DMU Green, Wisconsin

Green County sits in Wisconsin's unglaciated Driftless Area in the Southern Farmland zone, covering 584 square miles of rolling terrain. Elevations run from roughly 800 feet in Sugar River valley bottoms up to 1,180 feet on upland ridges, averaging around 935 feet. The landscape features steep-sided coulees, wooded creek drainages, and broad ridgetop agricultural fields — approximately 79% of watershed land is farmed, primarily corn, soybeans, and alfalfa supporting a dense dairy economy. Hardwood woodlots of oak and hickory occupy the steeper slopes and ravines. Wetlands and floodplain forest line the Sugar River and its tributaries including Liberty Creek and OK Creek. Prairie remnants persist on sandy soils near Albany. The Driftless topography channels deer movement predictably along creek corridors and bench edges between crop fields and timber.

Hunting pressure is moderate to high overall, with the heaviest concentration on the limited public WMA parcels. Albany WMA draws significant foot traffic during archery and gun seasons, particularly the opening days of the nine-day gun hunt. Private land holds considerably better deer-to-hunter ratios, as much of it is leased or controlled by clubs. Farmland deer numbers are high, keeping interest elevated from both resident and out-of-county hunters. Pressure drops noticeably after gun season closes, making late archery and the antlerless-only holiday hunts attractive for less-crowded opportunities on public land.

Green County is in the Southern Farmland Zone, where each deer hunting license automatically includes two antlerless harvest authorizations at no extra cost. For 2026, WDNR made 400 bonus public-land and 1,950 bonus private-land antlerless authorizations available for Green County, on sale August 19 at $12 for residents and $20 for nonresidents through GoWild. Bonus authorizations are unit- and land-type-specific at purchase. There is no earn-a-buck requirement and no drawing — antlerless tags are over-the-counter. Any-deer (buck or doe) tags are available under the standard license; no antler restrictions apply in this unit. CWD carcass transport restrictions apply statewide within the CWD zone.

Whitetail deer seasons run archery and crossbow from mid-September through early January, nine-day gun season November 22–30, muzzleloader December 1–10, statewide antlerless-only hunt December 11–14, and an antlerless-only holiday hunt December 24–January 1. Extended late archery may run into late January in select farmland units. Wild turkey seasons include a drawn spring season (April–May) and a fall archery and gun season; Albany WMA is specifically noted for turkey hunting. Pheasants are stocked at Albany WMA for upland hunting. Waterfowl hunting is available along the Sugar River corridor for ducks and geese. Squirrel and rabbit are abundant in oak woodlots. CWD is confirmed and widespread in the Southern Farmland zone — hunters must comply with carcass movement restrictions and are strongly encouraged to have harvested deer tested before transporting carcasses outside the zone.

Green County is classic Driftless Area farm-country deer hunting at its best — the combination of productive row-crop agriculture, oak ridgelines, and Sugar River corridor wetlands produces big-bodied, well-nourished whitetails with genuine trophy potential. The rolling coulee topography funnels deer predictably along creek drainages and bench saddles, making stand placement highly strategic. Mature bucks with impressive antlers are taken here annually, primarily on private land. Albany WMA offers the best public access opportunity — targeting the floodplain forest and field edges along the Sugar River on weekdays after the opener provides the most realistic public-land success. The two included farmland antlerless authorizations per license make doe management easy for anyone with ground. Approach dairy farm operators about permission, especially those dealing with crop depredation, to unlock excellent and often lightly pressured private ground.