(DNR) – Attention deer hunters! Bonus antlerless harvest authorizations for the 2026 gun deer season will be available for purchase online through Go Wild and at license sales locations starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026.
An online queuing system will be used to manage volume in Go Wild. All users entering the site between 9:45 a.m. and 10 a.m. will be randomly assigned a number and staged in a virtual queue. Users will be arranged randomly regardless of the actual time they enter the system. There is no advantage for customers who enter the site before 9:45 a.m. Users who log on after 10 a.m. will be added to the end of the existing queue in the order of arrival.
To complete their purchase, hunters will need to know the deer management zone and unit in which they intend to hunt, determine whether they will hunt on public or private land and have a deer hunting license approval. Due to realignment of the Northern and Central Forest Zones, there were changes made to some deer management unit borders in 2025. The DNR encourages hunters to consult the Deer Season Structure And Management Zone maps before buying their licenses.
The first three days of bonus sales are management zone-specific, and the fourth day is open to all zones:
- Aug. 17, 10 a.m. – Forest Zones (Northern and Central)
- Aug. 18, 10 a.m. – Central Farmland Zone
- Aug. 19, 10 a.m. – Southern Farmland Zone
- Aug. 20, 10 a.m. – All zones available
Bonus authorizations are sold at a rate of one per person per day until sold out or until the 2026 deer hunting season ends. Bonus authorizations are $12 each for Wisconsin residents, $20 each for nonresidents and $5 each for youth ages 11 and under.
The number of antlerless harvest opportunities will vary by deer management unit in accordance with local deer population levels. This allows for greater harvest opportunities where deer are abundant and a more conservative harvest where deer are fewer in number.
A listing of bonus antlerless harvest authorizations available for purchase in each deer management unit can be found on the DNR’s Antlerless Deer Harvest Authorization webpage.
A minimum of one Farmland Zone antlerless harvest authorization is included with each deer hunting license purchase in all Farmland Zone units. Some units will offer more than one antlerless deer harvest authorization with each deer license.
As a reminder, beginning in 2026, all users who have already established a username and password will now be required to use these credentials for login. For those who haven’t yet created a username and password, you can still access your account using personal information, but you will be prompted to complete the username and password setup and security questions.
If you have not yet created a Go Wild username and password, these steps walk you through the process. If you forget your username or password, convenient self-help recovery options are available by clicking “Forgot Username” or “Forgot Password.” To ensure a smooth login experience, please verify that the email address on file in your Go Wild account is up to date, as recovery options for forgotten usernames and passwords are linked to this email.
For more information on deer hunting in Wisconsin, visit the DNR’s Deer Hunting webpage.
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