Metro Sub-Unit 123, Wisconsin

Dense northern forest covering roughly 515 square miles across the border regions of Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, and Oneida counties in Wisconsin's Northwoods. Terrain is flat to gently rolling glaciated landscape, with elevations ranging from roughly 1,400 to 1,800 feet above sea level. Forest cover is dominated by aspen, paper birch, and northern hardwoods including sugar maple and yellow birch on upland ridges, transitioning to spruce, balsam fir, and tamarack in lowland areas. White pine and red pine stands are common on sandy ridges. The unit is laced with rivers including the Prairie River, Eau Claire River, and upper Wolf River tributaries, along with hundreds of lakes, ponds, and boggy wetlands typical of glaciated northwoods terrain.

Hunting pressure is low to moderate overall, and the broader Northern Forest Zone has seen a documented long-term decline in hunter effort. The WDNR has reported hunting effort shifting away from northern forest units over multiple seasons, with antlered deer registrations running about 7.9 percent below the five-year average as of the 2024 season. During the nine-day gun season, roadside areas and popular county forest blocks see moderate foot traffic, but the sheer size of the unit and its dense remote terrain means hunters willing to push more than a quarter-mile off roads encounter very little competition. Archery season is lightly pressured outside of private land parcels.

Unlike the Farmland Zone, DMU 123 does not include antlerless harvest authorizations bundled with a Wisconsin deer hunting license. Antlerless bonus harvest authorizations must be purchased separately through the GoWild portal or a licensed agent, starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 17 (first three days are Northern Forest Zone-specific; remaining tags open statewide August 20). For 2026, the quota is 1,500 public-land authorizations and 2,200 private-land authorizations for this unit. Cost is $12 for Wisconsin residents and $20 for nonresidents. Hunters must designate public or private land at purchase; a public-land authorization is required for hunting Managed Forest Law open and Voluntary Public Access lands. Any licensed hunter can harvest an antlered buck with a standard deer license during the appropriate season with no antler point restrictions in this unit.

White-tailed deer archery and crossbow season runs September 12 through January 3 (2026-2027 season). Youth and disabled hunter gun season is October 10-11. The nine-day general gun season opens November 22 for 2025 and November 21 for 2026. Muzzleloader season follows gun season, running November 30 through December 9. A statewide antlerless-only hunt runs December 10-13 in select units. CWD has been confirmed in wild deer in Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, and Oneida counties; hunters must comply with CWD carcass transport restrictions. Other huntable species include black bear (separate tag required, quota-based), wild turkey (spring season April-May; limited fall season), ruffed grouse and American woodcock (open September through January), cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare, and waterfowl on the numerous lakes and rivers. Squirrel season runs September through January.

DMU 123 is a classic Wisconsin Northwoods deer hunting unit spanning the wild interior of Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, and Oneida counties. With over 130,000 acres of Langlade County Forest alone plus substantial Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and multiple county forests, access to quality public habitat is among the best of any unit in the state. Low hunting pressure combined with remote aspen and hardwood habitat gives mature-buck hunters a realistic shot at bucks that have survived multiple seasons. The upper Wolf River, Prairie River, and Eau Claire River corridors concentrate deer movement along riparian travel routes during the rut. The hunter walking trail systems in Langlade County Forest near Pearson off County Highway T give foot hunters road-free entry into productive aspen regeneration habitat favored by both deer and grouse, making this a strong choice for multi-species Northwoods trips. CWD is present in the surrounding counties so hunters should review current carcass transport restrictions before hunting.