Fort McCoy Garrison
Hunting, Fishing, & Firewood Cutting at Fort McCoy
Fort McCoy offers hunting, fishing, and trapping opportunities to military (active and retired) and their dependents, government employees, and the general public. All participants must have the appropriate Fort McCoy permit and State of Wisconsin licenses before they are allowed to hunt, fish, or trap on Fort McCoy.
Revenue generated from the sale of hunting, fishing, and trapping permits is used for the management of fish and wildlife habitat and populations on Fort McCoy.
Much of Fort McCoy's 60,000 acres is naturally well-suited for wildlife habitat. The majority of the land on Fort McCoy is divided into 82 training areas totaling 45,648 acres, which are available for hunting. Harvest and biological data is collected to monitor wildlife populations and wildlife health.
Fort McCoy has 10 installation lakes and impoundments and approximately 71.2 miles of coldwater streams and tributaries. The majority of the streams are Class I trout water maintaining naturally reproducing brook and brown trout. The impoundments on Fort McCoy coldwater streams provide a variety of uses for recreation, military training, and habitat for fish and wildlife.
Firewood cutting is allowed on Fort McCoy to help remove dead and down wood from the training areas. Two permit categories are available; the daily permit costs $10 and allows cutting and hauling firewood for one calendar day, the monthly permit costs $50 and allows cutting and hauling firewood for one calendar month. Income generated through firewood permit sales is deposited into a Department of Army account and used to fund forest management activities.
Please explore the links to the right for more-specific information about regulations, obtaining permits, etc.
** Important Notices **
• (New) The 2013 Fort McCoy Spring Turkey Application is now available. If you were selected for a 2013 State of Wisconsin Spring Turkey Hunting Permit, you are NOT ELIGIBLE to receive a 2013 Fort McCoy Spring Turkey Hunting Permit. Individuals who are selected for a State of Wisconsin Spring Turkey Hunting Permit normally receive notification by early February. Applicants selected for a Fort McCoy spring turkey permit will be compared with the DNR spring turkey winner list and removed from the Fort McCoy selection if selected for a state zone. Fort McCoy Spring Turkey Applications must be received or postmarked by February 11, 2013.
• Wolf harvesting will not be allowed in Fort McCoy during the 2012-13 season.
• Wisconsin ACT 51- DOES NOT APPLY ON FORT MCCOY. When transporting weapons, they need to be unloaded and cased.
• Wisconsin's concealed-carry law takes effect in November 2011; however concealed weapons are strictly prohibited on Fort McCoy.
• Hunters should be sure to dispose of or leave at home any prior year carcass tag. Using the incorrect carcass tag can result in fines and/or suspension of hunting privileges.
• Fort McCoy Spring/Fall Turkey registration procedures have changed. Fort McCoy Turkey hunters do not need to register their turkey on Fort McCoy, but should follow the WDNR registration procedures. Be sure to select Fort McCoy (FM) as your hunting zone.
All harvested turkeys must be registered using one of the following two methods:
o Call the DNR's Turkey Harvest Registration Hotline at 1-888-HUNT-WIS (1-888-486-8947). The phone-in system will only accept touch-tone entries.
o Use the online Harvest Registration System http://dnr.wi.gov/harvestdata/default.aspx
