DMU Grant, Wisconsin

Grant County occupies the unglaciated Driftless Area in southwestern Wisconsin, with elevation ranging from about 621 feet along the Mississippi River at Cassville to 1,212 feet at Mt. Ida. The landscape is defined by steep river bluffs, deep coulees, karst topography, and narrow valleys carved by the Mississippi, Wisconsin, Platte, Grant, Blue, and Little Platte rivers. Land cover mixes row-crop and pasture farmland on ridge tops with dense hardwood timber (oak, hickory, maple) on bluff slopes and lush river bottom habitat with wetlands and floodplain forest along major waterways. The rugged, uneven Driftless terrain creates exceptional edge habitat between agricultural fields and wooded draws.

Moderate to moderately high during the nine-day gun deer season (November 22-30). Grant County is a well-known farmland deer county that draws both resident and out-of-state hunters to its bluff country. Archery season sees lighter, more dispersed pressure across the fall. The rugged Driftless terrain concentrates hunter access along easier ridge-top entry points, leaving secluded valley hollows and bluff-face stands relatively undisturbed. CWD has been detected in the region and has prompted some hunters to shift focus or reduce participation, modestly easing competition in parts of the county. Private land dominates the landscape, so established access relationships are key to getting into the best ground.

In the Southern Farmland Zone, every licensed hunter automatically receives 2 free antlerless harvest authorizations included with their base license, valid on private land. Additional bonus antlerless tags are available over-the-counter starting in mid-August — 750 authorizations allocated for public land and 3,000 for private land in Grant DMU (based on 2026 allocation). No draw is required; tags are sold first-come, first-served until the unit quota is met or the season ends. Bonus tags cost $12 for residents and $20 for nonresidents. Any-deer (buck or antlerless) opportunities are available to all base license holders. No earn-a-buck restrictions apply in this unit.

Deer seasons for 2025-26: archery and crossbow September 13 through January 4, 2026; youth gun hunt October 11-12; nine-day gun season November 22-30; muzzleloader December 1-10; antlerless-only gun season December 11-14; holiday antlerless hunt December 24 through January 1, 2026. Spring turkey season runs six one-week periods (A through F) and the bluff country of Grant County produces consistently strong gobbler numbers; fall turkey runs September through early January. The Mississippi River corridor along the county's western border is a premier waterfowl destination in the Mississippi Flyway, with a special Mississippi River Goose Zone and excellent duck hunting in the river backwaters. Ruffed grouse are present in the wooded bluff areas. CWD is confirmed in Grant County; consult current WDNR regulations for carcass-transport restrictions before transporting deer out of the county.

Grant County is the quintessential Driftless Area deer-hunting destination, where big agricultural fields on ridge tops give way to steep oak-and-hickory bluffs dropping into river bottoms, creating natural funnels that concentrate mature bucks during the rut. Generous tag allocations (2 free antlerless plus abundant over-the-counter bonus tags) make it ideal for hunters looking to fill the freezer while pursuing a trophy. The secluded hollows and deep coulees that are difficult to access consistently hold older-age-class bucks, and patient bowhunters who put in the scouting time are regularly rewarded with mature deer. Multi-species hunters are well-served: the county sits alongside world-class Mississippi River waterfowl hunting and one of Wisconsin's best turkey populations. Access tip: focus on creek-bottom saddles connecting agricultural fields to timber during the rut, and scout ridge-top bean or corn fields for evening feeding activity in early archery season.