DMU Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Manitowoc County sits in Wisconsin's Eastern Ridges and Lowlands province along the western shore of Lake Michigan, with gently rolling glaciated terrain averaging 700 to 750 feet in elevation. Land cover is predominantly row-crop agriculture — corn, soybeans, and hay fields blanket the interior — broken by scattered woodlots, wetland marshes, and river bottomlands. The Manitowoc, East Twin, West Twin, Branch, Meeme, and Devils rivers drain the county westward, carving brushy corridors and bottomland hardwood stands that concentrate deer movement. Extensive cattail marshes and wet meadows fringe these river systems throughout the county. Collins Marsh (approximately 4,200 acres near Reedsville) is the largest wetland complex, mixing marsh, open grassland, and bottomland hardwood forest. Killsnake Wildlife Area along the western edge adds prairie grassland, tamarack bog, cedar swamp, and upland forest diversity. The Lake Michigan shoreline moderates temperatures on the eastern edge of the county and creates a micro-climate that keeps deer active longer into the season.

Pressure is moderate to high during the nine-day gun season, particularly on the limited public WMAs where hunters concentrate. Collins Marsh and Killsnake see heavy traffic during opening weekend of gun season. Private farmland hunting pressure varies widely by landowner arrangement but the county's agricultural character attracts lease hunters and persistent permission seekers from the Milwaukee-Green Bay corridor. Archery season is comparatively quieter, with farm-adjacent woodlots and river bottoms seeing lighter foot traffic through October. Midweek hunting and late-season muzzleloader or antlerless-only hunts offer noticeably less competition than opening week of the nine-day gun season. Public WMAs during archery season are a solid option for hunters who prefer to avoid the crowded gun-season opener.

Wisconsin's Southern Farmland Zone designation for Manitowoc DMU means hunters receive two antlerless harvest authorizations included with the base deer hunting license at no extra charge. Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations are also available for purchase starting in mid-August: approximately 2,200 bonus private-land authorizations and 300 bonus public-land authorizations are issued for the Manitowoc DMU, limited to 2 per person, priced at $12 for residents and $20 for nonresidents each, purchased through GoWild. A separate Manitowoc Metro Subunit offers an additional 100 public and 200 private bonus authorizations. There is no earn-a-buck requirement in this unit. The base deer hunting license includes one any-deer (buck or antlerless) tag. With bonus authorizations, hunters can take multiple antlerless deer in a single season, making Manitowoc an excellent meat-hunting destination. Purchase bonus authorizations early in August as private-land pools sell out as the season approaches.

Deer seasons for 2025-26: archery and crossbow open September 13, 2025 through January 4, 2026; youth gun hunt October 11-12, 2025; firearms nine-day gun season November 22-30, 2025; muzzleloader December 1-10, 2025; statewide antlerless-only December 11-14, 2025; holiday antlerless hunt December 24 through January 1, 2026 in select Farmland Zone units. Wild turkey is available during spring (April-May) and fall seasons with separate tags required — Manitowoc County is included in farmland zone turkey management. Waterfowl hunting is excellent in the county's marshes and along Lake Michigan, with Collins Marsh and Killsnake WMA notable for duck and Canada goose hunting during fall migration. Ring-necked pheasant are present on Collins Marsh with stocking support. Ruffed grouse and woodcock inhabit brushy river corridors. Cottontail rabbit and squirrel seasons run concurrently with fall hunting. Coyote and fox may be taken year-round under Wisconsin regulations.

Manitowoc DMU is a high-yield farmland unit where intensive corn and soybean agriculture combined with river-corridor cover produces well-nourished deer with solid antler growth. The 2024 season produced roughly 4,245 total deer countywide, reflecting a healthy and huntable population. River systems — particularly the Manitowoc and East Twin — create pinch-point travel corridors that reward stand hunters who scout transition zones between ag fields and wetland edges. Collins Marsh WMA is an underappreciated multi-species destination offering free public access for deer, waterfowl, pheasant, and turkey all within the same county. Killsnake WMA's prairie-wetland-forest mosaic is one of the more diverse public parcels in eastern Wisconsin and receives less hunting pressure than its size might suggest. The generous antlerless tag structure makes this an excellent unit for hunters who want to fill the freezer without navigating a lottery system. Trophy potential exists on private land where mature bucks use marsh edges and wooded river bottoms as daytime refuge before entering fields after dark. Permission-based access to farmland with standing corn edges and river-bottom woodlots gives archery hunters the best opportunity at mature deer in this predominantly agricultural DMU.