Wisconsin elk season 2026: dates and free maps

Season dates

Northern and Central elk zones: Saturday, October 17 to Sunday, December 13, 2026
By drawn license; one continuous season from 2026.
Source: Wisconsin DNR

Checked on the agency's site November 6, 2026. Licenses, units, bag limits and shooting hours differ, and dates can vary by unit: the regulations are what count, so read them before you go.

Legal shooting hours for big game in Wisconsin, generally: 30 minutes before sunrise to 20 minutes after sunset.

Elk hunting covers a lot of ground, far from roads and cell service. Download the maps for your unit ahead of time and Cartahaven shows your GPS position on them offline, so you know which side of a boundary you are on and how to get back to camp.

Wisconsin deer management units Open the map app

Free public land maps in Wisconsin

Wisconsin USGS topo maps (1,178)
Wisconsin historical topo maps (330)
Wisconsin Forest Service FSTopo maps (108)
Wisconsin wildlife refuge maps (3)
Wisconsin national forest maps (2)
Wisconsin national park maps (2)

All free maps in Wisconsin

Before you go

Cartahaven is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wisconsin DNR. Season dates come from the agency pages linked above.