DMU Burnett, Wisconsin

Burnett County sits in the Northern Highlands of northwestern Wisconsin, featuring glacially sculpted terrain of gently rolling moraines, outwash plains, and kettles at elevations roughly 900 to 1,100 feet. The landscape is dominated by mixed northern hardwood-conifer forest -- aspen, oak, birch, white pine, and jack pine -- with extensive wetlands, bogs, and sedge meadows throughout. The county holds over 509 lakes covering 31,258 acres of open water. The St. Croix River forms the western boundary, flowing through bluffs and river bottomland within Governor Knowles State Forest. Agricultural pockets appear mainly in the southeastern and southwestern corners, where crop fields and pastureland near forest edges provide deer food sources and concentrate movement.

Hunting pressure in Burnett County is moderate, typical of the Northern Forest zone. The county draws fewer hunters per square mile than southern farmland units, but the nine-day gun deer season in late November concentrates significant pressure on public land near parking areas around Crex Meadows and the Governor Knowles corridor. Archery season from September through mid-October sees light pressure; deer near agricultural edges remain largely unpressured until the youth gun hunt in mid-October. Muzzleloader season in early December and the late archery season into January offer genuine solitude on public ground. Hunters who push a half-mile or more off main roads encounter noticeably fewer orange vests even during the firearm opener.

Burnett County falls into two overlapping regulatory structures for the 2025-2026 season. The Northern Forest portion is managed under DMU 108 (covering Burnett, Polk, and Washburn counties), while a Burnett Central Farmland unit covers the agricultural southeastern and southwestern corners. For DMU 108, bonus antlerless harvest authorizations go on sale August 17 -- 3,750 public-land tags and 7,775 private-land tags available first-come, first-served at one per person per day until sold out. The Burnett Central Farmland unit offers 500 bonus public-land and 2,400 bonus private-land tags on sale August 18, plus two antlerless authorizations included with each deer hunting license in the Farmland zone. No earn-a-buck requirement applies in either unit. All licensed hunters may pursue antlered bucks without a separate antler tag; antlerless harvest requires the appropriate authorization for the specific unit.

The 2025 deer seasons run as follows: archery and crossbow open September 13 through January 4, 2026; youth gun hunt October 11-12; regular nine-day gun season November 22-30; muzzleloader December 1-10; statewide antlerless-only December 11-14; antlerless-only holiday hunt December 24-January 1, 2026. Beyond deer, Burnett County is a legitimate multi-species destination. Wild turkey seasons cover portions of the county in fall. Black bear hunting is legal and the county supports a huntable bear population within WDNR northern management zones. Ruffed grouse and American woodcock are abundant in young aspen stands and alder runs, making Burnett a top Wisconsin grouse county. Waterfowl hunters work Crex Meadows and the numerous lakes for Canada geese and ducks throughout fall migration. Snowshoe hare inhabit conifer swamps and brushy areas during winter months.

Burnett County carries legendary status among Wisconsin deer hunters -- it produced the Jordan Buck in 1914, the No. 2 all-time typical whitetail on the Boone and Crockett record books, a massive 10-pointer taken by Jim Jordan along a river crossing with a .25-20 Winchester, proof that the habitat and genetics here can grow exceptional deer. With 150,000 acres of public hunting land, access opportunities are outstanding relative to most Wisconsin counties. Early archery hunters targeting agricultural edges in the SE and SW corners can find deer on pattern before October pressure sets in. Crex Meadows Wildlife Area is a hidden gem for deer -- open prairie and wetland edges concentrate deer at dawn and dusk, and the internal road system lets hunters scout large areas efficiently before committing to a stand site. For trophy hunters, the river-bottom timber of the St. Croix corridor within Governor Knowles State Forest holds big-bodied bucks in heavy cover that rarely see hunting pressure. The combination of historical trophy pedigree, massive public acreage, and diverse habitat makes Burnett County a bucket-list Northern Forest destination.