Hunting Program - Door County Land Trust

Hunting at Door County Land Trust Preserves

Door County Land Trust preserves accommodate a wide variety of public uses including hiking, canoeing, cross country skiing, scientific research and hunting. In order to create a safe and enjoyable environment for all visitors to our preserves, we ask hunters to review and comply with our hunting program rules.

Hunters play an important role as conservation partners with the Door County Land Trust by helping regulate and maintain the populations of white-tailed deer and turkeys. The overabundance of these species negatively impacts ecosystem health on lands we protect. Hunters also provide valuable information from the field that is used in making management decisions for Land Trust preserves.

Please be aware that lands on which the Door County Land Trust holds a conservation easement are private property and the Land Trust does not have the authority to grant permission to hunt on these lands.

There are a few properties owned by the Door County Land Trust that are not open for any hunting seasons. These areas are usually small in size, located in residential neighborhoods, or too ecologically sensitive for off-trail foot traffic.

However, most of the lands owned by the Land Trust are open for hunting. The list of Door County Land Trust Preserves at which hunting is permitted, the seasons permitted and links to printable hunting maps are located at the bottom of this page. Also keep in mind that The Nature Conservancy and WI-DNR allow hunting. That information is available on their websites.

If you are interested in hunting on lands owned by the Door County Land Trust, please carefully review the hunting rules below.

Tips for Hikers on Land Trust Preserves During Hunting Season

Wear blaze orange or bright colors.

Stay on trails.

Keep pets on leash.

View the list below of Land Trust properties that do NOT allow hunting.

Don't wear white as it resembles the rear of a white-tailed deer.

Make some noise! Talk loudly or whistle so hunters know you're there.

Rules for Hunting at Door County Land Trust Preserves

Prior to the hunt, hunters are requested to contact the Land Trust by completing the Hunter Information Form on our website.

Use of Door County Land Trust Preserves is a privilege extended to all legally-permitted hunters who abide by the rules and regulations of the WI-DNR and the Door County Land Trust. Failure to do so may result in loss of hunting privilege and if warranted, referral to the WI-DNR and/or Door County Sheriff for possible enforcement action.

Portable hunting stands and structures (including trail cameras) are permitted for day use only and must be removed each night. All stands and structures must contain ownership information (name, address and phone number). If a stand or other structure is left overnight it will be dismantled and removed by staff or preserve stewards.

The following activities are not allowed:
- cutting trees or vegetation or removing brush from properties
- baiting
- motorized vehicles of any kind

Hunters must respect adjacent private property. If a hunter needs to follow a wounded animal onto
private lands, prior permission must be obtained from the landowner.

Dogs actively engaged in hunting may be off leash, except that all dogs must be kept on leash from
April 15 to July 31 to protect ground-nesting birds.

Hunters are asked to help “keep an eye” on things when hunting and to inform the Land Trust if there are any activities taking place on the property of which we should be aware.

Door County Land Trust Preserves at which Hunting is Permitted

Click on a preserve name below to view or print a map showing areas open to hunting for that preserve in Adobe PDF format.

