DMU Clark, Wisconsin

Clark County spans approximately 868 square miles (777,600 acres) of gently rolling to moderately hilly terrain in central Wisconsin, straddling the transition between northern forest and southern agricultural land. Elevations are modest — the county sits on the Central Plain and has no dramatic relief, typically ranging from about 1,000 to 1,400 feet above sea level. The Black River bisects the county north to south for its full 42-mile length, draining to the Mississippi; the Yellow River originates here and flows south into Jackson County. Numerous smaller coldwater tributaries cut through the landscape creating brushy creek bottoms and tamarack swamp pockets. The two dominant land uses are forest and agriculture: upland forest includes mixed hardwoods (oak, maple, aspen, birch) with managed aspen stands particularly common, while lowland areas hold tamarack swamps, cattail wetlands, and alder runs. The county forest alone contains 134,702 acres. Agricultural ground — hay fields, corn, soybeans, and dairy pastures — presses in from the south and east, providing important deer food sources and edge habitat.

Hunting pressure in Clark County is moderate to high during the nine-day gun deer season, particularly on the county forest tracts closest to Neillsville and accessible forest roads. Veterans who have hunted the area for decades describe pressure as increasing over time — the combination of large public land blocks and proximity to the Fox Valley and Wausau metro areas draws significant hunter traffic in November. Bow season carries light to moderate pressure by comparison, with the vast acreage absorbing hunters reasonably well. The key challenge is the terrain itself: young aspen regeneration, tamarack swamps, and dense creek-bottom cover make the county very difficult to navigate quickly, and educated bucks learn to use the thick stuff under pressure. Gun season crowds push deer deep into the swamps and second-growth during daylight. Hunters willing to penetrate a mile or more from roads — especially into tamarack lowlands and remote aspen cuts — find noticeably less competition and better buck sign.

Clark County falls in the Central Forest Zone for much of its area (DMU 202) with portions touching the Central Farmland Zone. Under the 2025 season structure, Central Forest Zone DMU 202 offered 650 bonus public-land antlerless harvest authorizations and 2,000 private-land bonus antlerless authorizations, available for purchase starting August 17 at $12 for residents and $20 for non-residents via the Go Wild portal. The Farmland Zone portion of the county included 3 free antlerless authorizations bundled with each deer hunting license. Bonus antlerless tags are unit- and land-type-specific — hunters must specify public or private land at purchase. For 2026, the NRB approved 272,720 statewide bonus antlerless authorizations; Clark County''s quota is set by local population objectives and typically allows at least one or more antlerless deer for public-land hunters. There is no earn-a-buck requirement in this zone. Any-deer (antlered) hunting requires a standard deer hunting license; an additional archery or gun privilege is purchased separately for those seasons. CWD test results should be checked before moving carcasses — Clark County had its first confirmed wild deer CWD detections in the 2025-2026 cycle, and baiting and feeding bans are now in effect countywide.

Deer season dates for the 2026-2027 cycle: Archery/Crossbow September 12, 2026 through January 3, 2027; Youth Gun Hunt October 10-11, 2026; Nine-day Gun Season November 21-29, 2026; Muzzleloader December 1-9, 2026; Antlerless-only late season December 10-14, 2026. Wild turkey populations are growing in Clark County; spring turkey runs mid-April through late May with zone-based permit drawing, and fall turkey season runs concurrent with early archery (September 13 through November 21 approximately). Black bear populations are present and increasing — bear hunting season runs early September through early October using bait, dogs, or both depending on the period; bear harvest authorizations require a preference-point drawing through Go Wild. Ruffed grouse are a major draw, with the county forest''s aspen management producing excellent early-season habitat; grouse season runs September 13 through January 31. Woodcock migration hunting is good in October along the alder and aspen edges near creek bottoms. Waterfowl opportunities exist along the Black River corridor and county wetlands, with duck season following the Mississippi Flyway framework. Coyote hunting is year-round with no closed season.

Clark County''s greatest asset is sheer volume of accessible public land — over 134,000 acres in the county forest alone, plus MFL-Open parcels and VPA ground, means hunters can find uncrowded timber without leasing private land. The forest''s managed aspen program (young cuts mapped and posted on the county forest website) creates the kind of early-successional whitetail habitat that produces quality deer, and the same habitat is outstanding for ruffed grouse double-dipping. The Black River and its tributaries create natural funnels and swamp-edge transitions that concentrate deer movement, particularly during the rut. Trophy buck potential is real but demands serious effort — mature bucks in pressured county forests are nocturnal and cover-oriented, so still-hunting through tamarack swamps and pushing aspen cuts during the gun season, or hanging tight in creek-bottom pinch points during archery season, are the tactics that produce. The mix of forest and agricultural edge means deer feed in fields and bed in timber, giving patient hunters defined travel corridors. Bear and grouse hunting alongside deer archery in September is a genuine multi-species opportunity. New CWD detections in 2025-2026 are worth monitoring — follow DNR testing guidance and carcass transport rules before the season.