Wisconsin hunting license

How much is a Wisconsin hunting license?

A resident small game Wisconsin hunting license is $18.00, and the nonresident version is $90.00, as listed by the Wisconsin DNR for the current license year. Small game is the entry point here. It does not cover deer, so a deer hunter adds a Gun Deer, Archer or Crossbow license, each $24 for residents and $200 for nonresidents.

Bundles can save money if you hunt and fish. The resident Sports license at $60 combines fishing, small game and gun deer, and the Conservation Patron at $165 rolls in far more privileges. Nonresidents can buy a Sports license for $295 or the Patron for $620.

Here is how the math works for a typical resident deer hunter. Buying small game ($18) and gun deer ($24) separately comes to $42. The Sports license adds fishing for $60, so it only pays off if you also plan to wet a line. Bow and crossbow hunters each need their own $24 license on top, so add up every weapon you plan to use and compare that total with the $165 Conservation Patron on the DNR fee page.

The price table below lays out the main options side by side. If you have never bought a license, or you have not bought one in 10 years, Wisconsin charges first-time buyers a reduced fee ($5 for residents on the DNR's table), so check that box before you pay full price. Fees can change between license years, so confirm on the Go Wild resident fee page.

Who needs hunter education for a Wisconsin hunting license?

Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1973 must complete hunter education before buying a license. If you were born earlier, the course is optional. Two exceptions apply: people hunting under the Hunting Mentorship Program, and people who completed military basic training.

Adults 18 and older can finish the whole course online with no field day. Students under 18 take the online course plus an in-person field day, or sign up for a classroom course instead. Course listings and registration are on the DNR safety education page.

Not ready to take the class? The Hunting Mentorship Program lets someone without hunter ed buy a mentored license and hunt within arm's reach of a mentor. The mentor must be 18 or older, have hunter education (or be born before 1973), and have a parent's permission when the new hunter is a minor. It is a good way to try a season before committing to the course.

Where do you buy a Wisconsin hunting license?

Most hunters buy through Go Wild at gowild.wi.gov, either on the website or in the Go Wild app. You can also buy from a DNR license sales agent or at a DNR service center. For help, DNR customer service answers at 1-888-936-7463 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Think about the season before you check out. A resident who wants to rifle hunt deer and chase grouse pays $18 for small game plus $24 for gun deer, or $60 for the Sports license that also includes fishing. If you plan to bow hunt too, price the $24 Archer license on top. Bonus antlerless authorizations ($12 for residents) are added separately.

1. Complete hunter education if you were born on or after Jan. 1, 1973, or plan to hunt under the mentorship program.
2. Sign in to Go Wild, open the app, or visit a license agent or DNR service center.
3. Pick small game, a deer license, or a bundle such as Sports or Conservation Patron, and add any bonus antlerless authorizations.
4. Pay and keep your license with you, then register any deer through GameReg.

Buy a Wisconsin hunting license on the official site

How do deer tags and drawings work in Wisconsin?

Every deer license includes a buck harvest authorization. Antlerless authorizations depend on the zone you hunt, and bonus antlerless authorizations cost $12 for residents. After you recover a deer, register it through GameReg online or at 1-844-426-3734 by 5 p.m. the day after recovery.

Several species are drawn instead of sold over the counter. Spring turkey and bear applications are due Dec. 10, and for bear that is the year before the season. Bobcat and fisher applications are due Aug. 1. Elk is open to residents only, with applications due May 31 and the drawing in early June. The bear application costs $4.50 and elk costs $10.

Details for each zone and hunt are in the online hunting regulations, which the DNR updates for each season. The deer registration page walks through GameReg step by step.

What are the youth hunting rules in Wisconsin?

Kids under 12 can hunt, but only through the Hunting Mentorship Program or a DNR Learn to Hunt event, and their licenses cost $7. A mentor must stay within arm's reach the whole time.

Resident juniors ages 12 through 17 pay reduced prices: $9 for small game, $20 for gun deer, and $35 for the junior Sports license. Hunters ages 12 and 13 who have passed hunter education still need a parent or guardian with them in the field.

Parents should plan the path ahead of time. A child who starts in the mentorship program can keep hunting that way while they work toward the course. Students under 18 also need the in-person field day or a classroom course, so look up dates early enough to finish before the season you have in mind.

What does a nonresident pay to hunt in Wisconsin?

Nonresidents pay $90 for an annual small game license, or $60 for a 5-day small game license, which is the only short-term hunting option listed. Deer cost more for visitors: a nonresident Gun Deer, Archer or Crossbow license is $200 each.

If you plan to fish as well, the nonresident Sports license at $295 covers fishing, small game and gun deer. A nonresident furbearer license is $165. Nonresidents cannot apply for elk, since that drawing is for residents only. Visitors born on or after Jan. 1, 1973 need hunter education, unless they hunt under the mentorship program.

A visitor coming only for a long weekend of upland birds can save with the 5-day small game license. A visitor coming back for several trips, or for both birds and deer, usually does better with the annual license plus the deer license that matches the weapon. Keep in mind that every license, short or annual, ends on March 31.

Hunting both sides of the border? See the Minnesota hunting license guide or the Michigan hunting license rules for what changes across the line.

Other Wisconsin license rules to know

These rules apply no matter which license you hold, and visiting hunters should read them before opening day. For other states, browse the full hunting license by state guide.

• License year: licenses run April 1 through March 31 of the following year, so a license bought in the fall expires the next spring.
• Blaze orange: while a firearm deer season is open in an area, anyone hunting any game there except waterfowl must wear blaze orange or fluorescent pink on at least 50% of outer clothing above the waist. A hat, if worn, must be at least 50% orange or pink too.
• Landowners: owners need a license to hunt deer, bear, turkey, game birds, migratory birds and bobcat on their own land. Owners or occupants and their families may hunt beaver, fox, coyote, raccoon, woodchuck, rabbit and squirrel there without one.
• Seniors: residents 65 and older pay $9 for small game.
• Military: Wisconsin residents in active-duty armed forces get a free fishing and small game license, and the Purple Heart Conservation Patron is $10.
• Lifetime licenses: we did not find a lifetime hunting license on the DNR pages, so check with the Wisconsin DNR before you plan around one.