Deer Camp on Butternut Lake

2026 Wisconsin deer seasons

Statewide dates from the Wisconsin DNR season dates page (all dates are subject to change; some units differ). This area is in the Northern Forest Zone. Confirm the unit and any antlerless rules on the 2026 Deer Management Units and season structure page and the DNR deer hunting page before you travel.

• Archery and crossbow: September 12, 2026 – January 3, 2027 (later in some metro or extended counties — not the default here)
• Youth / disabled gun deer hunt: October 10–11, 2026 (a separate gun hunt for hunters with disabilities runs October 3–11 and is not a statewide season)
• Gun deer: November 21–29, 2026
• Muzzleloader: November 30 – December 9, 2026
• December 4-day antlerless-only hunt: December 10–13, 2026 (confirm that your unit is open for this hunt)
• Ruffed grouse Zone A: September 12, 2026 – January 3, 2027

The December holiday antlerless hunt (December 24, 2026 – January 1, 2027) is open only in select Farmland Zone counties, not as a general Northern Forest hunt. We do not list 2027 gun-season dates here because they had not been posted as official 2027 dates when this page was prepared — check the DNR dates page.

Public hunting land near Butternut Lake

Guests at Eagle Pointe hunt public land — national forest, county forest, and nearby DNR properties — not a private hunt club at the resort. You need a current Wisconsin license, you must know which Deer Management Unit you are in (Price and Ashland counties are in the Northern Forest Zone, and units here are habitat-based rather than one unit per county), and you should confirm season dates, antlerless rules, and maps before you travel. Drive times below are approximate from our cabins on Butternut Lake, about 10 minutes from Park Falls.

Northern Forest deer management units and the current season structure are on the DNR’s 2026 Deer Management Units and season structure page. Register a harvested deer through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after recovery — gamereg.wi.gov (it takes you to Go Wild harvest registration) or by phone at 1-844-426-3734. Registration details. CWD testing is not required but is recommended and is offered through the DNR; check current results and priority areas on the official CWD page.

Interactive maps

Start with the official Wisconsin DNR Public Access Lands map — it shows DNR properties and nearly all federal and county-owned lands. Confirm that hunting is allowed before you go, and always respect on-the-ground postings. Next to it is a Price County hunting-land map from an independent parcel viewer; use it as a scouting aid, then confirm boundaries on official DNR, county, or U.S. Forest Service maps.

The Price County map is an independent parcel viewer (Wisconsin Property Map), not a DNR, county, or Forest Service product. Its hunting-land view is built to show land open to public hunting (including DNR, county and national forest, and private land enrolled open under the Managed Forest Law). Confirm every boundary with official maps and signs before you hunt. DNR map launch page · download official county PDF maps.

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

The Park Falls / Medford Ranger District of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is minutes from the cabins. Hunting on the forest follows Wisconsin DNR seasons and licenses, plus forest-specific rules: stay on routes shown on the current Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), do not drive motor vehicles behind closures, follow stand and live-tree restrictions, and observe a 150-yard firearm discharge setback from campgrounds and developed sites.

• Chequamegon-Nicolet maps and guides — visitor maps, hunter walking trails, and Park Falls / Medford Ranger District materials
• Interactive Motor Vehicle Use Maps and MVUM PDF downloads — download the current “MVUM – Park Falls” edition from the Forest Service, not a third-party copy
• Forest Service hunting and shooting rules

County forests

Price County Forest surrounds much of the area around Park Falls, Fifield, and Phillips. Many blocks are only a short drive from the cabins (Park Falls itself is about 10 minutes). Use the county’s official hunting maps and road-use map; motorized use is limited to designated roads and trails, and the county posts a tree-stand, elevated-device, and ground-blind ordinance.

• Hunting on Price County Forest Land — official county hunting page
• Price County Forest hunting maps (PDF)
• Price County Forest road-use map (PDF)
• Tree stand, elevated devices, and ground blinds ordinance (PDF)

Ashland County Forest is about 40,083 acres in southeastern Ashland County (Towns of Agenda, Peeksville, Jacobs, and Morse), managed from the Forestry and Recreation office in Butternut. It is about a 20–30 minute drive toward the Glidden area. The county maintains hunter walking trails (walking-only) and provides recreation maps through the Forestry Department.

• Ashland County Forestry & Recreation — official forest overview, hunter walking trails, and map contacts (715-769-3777)
• Ashland County recreational use ordinance
• Hunter walking trails information

Iron County Forest is a large public forest (the county describes it as 175,000 acres) open to hunting and trapping. Southern tracts toward Mercer and the Turtle-Flambeau area are typically about a 35–50 minute drive from the cabins; the Hurley end of the county is much farther (about 1½ hours) and is not a quick camp-to-stand run. Request a sportsman’s map from the county, and read the forest’s hunting stand policies.

