Archers interested in applying for an opportunity to receive a 2026 Dane County Parks Archery Limited Access Permit may apply now through Monday, August 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM. The program provides opportunities for archers to hunt deer and fall turkey on specific county lands with the required Wisconsin DNR hunting licenses.
The program includes approximately 6,400 acres of county lands:
- Archery Permit Lottery Webpage: https://www.danecountyparks.com/recreation/hunting#ArcheryPermitLottery
- Overview Map: https://www.danecountyparks.com/documents/PDFs/archery/DaneCo-AllArcheryProperties2026.pdf
This year, 218 Limited Access Archery Permits will be available. Youths 15-years of age and younger may accompany and hunt under the direction of a valid permit holder. Participants 16 years of age and older are limited to one permit, non-transferable, for one property for the fall hunting season. Archers who would like to participate in the archery program will have until midnight, Monday, August 10, 2026 to apply online at https://www.danecountyparks.com/recreation/hunting/archery. The fee for the online application is $5. Winners will be selected through a random computer drawing on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
Winners will be notified via email with a link to purchase the permit for the property won. Permits must be purchased online by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, August 24, 2026, or will be forfeited and entered into a second drawing. Once purchased, a plastic permit will be mailed which must be carried and visibly displayed (on person) by the permit holder while hunting. The cost of the permit is $22 and helps offset the program administration costs.
“The limited access archery permit lottery continues to be a popular program providing archers a quality hunting experience while helping the county manage its lands” stated Joleen Stinson, Parks Director for Dane County. The Dane County Parks Commission introduced the management program in 2002 to help curb deer numbers within the county’s public lands. Interest in the program has stayed steady over the years with over 800 annual applicants seeking approximately 200 permits.
Dane County also offers public hunting opportunities that require no access permit. Since 2007, the Park Commission has designated specific lands as County Wildlife Areas, similar to State Wildlife Areas. Dane County has approximately 4,800 acres designated as Wildlife Areas. To find out more information on the County Wildlife Areas and all public lands open to hunting within Dane County, please check the Hunting Opportunities page of the Parks website at www.danecountyparks.com/Parks-Recreation/Hunting or contact Dane County Parks at (608) 224-3730.
