Door County Land Trust Hunting Program Overview

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 policies and guidelines.

Hunters play an important role as conservation partners with the Door County Land Trust by helping control the populations of white-tailed deer and turkeys. If the population growth of these species is not kept in balance, it could negatively impact the long-term health of our preserved lands.

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 preserves at which hunting is and is not permitted and links to printable hunting maps are located at the bottom of this page.

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

Open Hunting Seasons

• Deer bow hunting is allowed during the regular deer bow season.
   
• Deer gun hunting is allowed during the regular deer gun season only. Deer gun hunting is not permitted on Land Trust properties during any other special firearms seasons (youth hunt, T-zone, muzzleloader, etc.)
   
• Turkey hunting using either gun or bow is allowed during the spring turkey season. For safety reasons, turkey hunting using bow only is allowed during the fall turkey season.
   

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

Rules For Hunting on Door County Land Trust Preserves
(Updated January 2009)

• Prior to the hunt, hunters are required to contact the Land Trust by 
   
  • completing the Hunter Information Form on our website
    
    OR
     
  • sending an e-mail to hunting@doorcountylandtrust.org to register their name, address, phone number, and the season(s) and preserve(s) they intend to hunt, and to report back with the results of their hunt.

  By requesting this information, we can determine how many hunters intend to hunt at each site, and also assess the effectiveness of the hunting program in reducing the deer and turkey populations.
   

• A written permit is not required for the Open Hunting Seasons listed above.
   
• Use of 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, to referral to the WI-DNR and/or Door County Sheriff for possible enforcement action.
   
• Portable hunting stands and structures 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.
   
• Hunters are NOT allowed to cut trees or remove brush from properties.
   
• Baiting is NOT allowed.
   
• Deer drives are NOT allowed.
   
• Hunters need to respect adjacent private property. If a hunter needs to follow a wounded deer onto private lands, prior permission needs to be obtained from the landowner.
   
• Motorized vehicles of any kind are prohibited.
   
• Hunting dogs are NOT allowed off-leash.
   
• 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 NOT Permitted

The following Land Trust preserves are not open to Deer Bow, Traditional Deer Gun, and Turkey Hunting.

• Tracts within Bay Shore Blufflands Preserve other than Unit 1
   
• Ephraim Preserve at Anderson Pond during gun season
   
• Small tracts in Woods at Monument Point
   
• Small tracts on Bay Shore Drive and White Cedar Lane north of Bay Shore Blufflands Preserve
   
• Griffin Preserve south of Monument Point Pass
   
• Pomerance Property west of South Lake Michigan Drive
   
• Small tracts along North Lake Michigan Drive
   

Door County Land Trust Preserves at which Hunting is Permitted

The following Land Trust preserves are open for Deer Bow, Regular Deer Gun, and Turkey Hunting.  Please click on a preserve name below to open a hunting map and rules for that preserve in Adobe PDF** format.

• Bay Shore Blufflands Preserve Unit 1 (67 kb) (160 acres between Reynolds Rd. and Bay Shore Dr. west of Carlsville
   
• Detroit Harbor Map (70 kb) (includes Gordon, Gunnlaugsson and Richter tracts, Washington Island)
  • Gordon Property (22 acres on Gordon Court, Washington Island)
     
  • Gunnlaugsson Preserve (50 acres on Lobdell’s Point Road, Washington Island)
     
  • Richter Community Forest (160 acres along Green Bay Road, Washington Island)
     
• Ephraim Preserve at Anderson Pond (63 kb) (26 acres east of Moravia Street, Ephraim) Open to bow hunting only (no firearms). A written permit for bow hunting is required from the Village of Ephraim.
   
• Gilson-Peterson Forest (56 kb) (40 acres east of Blackberry Lane, Ellison Bay)
   
• Hibbard’s Creek Preserve (57 kb) (80 acres north of Junction Road, Egg Harbor)
   
• Kangaroo Lake Preserve (62 kb) (137 acres east of Maple Road, Baileys Harbor)
   
• Kellner Fen (56 kb) (106 acres west of County TT, Lake Forest Park Drive, Sturgeon Bay)
   
• Kreuter Preserve (54 kb)** (91 acres on South Lake Michigan Drive and Mount Lookout Road, Town of Clay Banks)
   
• Lautenbach Woods Preserve (57 kb) (80 acres west of County G, Egg Harbor)
   
• Mostek Preserve (54 kb) (15 acres on Gunnlaugsson Road, Washington Island)
   
• Neff-Domer Preserve (54 kb) (45 acres on Townline Road, Washington Island)
   
• Oak Road Wetland Preserve (54 kb) (155 acres on Oak Road south of Sunnyslope Road, Egg Harbor)
   
• Picha Forest (53 kb) (40 acres north of County EE, Egg Harbor)
   
• Three Springs Preserve (59 kb)** (421 acres near County ZZ and North Bay Road, Sister Bay)
   
• White Cliff Fen (63 kb) (90 acres east of White Cliff Road, Egg Harbor)
   

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 wildlife habitat in Door County and continue to provide public recreation and hunting opportunities.

**Three Springs Preserve, Kreuter Preserve and tax parcel #028-02-23342931A1, 028-02-23342931A2, and 028-01-13332912E have additional hunting seasons. Please contact us at hunting@doorcountylandtrust.org for more information about hunting at these preserves.

 

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