Courtesy Photo | A hunter is shown with a harvested deer Nov. 28, 2024, during the 2024 gun-deer season...... read more read more
Subscribe
The Fort McCoy nine-day gun-deer season takes place Nov. 22-30 at the installation in conjunction with the Wisconsin gun-deer season with the same dates.
Fort McCoy Wildlife Biologist Kevin Luepke with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Public Works Natural Resources Branch discussed how the season works at Fort McCoy.
To participate in the gun-deer hunt at the installation, hunters must apply for a Fort McCoy gun-deer permit through the Fort McCoy iSportsman site, https://ftmccoy.isportsman.net, and then also purchase their permits through iSportsman if selected, Luepke said. Applications for the gun-deer hunt generally become available in late June every year and the application period has closed for this year. There are still a limited number of permits available on a first-come first-serve basis, and anyone interested should contact the Permit Sales Office for more information at 502-898-3337.
In addition, hunters coming to the installation must also have an annual Wisconsin gun-deer license. The Wisconsin licenses are sold through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) GoWild system at https://gowild.wi.gov or a designated WDNR GoWild agent.
The cost of a Fort McCoy gun-deer permit is $21, and a Wisconsin gun-deer license for an adult resident is $24. Wisconsin offers some reduced pricing for gun-deer or combination permits based on categories such as first-time permit purchasers, for minors, for Purple Heart recipients, etc. See the Go Wild system for additional details.
Fort McCoy hunters do not need to register their harvested deer with the WDNR, but they do have to register any harvested deer through the iSportsman check-out process, Luepke said.
Luepke also wants hunters to know the new Fort McCoy Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping Regulations have been approved, signed, and went into effect on Nov. 17. The big changes include the following:
— Changes the designation of training areas A-1 and A-2 to Small Arms Impact Area (SAIA), creates a new and separate zone (Zone 4) for check-in/out, creates an approved access point (Havenwood Road), and outlines the access procedures (paragraph 2-2l(3)(a-c) and appendices C, D, E, G, and H).
— Limits the number of scouting cameras placed within the training areas to two per hunter and removes the ability to use or place scouting cameras within the Cantonment Area (paragraph 2-2v).
— Includes the addition of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) replacement harvest authorization and outlines the applicability and procedure to obtain the replacement harvest authorization (paragraph 2-2w, 3-3i, 3-5h, 3-6j, and 3-7j).
— Changes the weapon restriction for G-7 from “Archery, Shotgun, Muzzleloader Only” to “Archery Only” (appendices C and D).
Luepke also noted the Fort McCoy Wildlife Program has authorized 1,800 gun-deer permits for 2025 that includes an either-sex harvest authorization and allows hunters to harvest one deer of either sex.
“Fort McCoy issued 1,733 permits and still have roughly 67 permits available on a first-come, first-serve basis,” Luepke said. “To obtain a permit, hunters must contact Permit Sales at 502-898-3337 to get a permit added to their account for follow-up purchase. There were also 450 bonus antlerless harvest authorizations issued through a lottery drawing, and all of the bonus antlerless harvest authorizations have been issued.”
Luepke said overall the deer herd looks to be in good condition.
“There have been no new cases of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease that have been reported or found this fall,” Luepke said. “In addition, Fort McCoy has only had the one positive Chronic Wasting Disease case from the 2024 Archery season. Through the 2024 gun-deer season, when a majority of the CWD sampling occurs, no additional CWD positive results were received.
“During the fall of 2025, there were no additional CWD positive results received from the youth gun-deer, gun-deer for hunters with disabilities, or early archery seasons,” Luepke said.
“We have also seen lower fawn numbers this summer, so our herd recruitment has been a bit lower than normal. The acorn production is higher than last year (little to no acorn production in 2024). 2025 has not seen a bumper crop of acorns by any means, but there has been some acorn production associated with white and black (scrub) oak,” he said.
Luepke said he would like to thank all the hunters who will participate in this year’s hunt.
“Without the hunters, Fort McCoy would not be able to manage the deer herd as effectively. I would also like to wish the hunters a safe and memorable hunt, full of tradition.”
Luepke also would like to remind the hunters about the four rules of firearm safety.
— Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
— Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
— Be certain of your target, what is in front and what is beyond it.
— Keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until ready to shoot.
Fort McCoy’s deer population should continue to have many larger bucks available to hunters, as well, Luepke said.
“There’s always some big bucks at Fort McCoy,” Luepke said. “And you could be one of those lucky hunters that are able to harvest one.”
Hunters also need to remember that Fort McCoy requires all privately owned firearms brought on to the installation be registered through the Directorate of Emergency Services Physical Security. This includes the entirety of the federal land, including the training and housing areas.
Luepke again also reminds hunters to review the Fort McCoy hunting regulations. More information about the regulations and about deer hunting at Fort McCoy can be found on the iSportsman website at https://ftmccoy.isportsman.net.
And for more about Wisconsin deer hunting regulations and safety, go to https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/hunt/regulations.
Learn more about deer hunting at Fort McCoy by visiting the installation iSportsman page at https://ftmccoy.isportsman.net.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
(The Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch contributed to this article.)
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2025 15:28 |
| Story ID: | 551618 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 267 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort McCoy ready to host hundreds of hunters for 2025 gun-deer season Nov. 22-30, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
