Metro Sub-Unit 106, Wisconsin

Metro Sub-Unit 106 sits within Waukesha County in southeastern Wisconsin, part of the broader Milwaukee metropolitan footprint. Elevation across the unit is gently rolling glacial terrain typical of the Lake Michigan lowlands, generally ranging from about 700 to 1,000 feet above sea level with modest drumlins and kettle-lake depressions. Land cover is a mosaic of suburban residential development, commercial corridors, remnant hardwood woodlots dominated by oak, maple, and basswood, scattered wetlands and creek corridors draining to the Fox and Bark rivers, and small agricultural parcels on the urban fringe. The 298.4-square-mile unit encompasses the urban-to-rural transition zone west of Milwaukee, where mature subdivision woodlots and county park forest patches hold surprisingly dense deer populations year-round.

Hunting pressure in Metro Sub-Unit 106 is moderate to high on the limited public parcels, and low to moderate on private land where access is restricted. The county park special archery hunts are permit-controlled and therefore deliberately capped in participant numbers, which keeps pressure manageable on those parcels. Public WMA ground that is open sees consistent bowhunter traffic during the October through December peak, especially on weekends. The suburban character of the unit means most white-tailed deer live on private land surrounding residential development where hunting is either prohibited or requires specific landowner arrangements. Gun hunting pressure is considerably lower than in rural Wisconsin because firearm discharge ordinances in many municipalities limit or prohibit rifle and shotgun use; shotgun, muzzleloader, and handgun are the primary firearm options in metro units. Overall, the unit does not experience the opening-weekend crowd pressure seen in northern Wisconsin public forest units, but huntable acres per hunter ratio is tight.

Metro Sub-Unit 106 falls under Wisconsin''s Farmland Zone antlerless harvest authorization system with additional metro-specific options. Hunters can use Farmland Antlerless Deer Harvest Authorizations issued for Waukesha County to hunt anywhere in the DMU including the metro sub-unit. Waukesha County is one of the explicitly listed counties where free Metro Sub-unit Antlerless Deer Harvest Authorizations are available at no cost through the Go Wild licensing system; these are valid only within the metro sub-unit boundaries. Bonus antlerless authorizations can also be purchased for the county when available. Any-deer tags (buck or antlerless) require the appropriate authorization. The unit is not earn-a-buck; hunters can take a buck without first harvesting an antlerless deer. Given high suburban deer densities, antlerless authorizations have historically been liberally available in Waukesha County to support population reduction goals. The 2025 season incorporated Washington and Waukesha counties more fully into the Milwaukee metro unit structure, expanding the zone. CWD has been detected in southeastern Wisconsin and mandatory carcass transport restrictions apply; hunters should confirm current CWD zone rules before transporting deer or carcass parts out of the county.

Deer seasons for 2025-2026 in Metro Sub-Unit 106 follow the metro zone structure: archery and crossbow runs September 13, 2025 through January 4, 2026 statewide, with an extended metro sub-unit closure date of January 31, 2026, giving metro bowhunters an additional month of opportunity beyond the standard statewide close. The nine-day gun deer season runs November 22-30, 2025. Muzzleloader season follows December 1-10, 2025. A late antlerless-only gun season and additional December archery opportunities may apply depending on county designation. Firearm restrictions in metro units limit hunters to shotguns, handguns, and muzzleloaders in most metro sub-units; rifles are generally not permitted within the Milwaukee metro zone. Wild turkey populations are present in Waukesha County and the southern unit of Kettle Moraine provides spring turkey hunting opportunities on the metro fringe; turkey permits are issued by zone through the Go Wild draw system. Canada geese and other waterfowl use the county''s kettle lakes and river corridors and are huntable where access is available. Ruffed grouse are present in small numbers in the larger woodlot patches but this is not primary grouse habitat. Pheasant hunting is limited to stocked areas. No bear season applies to this part of Wisconsin.

Metro Sub-Unit 106 is primarily a bowhunter''s unit, and that is actually its greatest strength. Suburban deer in Waukesha County are notoriously large-bodied and, on private land surrounded by residential areas where they have faced little hunting pressure, can develop impressive antler size. Mature bucks routinely use the woodlot-to-woodlot travel corridors connecting county parks and residential greenbelts, and a patient bowhunter with private land permission on a well-placed parcel can encounter exceptional deer. The extended metro archery season through January 31 is a genuine advantage, adding a full month beyond the statewide close when most hunters have packed it in and bucks are still moving through late rut and post-rut recovery patterns. Antlerless tag availability is generous and free for Waukesha County residents, making doe management straightforward. The trade-off is that huntable acres are scarce and most of the best ground requires cultivating private landowner relationships. Hunters willing to knock on doors, offer to help with crop damage or browse pressure, and commit to ethical bowhunting in tight suburban quarters will find this unit productive. The Kettle Moraine fringe on the western edge of the metro zone offers the closest thing to traditional Wisconsin whitetail hunting within the sub-unit, with rolling hardwood ridges, oak flats, and food plot potential on private agricultural parcels.