In Wisconsin hunters and trappers have deadlines to meet. August 1 is approaching fast; it is the fall permit deadline for wild turkey, bobcat, sharp-tailed grouse, fisher, and otter.
MADISON – August 1 is an important deadline for fall hunters and trappers pursuing wild turkey, sharp-tailed grouse, bobcat, fisher and otter.
Permit applications for fall hunting can be purchased for $3 ($6 for bobcat applications) online at gowild.wi.gov, at Department of Natural Resources service centers, and at all license agents. License sales are no longer available by phone, but the live operators at the DNR Call Center can help answer any questions hunters may have about the permit application process. The Call Center is available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, and can be reached at 888-WDNR-INFo (1-888-936-7463).
Fall wild turkey
Unit 1-5
- Sept. 17 through Dec. 31
Zones 6 & 7
- Sept. 17 through Nov. 18
Sharp-tailed grouse:
- Oct. 15 through Nov. 6
Bobcat hunting and trapping
- Season 1 – Oct. 15 through Dec. 25
- Season 2 – Dec. 26 through Jan. 31, 2017
Fisher trapping
- Oct. 15 through Dec. 31
Otter trapping
- North Unit; Nov. 5 through Apr. 30, 2017
- Central & Southern Units; Nov. 5 through Mar. 31, 2017
Fall Turkey info;
- There will be 101,300 wild turkey permits available to hunters for the fall 2016 turkey hunting season.
- Permit availability was increased by 200 in each of the three northernmost turkey management zones (Unit 5, 6 & 7) to meet hunter demand better.
- Any fall turkey permits remaining after the initial drawing will go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. on August 27.
- Leftover fall turkey permits will be sold by unit until sold out or the season ends.
- Units 1-5 – 2016 is the first year fall turkey hunting will be open statewide on the Friday before the opening of the firearm deer season.
- Hunters may use dogs to hunt wild turkeys during the fall season throughout the state of Wisconsin.
- The bag limit is one turkey of any age or sex per fall turkey hunting permit.
Sharp-tailed Grouse info;
- 25 sharp-tailed grouse hunting permits will be available for Unit 8 only.
- Represents a 75 percent decrease from 2015.
- Permit levels were decreased to balance hunter opportunity with a more prudent level of harvest.
- Sharp-tailed grouse management units use the same boundaries and designations as game management units (GMUs); a map is available on the sharp-tailed grouse page on the WDNR website.
- Hunters are reminded to review the zone map carefully and apply only for the open unit.
River Otter, Fisher & Bobcat Info;
- Approved quotas for river otter, fisher, and are available on the trapping page of the Wisconsin DNR website.
- Quotas for most zones are similar or slightly higher than 2015.
- Permit numbers, based on success rates, and drawings for all three species will take place in August 2016
- Permits will be available in early September.
- Applicants need to check their online Go Wild account early September for an awarded a permit.
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