Fort McCoy is preparing to host hundreds of hunters for its 2026 nine-day gun-deer season Nov. 21-29, with wildlife surveys showing a slight increase in deer numbers and improved fawn production compared to 2025.
The season takes place in conjunction with Wisconsin’s statewide nine-day gun-deer season, which also runs Nov. 21-29, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).
Fort McCoy Wildlife Biologist Kevin Luepke with the Directorate of Public Works Natural Resources Branch said the installation’s annual deer surveys indicate encouraging signs for the local herd.
“Our deer surveys showed a slight increase in the number of deer per survey compared to last year,” Luepke said. “We had 17.9 deer per survey in 2025 compared to 19.8 deer per survey in 2026.”
The surveys also showed improved fawn production. The doe-to-fawn ratio increased from 1:0.37 in 2025 to 1:0.44 in 2026. That translates to approximately one fawn for every 2.25 adult does, compared to one fawn for every 2.7 adult does the previous year.
Although the 2026 ratio remains slightly below Fort McCoy’s 10-year average of 1:0.49, Luepke said the results are not far below that longer-term average.
Another factor that could benefit hunters this season is improved acorn production. Luepke said the installation experienced very little acorn production during the previous two years, but 2026 has brought a good crop. The increased availability of acorns should help keep deer in the oak ridges, which are popular hunting locations for many Fort McCoy hunters.
Rut activity, hunting outlook
The timing of this year’s season could also provide hunters with opportunities as deer movement increases.
Luepke said the rut, or breeding season, has started, with numerous reports of bucks chasing does. Warmer temperatures experienced a couple of weeks earlier slowed some of that activity, but cooler temperatures during the past week have helped increase rut activity again.
With the 2026 gun-deer season falling relatively late in November, hunters could also have an opportunity to experience the beginning of the second rut, which generally occurs in late November and early December.
The combination of increased deer movement, improved food availability and cooler weather could provide favorable hunting opportunities throughout the nine-day season.
Early archery harvest, permits
Fort McCoy’s early archery harvest numbers are also comparable to, and slightly ahead of, last year’s results.
According to Luepke, hunters reported 174 deer harvested through Fort McCoy’s iSportsman system during the 2025 early archery season, before the start of the nine-day gun-deer season.
For 2026, hunters had already reported 175 deer harvested through iSportsman, with 11 days remaining in the early archery season at the time of the report.
For hunters still interested in participating in the 2026 gun-deer season, a limited number of Fort McCoy gun-deer permits remain available.
Anyone interested in obtaining a permit should contact the Fort McCoy Permit Sales Office to have a gun-deer permit approval added to their iSportsman account. After approval is added, hunters must still purchase the gun-deer permit through the iSportsman system.
The Permit Sales Office can be reached at 502-898-3337 or by email at usarmy.mccoy.id-wh.mbx.dpw-permit-sales@army.mil.
The Fort McCoy iSportsman website is
Hunting requirements and installation procedures
Luepke emphasized that hunters must have both a Fort McCoy gun-deer permit and a state of Wisconsin gun-deer license to hunt during the installation’s season.
Fort McCoy does not accept or honor State of Wisconsin deer harvest authorizations issued through the WDNR for hunting on the installation. Hunters must follow Fort McCoy’s separate permit and harvest-reporting procedures.
All deer harvested on Fort McCoy must be reported through the iSportsman system during the hunter’s checkout process.
Hunters should also be aware of installation firearm registration requirements. The Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) requires all firearms brought onto the installation to be registered, with a National Crime Information Center Interstate Identification Index (NCIC-III) background check completed.
DES recommends submitting firearm registrations 30 days before hunters plan to bring their firearms onto the installation to allow sufficient time for processing and the background check.
Questions about firearm registration can be directed to the Fort McCoy Physical Security Division at 502-898-4280 or 502-898-2357, or by email at usarmy.mccoy.id-wh.mbx.des-fire-arm-registration@army.mil.
Safety, hunting-area awareness
Luepke also reminded hunters to practice safe firearm handling and good hunting ethics throughout the season.
Hunters should follow the Army’s TAB-K firearm safety principles:
- T — Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
- A — Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
- B — Be certain of your target and what is beyond it.
- K — Keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot.
Hunters should also remember that Fort McCoy is a public-access military installation where training activities and other missions continue throughout the year.
Luepke recommends that hunters identify multiple potential hunting locations before heading into the field. Having alternate locations available is important in case other hunters are already occupying or hunting near a preferred area, or military training activities result in closures of areas previously identified as open.
Hunters must check the installation’s current open areas list, also known as the Game Line, before entering hunting areas and should remain aware of changing access restrictions throughout the season.
The Wisconsin DNR also reminds hunters to follow state firearm safety requirements, including wearing at least 50 percent blaze orange or fluorescent pink clothing above the waist. Any hat or head covering worn must also be at least 50 percent blaze orange or fluorescent pink.
With deer numbers showing improvement, increased fawn production, good acorn availability, and active rut conditions, Fort McCoy’s 2026 gun-deer season offers hunters another opportunity to enjoy the installation’s natural resources while participating in one of Wisconsin’s longstanding outdoor traditions.
For additional information about Fort McCoy hunting opportunities, permits, regulations and open areas, visit
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at on Flickr at and on DVIDS by visiting on DVIDS. 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.”