• Iron County hunting and trapping — official page, including stand policies and map requests
• Iron County Forest hunting stand policies (PDF) — posted by the county

State land

Hay Creek-Hoffman Lake Wildlife Area is a 13,800-acre DNR property about 8 miles northeast of Park Falls, in Ashland and Iron counties — typically about a 20–30 minute drive from the cabins. From Park Falls, the DNR’s directions are east on State Highway 182 for 6 miles, then north on Blockhouse Lake Road. It is managed for white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, woodcock, and black bear, with gated hunter walking trails and wildlife openings. A DNR shooting range on the property is listed as open year-round, dawn to dusk.

• Hay Creek-Hoffman Lake Wildlife Area — official DNR property page

Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area is a 40,000-acre DNR property in southern Iron County, just north and east of Hay Creek-Hoffman Lake. Official access from the south is via U.S. Highway 51 or State Highway 13, with access points off State Highway 182 on the south side of the property. Plan on about 30–40 minutes or a little more from the cabins, depending on which landing you use. Hunting is among the public uses; confirm details on the property page and map.

• Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area — official DNR overview
• Turtle-Flambeau maps

Flambeau River State Forest is a large state forest in Sawyer, Price, and Rusk counties, surrounding 75 miles of the North and South Forks of the Flambeau River. The forest headquarters is in Winter. Plan on about 45–60 minutes to the Winter headquarters and main campgrounds; some Price County portions of the forest are a shorter drive west or southwest of Park Falls — check the official map for the closest ground. The property is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Hunting and fishing licenses apply.

• Flambeau River State Forest — official DNR overview
• Location, hours, and contact information (headquarters: W1613 Cty Hwy W, Winter; 715-332-5271)

We did not find a separately named “Upper Chippewa” DNR property within about 45 minutes that we could confirm on an official page for this guide. Use the official Public Access Lands map to see every DNR wildlife area, fishery area, and state-forest tract around Butternut Lake, and confirm hunting is allowed on that unit.

Public-land facts and links were checked November 9–10, 2026 (America/Chicago) against official DNR, county, and U.S. Forest Service pages. Acreages are included only when stated on those official pages. Boundaries, road closures, and stand rules can change — official maps and posted signs control.

Licenses, registration, and CWD

Buy a current Wisconsin hunting license and any harvest authorizations through Go Wild. All harvested deer must be registered electronically through GameReg by 5 p.m. the day after the carcass is recovered.

• Register online (fastest): gamereg.wi.gov — this official address takes you to Go Wild harvest registration
• Register by phone, 24 hours: 1-844-426-3734 (1-844-GAMEREG)
• DNR deer registration details

CWD testing is not required, but the DNR recommends it and offers testing. Check current priority areas and results on the official CWD page before you plan what to do with your deer.

Why Eagle Pointe works as deer camp

Two cabins stay open through gun season, muzzleloader, and winter: the Lake House and Musky Haven. Lakeside and Honeymoon are closed for winter and reopen at fishing opener. There is a 3-night minimum. Book direct at eaglepointelodging.com with no third-party booking fees, or call or text 715-762-4857.

Both cabins have private docks (the lake is a fine place to come back to after dark), trailer parking on the property, and ATV/UTV trail access about a half-mile down the road. A snowmobile route runs on the lake when ice and official trail conditions allow — check a current trail report, not this page, before you ride.

Gear and packing checklist

This is a practical cabin list, not a substitute for the regulations. When a firearm deer season is in progress, Wisconsin requires that at least 50% of a hunter’s outer clothing above the waist be blaze orange or fluorescent pink, and a hat or other head covering, if worn, must be at least 50% blaze orange or fluorescent pink. The DNR recommends 100% solid blaze orange or fluorescent pink. Read the official highly visible clothing rules.

• Current Wisconsin license and harvest authorizations (printed or on your phone), plus a plan to register through GameReg
• Blaze orange or fluorescent pink clothing that meets the DNR rule above
• Official maps: MVUM for national forest roads, county forest hunting and road-use maps, and the DNR Public Access Lands map — plus a way to use them offline
• Weather-ready clothing, a headlamp, and extra batteries (November nights come early)
• Knife, game bags, and a cooler; a plan for processing or for a local processor (call first)
• Safety harness and stand gear that follows the rules for the land you are hunting (county and Forest Service stand rules differ — read them)
• Food for the cabin kitchen, or a reservation at a local supper club or fish fry — see our restaurant guide

Nearby meat processor and sporting goods

We only list shops we could verify by name, town, and phone on a current official or business source. Call before you drive — seasonal volume and drop-off rules change.

We did not add other processors or gun shops unless we could verify a current name, town, and phone. If you have a favorite we missed, tell us and we can add it once it’s confirmed.