Preserve Name	Map	Township	Fall Traditional Deer Gun	Deer Gun Special Hunts	Deer Archery & Cross Bow	Spring Turkey Bow	Spring Turkey Gun	Fall Turkey Bow	Fall Turkey Gun	All Other WI-DNR Game Seasons
Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve Zone 1	Map	Egg Harbor	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve Zone 2	Map	Egg Harbor	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bear Creek	Map	Clay Banks	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Big and Little Marsh State Natural Area	Map	Washington	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Carlson Natural Area	Map	Liberty Grove	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no
Chambers Island Nature Preserve Zone 1	Map	Gibraltar	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no
Chambers Island Nature Preserve Zone 2	Map	Gibraltar	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Detroit Harbor Nature Preserve Zone 1	Map	Washington	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Detroit Harbor Nature Preserve Zone 2	Map	Washington	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Detroit Island Nature Preserve	Map	Washington	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Domer Neff Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary	Map	Washington	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Ephraim Nature Preserve at Anderson Pond	Map	Ephraim (Village of)	no	no	yes	yes	no	yes	no	no
Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp Natural Area Zone 1	Map	Ephraim (Village of)	no	no	yes	yes	no	yes	no	no
Gibraltar-Ephraim Swamp Natural Area Zone 2	Map	Gibraltar (Town of)	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Gilson-Peterson Forest Natural Area	Map	Ellison Bay	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Heins Creek Nature Preserve	Map	Baileys Harbor	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Hibbard Creek Natural Area	Map	Egg Harbor	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Kangaroo Lake Nature Preserve Zone 1	Map	Baileys Harbor	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Kangaroo Lake Nature Preserve Zone 2	Map	Baileys Harbor	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Kellner Fen Natural Area Zone 1	Map	Sturgeon Bay	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Kellner Fen Natural Area Zone 2	Map	Sturgeon Bay	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Kellner Fen Natural Area Zone 3	Map	Sturgeon Bay	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no
Lautenbach Woods Nature Preserve Zone 1	Map	Egg Harbor	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Lautenbach Woods Nature Preserve Zone 2	Map	Egg Harbor	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Legacy Nature Preserve at Clay Banks	Map	Clay Banks	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Little Lake Nature Preserve	Map	Washington	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Mostek Natural Area	Map	Washington	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Oak Road Nature Preserve	Map	Union	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Oak Bluff Zone 1	Map	Union	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Oak Bluff Zone 2	Map	Union	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Picha Woods Natural Area	Map	Egg Harbor	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Richter Community Forest Nature Preserve	Map	Washington	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Solitude Natural Area	Map	Baileys Harbor	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no
Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve	Map	Sturgeon Bay (City of)	Special rules apply. Shotgun & muzzleloader only.	no	Special rules apply. Shotgun & muzzleloader only.	Special rules apply. Shotgun & muzzleloader only.	no	Special rules apply. Shotgun & muzzleloader only.	no	no
Three Springs Nature Preserve	Map	Sister Bay	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Walt's Woods Natural Area	Map	Baileys Harbor	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
White Cliff Nature Preserve	Map	Egg Harbor	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no

The tracts listed below are open to hunting, however, please be aware that they are relatively small in size and located in remote areas. To locate a taxparcel number on a web map, please visit the Door County Land Information Portal.

Tax Parcel Identification #	Location	Fall Traditional Deer Gun	Deer Gun Special Hunts	Deer Archery & Crossbow	Spring Turkey Bow	Spring Turkey Gun	Fall Turkey Bow	Fall Turkey Gun	All Other WI-DNR Game Seasons
008-210007	Egg Harbor	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
028-03-04333011A & 028-03-04333011F	Washington Island	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
0280304333021A	Washington Island	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
028-03-09333044H	Washington Island	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
028-04-30343043A1	Washington Island	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
028-04-30343041A	Washington Island	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
0280318333031F & 0280318333013 & 0280318333041B & 0280318333041W & 0280317333022B	Washington Island	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
0280429343011A & 0280429343014B	Washington Island	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
006-00-31262634A	Clay Banks	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes

Hunting is Not Permitted at the Following Door County Land Trust Preserves

The preserves listed below are not open for any hunting seasons. These areas may be guided by a management agreement that does not permit hunting, or they may be too small in size, located in residential neighborhoods, or too ecologically sensitive for off-trail foot traffic.

Boo’s Bluff Natural Area

Erskine Woods Natural Area

Dammon-Welcker Natural Area

Gordy and Pat Nevins Shoreline Preserve Natural Area

Griffin Woods Natural Area

Haswell Natural Area

Indian Point Natural Area

Washington Harbor Scenic Overlook

Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions or for more information about hunting or trapping at Door County Land Trust preserves.

Visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI-DNR) website to find out the dates of this year's hunting seasons.

To locate a tax parcel number on a web map, please visit the Door County Land Information Portal.

Join the Land Trust to Help Protect More Wildlife Habitat

If you are not already a supporter of the Land Trust, we hope you will consider Becoming a Member. Membership dues and donations provide the needed financial resources to protect lands in Door County. Your donation will increase our ability to protect, maintain and restore wildlife habitat in Door County and continue to provide public recreation and hunting opportunities.