Metro Sub-Unit 125, Wisconsin

DMU 125 sits in the Northwoods of northeastern Wisconsin, spanning Florence and Marinette counties at elevations ranging from roughly 900 to 1,400 feet above sea level. The terrain is gently rolling glaciated landscape dominated by northern hardwood-conifer forest, with stands of sugar maple, yellow birch, aspen, and birch mixed with hemlock, white pine, balsam fir, and spruce. The Menominee River corridor forms the Michigan border on the east, and cold-water streams including the Pine, Brule, and Pemebonwon rivers thread through the unit. Wetlands, bogs, and flowages are interspersed throughout, creating diverse deer habitat. Timber management has produced a patchwork of clear-cuts and young aspen regeneration alongside mature forest, concentrating deer movement along edges. The area west of Highway 141 tends to hold lower deer densities than the east and north sections of the unit.

Hunting pressure in DMU 125 is low to moderate, noticeably lighter than Wisconsin's southern farmland units. The sparse year-round population and vast public land base spread hunters thin across the landscape. Local Deer Advisory Council members have noted the unit holds a lot of yearling bucks, suggesting that while deer are present, the age structure skews young, a sign that gun season pressure does limit how many bucks reach maturity. Opening weekend draws hunters from the Green Bay and Fox Valley areas, with vehicle traffic on forest roads peaking the first Saturday of the 9-day gun season. Weekday hunting after opening weekend is quiet. The unit rewards hunters willing to move away from main roads, where ground pressure drops sharply once you are 500 yards into the timber.

DMU 125 is in the Northern Forest Zone, where antlerless harvest authorizations are not automatically bundled with the deer hunting license as they are in the Farmland Zone. Hunters must purchase bonus antlerless harvest authorizations separately through the GoWild licensing system. For 2026, the DNR has allocated 500 public-land antlerless authorizations and 2,650 private-land antlerless authorizations for DMU 125, available for purchase starting August 17, 2026 at $12 per resident or $20 per nonresident. One authorization may be purchased per person per day while supplies last; authorizations are land-specific (public or private). The standard deer license includes an any-deer authorization valid for one antlered buck statewide. No earn-a-buck requirements apply in this unit.

Deer season dates for DMU 125 in 2026: archery and crossbow September 12 through January 3, 2027; gun deer November 21 through 29; muzzleloader November 30 through December 9; youth gun hunt October 10 and 11; statewide antlerless-only hunt December 11 through 14. The Northern Forest Zone does not carry the extended archery season through January 31 that applies to metro sub-units. Black bear hunting is available with the Wisconsin bear season running from early September into early October by a separate tag drawing, and the Northwoods landscape is prime bear country. Wild turkey hunting is offered in the spring season (April through May) and a limited fall season. Ruffed grouse hunting can be excellent during cycle peaks, particularly along aspen clear-cuts and alder-shrub runs. Snowshoe hare are present in good numbers. Waterfowl hunting is available on rivers, flowages, and the Menominee River corridor. CWD has not been detected in this far-northeast unit as of recent surveys; check current DNR CWD maps before transporting carcasses.

DMU 125 stands out for the sheer volume of freely accessible public land. The combination of Nicolet National Forest, Marinette County Forest (231,000 acres), Florence County Forest, and Managed Forest Law lands makes most of the unit huntable without private land permission. The timber management history has created ideal deer habitat with a mosaic of young aspen regeneration, brush piles, and mature forest providing food and cover in close proximity. Over 3,100 deer were harvested in Marinette County alone during the 2021 gun season, a testament to the landscape productivity. The Menominee River corridor along the Michigan border adds unique terrain and remains underutilized. Low hunting pressure translates into genuine trophy potential for hunters who scout hard and commit to remote areas; bucks that survive past 1.5 years here face far less pressure than in crowded southern farmland units. The extensive forest road network makes pre-season scouting practical by vehicle, and the Northwoods setting delivers the classic Wisconsin gun camp experience in big, unbroken timber.