit means many deer live in areas effectively off-limits to hunting — residential neighborhoods, parks, and parcels too small to hunt legally — which concentrates deer and hunters alike onto the limited huntable parcels.

Metro Sub-Unit 103 falls within the Farmland Zone for deer management purposes, and hunters can use Farmland antlerless deer harvest authorizations throughout the sub-unit. For the 2025-2026 season, bonus antlerless harvest authorizations were available for purchase in all three counties: Waukesha County offered 1,100 public-land and 1,900 private-land authorizations; Washington County offered 500 public-land and 1,550 private-land authorizations; and Ozaukee County offered 300 public-land and 700 private-land authorizations. These bonus tags went on sale August 19, 2025, at a cost of $12 for residents and $20 for nonresidents. There is no earn-a-buck requirement and no drawing — tags are available over the counter on a first-come, first-served basis through the GoWild licensing system or at licensed agent locations. Each deer hunting license also comes with included farmland antlerless authorizations (one to five depending on unit selection). The first deer license covers an any-deer harvest (buck or antlerless). Baiting and feeding deer is prohibited in all three counties due to active CWD management bans.

Deer seasons in Metro Sub-Unit 103 follow the Farmland Zone structure. Archery and crossbow season opens September 13, 2025, and runs through January 4, 2026, with an extended season in metro sub-units through January 31, 2026 — one of the significant benefits of hunting this sub-unit. Youth gun deer hunt runs October 11-12, 2025. The nine-day gun season runs November 21-29, 2025. Muzzleloader season runs November 30 through December 9, 2025. CWD is present throughout the unit: Waukesha County has historically reported positive CWD rates around 35 percent of tested deer, Washington County has lower but documented CWD, and Ozaukee County had its first CWD case confirmed in 2024. Baiting and feeding deer is banned in all three counties. CWD testing is strongly encouraged for harvested deer. Wild turkey hunting is available in these counties under Wisconsin''s spring turkey season (April-May), with applications through the GoWild lottery system; leftover bonus tags are often available. Turkey populations are solid in the agricultural and mixed-woodland portions of the unit. Waterfowl hunting opportunities exist on the Milwaukee River system and associated wetlands. Small game including squirrel, rabbit, and pheasant (in stocked areas) round out the hunting calendar.

Metro Sub-Unit 103 punches above its weight for whitetail hunting despite its suburban character. Deer densities in Waukesha, Washington, and Ozaukee counties are among the highest in the state — a 2024 combined all-seasons harvest of approximately 7,400 deer across the three counties confirms robust populations. Suburban deer frequently grow large and old in areas where hunting pressure cannot reach them, and the Kettle Moraine provides genuine wilderness-like habitat within 30 minutes of Milwaukee. The best strategy is to hunt the Kettle Moraine Southern Unit during early archery season on weekdays, targeting the moraine ridges and transition zones between oak forest and agricultural fields, or to secure private land permission on one of the many farm properties in Washington County. The extended metro sub-unit archery season through January 31 is arguably the unit''s best feature — late-season hunting with light competition on cold, hard-pressed deer seeking food sources near agricultural fields. Trophy buck potential exists but requires effort to find the less-pressured pockets of the Kettle Moraine or unpressured private land. CWD prevalence, particularly in Waukesha County, is the unit''s primary concern and hunters should plan on testing harvested deer. The proximity to the Milwaukee metro area means easy logistics for day trips, and the Kettle Moraine''s trail network doubles as excellent scouting terrain in the off-season.