Metro Sub-Unit 122, Wisconsin

Forest County, Wisconsin sits in the Northern Highlands physiographic region, shaped by Pleistocene glaciation. Elevation ranges from roughly 1,000 feet in river bottoms to 1,940 feet at Sugarbush Hill, the second-highest point in the state. The landscape features rolling terrain with glacial moraines, kettle lakes, peat bogs, and outwash plains. The county holds more than 800 lakes and 850 miles of streams, including the upper Wolf River and Pine River. Land cover is overwhelmingly forested — roughly 685,000 acres of woodland dominated by northern hardwoods (sugar maple, yellow birch, trembling aspen) with stands of white and red pine, balsam fir, white spruce, and hemlock. Scattered alder lowlands and tamarack bogs provide deer wintering cover. There is virtually no agricultural land in this unit.

Hunting pressure is low to moderate, well below Wisconsin farmland-zone averages. Forest County draws local residents and some out-of-state hunters attracted to the Northwoods cabin culture and public land, but the county's sparse human population and vast forest keep hunter density light — fewer than four hunters per square mile during the 9-day gun season across most of the unit. The gun opener is the busiest period, with cabin owners and local hunters occupying known stands. Pressure drops sharply after opening weekend. Archery and muzzleloader seasons see minimal competition. Hunters willing to walk a half-mile or more from a road will routinely find undisturbed ground on public land.

DMU 122 falls within the Northern Forest Zone where antlerless permits operate as paid bonus harvest authorizations rather than the farmland system's free included tags. For 2026, 600 public-land and 1,000 private-land bonus antlerless harvest authorizations are available starting August 17; authorizations are unit- and land-type-specific and cost $12 for residents, $20 for nonresidents ($5 for hunters under 12). Any-deer and buck-only options are available — hunters holding a valid antlerless authorization can take either sex; the base deer license covers antlered bucks only. No earn-a-buck requirement applies in the Northern Forest Zone. Wolf depredation and periodic severe winters can reduce local deer numbers; antlerless quotas may be cut in low-population years but have historically sold over the counter in this unit without competitive drawing.

The deer season structure for 2025-26 includes archery and crossbow September 13 through January 4, 2026; a youth deer hunt October 11-12; the 9-day gun deer season November 22-30; muzzleloader December 1-10; a statewide antlerless hunt December 11-14; and a holiday antlerless-only hunt December 24 through January 1, 2026. Beyond deer, Forest County is premier ruffed grouse and American woodcock habitat — the Wisconsin County Forests designate a grouse management area here specifically to maintain young-aspen structure for upland birds. Black bear are abundant; Wisconsin bear hunting requires a tag obtained through a preference-point drawing. Wild turkey populations exist but are limited compared to farmland regions; spring turkey tags are available. Waterfowl hunting is available on the county's 800-plus lakes and Wolf and Pine River corridors. Established wolf packs are present throughout the unit and may be attracted to harvested deer.

DMU 122 delivers the classic Wisconsin Northwoods deer hunting experience: vast public land, low competition, and legitimate mature-buck potential in dense mixed hardwood-conifer forest. Hunters who scout cut-over aspen stands and alder-edge deer yards via aerial imagery hold a meaningful advantage. The Wolf River corridor functions as a natural travel funnel during the November rut, and the Nicolet National Forest road network allows hunters to spread out and find unpressured ground. The peak window is late October archery through the 9-day gun opener — mature bucks cruise predictable terrain features during the rut. The extended holiday antlerless hunt gives bowhunters a second window for venison in late December. Pair a deer hunt with a ruffed grouse walk along county forest logging roads for a full Northwoods outing; this is one of the top grouse counties in the upper Midwest.