Wisconsin Upcoming Fish and Wildlife Seasons and Permit Deadlines
September 15 through December 31
* Illegal during this time to shine for wild animals between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.*
September 15 through First Saturday in May
* From Sept. 15 through the first Saturday in May, hook and line fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise in all Lake Michigan tributaries except the Oconto River and its tributaries and the downstream portion of the Peshtigo River (see regulations for details).*
September 16
* Period 1 Horicon Zone Canada goose runs through Nov. 2.
* Period 1 Collins Zone Canada goose runs through Oct. 3. Reopens 9 a.m. Oct. 4 and through Oct. 5.
September 20
* Woodcock season opens through Nov. 3.
* correction Duck season opens in the Southern Zone on Oct. 4.
* Canada goose season opens in the North Exterior Zone and runs through Dec. 13.
* Canada goose season opens in the South Exterior Zone and runs through Oct. 12. Season reopens in the South Zone Oct. 18 and runs through Dec. 18.
September 20-21
* Special two-day youth duck hunt. Open to youth 12 to 15 years of age who are hunter safety certified; all other state license requirements are waived except for HIP registration and Canada goose permit requirements; youths must be accompanied by adult. The bag limit and tag requirements apply for the respective zone. These days overlap with open goose season in most zones so adults will also be able to shoot geese but not duck during the youth hunt.
September 27
* Duck season opens in the Northern Zone at 9 a.m. through Nov. 25.
September 30
* Trout season closes on inland waters and on rivers flowing into Lake Superior from their mouths to the first impassable permanent barrier (unless listed otherwise in trout regulations).*
* Lake trout season on Lake Superior closes.*
* Set or bank pole and setline fishing season on specified waters in the Wolf and Fox river basins closes. Check the current Setline, Set or Bank Pole Regulations for open waters.*
October 3
* Period 1 Collins Zone Canada goose closes. Reopens 9 a.m. Oct. 4 through Oct. 5
October 4
* Duck season opens in the Southern Zone through Oct. 12 and then reopens Oct. 18 through Dec. 7.Canada goose season opens in the Mississippi River Subzone and runs through Oct. 12 Season reopens Oct. 18 and runs through Jan. 1 2009.
October 4-12
* Special deer hunt open to people with disabilities who have a disabled hunting permit. The hunts are held by landowners who have agreed to sponsor the hunters on their property. Hunters must have registered to participate at a designated sponsor location by Sept. 1.
October 6
* Period 2 Collins Zone Canada goose runs through Oct. 26.
October 7
* Black bear season closes. See current Wisconsin Bear Hunting Regulations for specific season dates and zones.
October 11-12
* Youth deer hunt. Youth hunters ages 12 to 15 who have successfully completed a hunter education program and possess a gun deer hunting license may participate in this hunt. Qualified hunters may harvest one buck deer on their gun buck deer carcass tag and additional antlerless deer with the appropriate carcass tag. Adults accompanying the youth may not gun deer and cannot accompany more than two youths. All hunting regulations apply, including blaze orange clothing requirements. Archery hunting remains open but archers must wear blaze orange. See regulations for additional requirements.
October 12
* Canada goose season closes in the south exterior zone and Mississippi River subzone. Season reopens Oct. 18 and runs through Dec. 18 in the south zone and Jan. 1, 2009 in Mississippi River subzone.
* Duck season closes in the southern zone; reopens Oct. 18 through Dec. 7.
October 16
* Early deer firearm season in the CWD management zone through Oct. 19 (antlerless only)
October 18
* Duck season in the southern zone reopens through Dec. 7.
* Canada goose season reopens in the South Zone and runs through Dec. 18.
* Canada goose season reopens in the Mississippi River Subzone and runs Jan. 1, 2009.
* Pheasant season opens at noon; runs through Dec. 31.
* Ruffed grouse in the zone B opens through Dec. 10.
* Sharp-tailed grouse by permit opens through Nov. 9.
* Bobwhite quail season opens at noon through Dec. 10.
* Hungarian partridge season opens at noon through Dec. 31.
* Cottontail rabbit opens in southern zone at noon through Feb. 28, 2009.
* Raccoon gun and trapping for state residents opens through Jan. 31, 2009.
* Red and gray fox hunting and trapping in the northern zone opens through Feb. 15, 2009.
* Coyote trapping season opens in the northern zone through Feb. 15, 2009.
* Hunting and trapping season for bobcat north of Hwy. 64 through Dec. 31.
* Muskrat season in the northern zone opens through Feb. 28, 2009.
* Mink season in the northern zone opens through Feb. 28, 2009.
* Fisher trapping season opens in various zones, through Dec. 31.
October 25
* Fox season opens in the southern zone, through Feb. 15, 2009.
* Coyote trapping season opens in southern zone through Feb. 15, 2009.
* Mink season opens in central (through Dec. 31) and Winnebago (through March 15) zones.
* Muskrat season opens in south zone (through Feb. 28) and Winnebago zone (through March 15).
October 26
* Period 2 Collins Zone Canada goose closes.
October 27
* Period 3 Collins Zone Canada goose runs through Nov. 21.
October 30
* Mourning dove season closes.*
October 31
* Lake trout season closes on waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan and their tributaries.*
* Deadline to purchase Lake Winnebago system sturgeon spearing licenses.*
November 1
* Periods 1 Horicon Zone Canada goose closes.
* Wild ginseng season closes.*
* Beaver trapping season opens in the northwest zone (A), northeast zone (B) through April 30 and in the southern zone (C) through March 31.
* Otter trapping season opens in all zones and runs through April 30 in the North zone and through March 31 in the Central zone and South zone.
* Non resident raccoon season opens through Jan. 31.
* Indicates date remains the same each year, except some permit deadlines may be extended one day if they fall on a Sunday or Federal Holiday.
