DMU Shawano, Wisconsin

Shawano County covers roughly 909 square miles in northeastern Wisconsin at modest elevations across a relatively flat to gently rolling glaciated landscape averaging 800 to 1,000 feet above sea level. The county sits within the Wolf River basin, which drains more than 3,690 square miles of central and northern Wisconsin. Land cover is a productive mix of second-growth hardwoods (oak, maple, aspen), pine and spruce plantations, sandy upland ridges, lowland scrub, swamp conifer, bog, emergent marsh, sedge meadow, and floodplain forest along the Wolf and Shioc rivers and their tributaries. Agricultural fields — corn, soybeans, hay — are interspersed throughout the southern and western portions of the county, creating classic forest-farm edge habitat that concentrates deer. The county holds over 130 lakes and numerous flowages, adding extensive wetland edge to the landscape. The Navarino State Wildlife Area in the southern part of the county exemplifies the habitat type: sandy uplands and ridges with marshy depressions, recent clear-cuts adjacent to mature timber, and open grassland openings bordering forest.

Hunting pressure in Shawano County is moderate to high, particularly on the Navarino State Wildlife Area, which draws consistent crowds during gun deer season in mid-to-late November. The DNR''s own deer specialist has acknowledged that Navarino sees a lot of hunting traffic. That said, the sheer size of the public land blocks (15,000+ acres at Navarino alone) means hunters willing to push beyond the easy parking-lot access find huntable solitude. Private land throughout the county is heavily leased and permission-hunted, so public land pressure is somewhat concentrated. Archery season in September and October sees moderate pressure, primarily from local hunters and those chasing the county''s reputation for big bucks. The gun season nine-day shotgun period in late November is the peak pressure window — expect other hunters in the woods on Navarino and along public road corridors. Muzzleloader season sees lighter pressure and can offer quality hunting immediately after gun season closes.

Wisconsin uses a county-based DMU structure for Shawano, and the county straddles the Central Forest zone designation. Each Wisconsin deer hunting license includes a single any-deer (buck or antlerless) tag valid statewide. For antlerless harvest, Shawano County operates under the bonus antlerless harvest authorization system — no earn-a-buck requirement applies. Bonus antlerless tags go on sale August 17-18 each year through the GoWild licensing portal and authorized license agents at $12 for residents and $20 for nonresidents ($5 for youth under 12). For 2026, roughly 1,000 public land and 5,500 private land antlerless authorizations are available for Shawano County, sold one per person per day until sold out. Hunters must specify public or private land at the time of purchase; a public land authorization is required for hunting Managed Forest Law lands and VPA areas. There is no drawing requirement — tags are over-the-counter until the quota is exhausted. Given the county''s deer management goals, antlerless tags have historically remained available well into the season, though early purchase is advisable.

Deer archery and crossbow season runs September 13 through January 4 (2025-26 season dates; 2026-27 dates are September 12 through January 3). Gun deer season is the nine-day period spanning the Saturday before Thanksgiving through the following Sunday (Nov 22-30 in 2025; Nov 21-29 in 2026). Muzzleloader season immediately follows gun deer for ten days (Dec 1-10 in 2025; Nov 30 - Dec 9 in 2026). A statewide antlerless-only period runs approximately December 10-13, and an antlerless-only holiday hunt (December 24 through January 1) is offered in select DMUs. Wild turkey populations are strong in Shawano County; the county falls within Wisconsin''s northeastern turkey zones with both spring and fall seasons available — spring turkey runs April through May by zone-based permit draw, while fall turkey overlaps with the archery deer season (September through November). Black bear hunting is available in the region with October seasons; Shawano County falls within Wisconsin''s bear management zones and requires a permit drawn through the preference point system. Ruffed grouse hunting is a genuine bonus — the county''s aspen stands and mixed forest support good grouse numbers, with season typically running September through early January (Zone A). Woodcock are present during migration in October. Waterfowl hunting is available on the Wolf River flowages and county lakes, with the southern zone duck season running mid-September through early December with a late December extension.

Shawano County consistently ranks among the top five Wisconsin counties for Pope & Young whitetail bucks, and hunting forums specifically call out the Shawano-Waupaca corridor as among the best in the state for mature buck harvest. The combination of river-bottom forest, agricultural edge, and large wetland complexes creates ideal habitat for growing heavy-antlered deer. The Navarino State Wildlife Area is the centerpiece public land draw — 15,000 acres with 50-plus parking areas and a trail network means hunters can spread out and find unpressured timber even during gun season, particularly in the wet swamp-conifer blocks and flowage edges that see less foot traffic than upland hardwood areas. The Wolf River corridor itself is a natural deer funnel, and treestand hunters targeting pinch points where upland forest meets river-bottom marsh historically score well during the October and November rut. For DIY hunters on a budget, Navarino offers legitimate trophy potential without a lease fee. Access tip: arrive early on opening day of gun season to claim a parking spot at Navarino; mid-week hunting during the nine-day season is markedly less crowded. Archery hunters can find near-solitude on the same ground throughout October. The multi-species opportunities — grouse in the aspens, turkey in the hardwoods, waterfowl on the flowages — make Shawano County a strong destination for hunters who want to extend their trip beyond deer season.