Wisconsin deer hunting: harvest by county, seasons and public land

Wisconsin hunters registered 345,207 deer in 2025: 165,984 bucks and 179,223 antlerless deer, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. The 2026 nine-day gun season runs November 21 to 29, and archery and crossbow run September 12 to January 3, 2027 (DNR season dates). Most deer management units are whole counties; the northern and central forest units are numbered.

Data updated October 2026. Seasons: the DNR's 2026 season dates. Harvest: DNR Deer Metrics. Land: PAD-US 4.1, the DNR's managed lands and VPA layers.

When are Wisconsin's 2026 hunting seasons?

Statewide dates for 2026 from the DNR. Antlerless tags, bag limits and the extended archery and holiday hunts depend on the county or unit; check the DNR's regulations for yours.

Source: Wisconsin DNR hunting and trapping season dates. "All dates are subject to change through rulemaking," the DNR notes; its combined hunting regulations have the unit designations.

How many deer do Wisconsin hunters take?

Registered deer by year, statewide, from the DNR's Deer Metrics. The last 10 years:

Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history. Deer registered is the DNR's buck and antlerless harvest added together.

Which Wisconsin counties and units have a page?

Every deer management unit with at least three years of DNR harvest numbers. The northern forest units were redrawn in 2025 and have one year so far; their counties have their own page with the 2025 numbers.

Harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit). Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).

How much of Wisconsin is public hunting land?

6,175,322 acres of Wisconsin, 17.2% of the state, are public land open to the public, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public): county forest 2,251,780 acres, state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land 2,025,030 acres, national forest 1,526,100 acres, national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas 148,890 acres, other county, city and regional land 88,824 acres and land trusts and other open land 63,917 acres.

Wisconsin's public hunting ground is mostly in the north: county forests (open to hunting by state law in most cases), the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and the Northern Highland and Black River state forests. In the south, the DNR's wildlife areas and the federal waterfowl production areas carry most of the public hunting.

Every county with its own page: Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Iron, Jackson, Juneau, Langlade, Lincoln, Marinette, Menominee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, Vilas, Washburn, Wood.

Which DNR properties are the largest?

DNR properties open to hunting with a page of their own, largest first:

• Northern Highland State Forest: 176,323 acres
• Flambeau River State Forest: 89,904 acres
• Brule St Croix Legacy Forest: 74,457 acres
• Black River State Forest: 68,941 acres
• Meadow Valley Wildlife Area: 58,144 acres
• Lower Wisconsin State Riverway: 47,767 acres
• Brule River State Forest: 47,356 acres
• Turtle Flambeau Scenic Waters Area: 35,782 acres
• Forest Legacy Program: 33,075 acres
• Mead Wildlife Area: 32,664 acres
• Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit: 30,281 acres
• Crex Meadows Wildlife Area: 29,812 acres
• Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area: 27,366 acres
• Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit: 21,556 acres
• Governor Knowles State Forest: 21,307 acres
• Wood County Wildlife Area: 19,261 acres
• Navarino Wildlife Area: 14,533 acres
• Hay Creek-Hoffman Lake Wildlife Area: 14,503 acres
• Chippewa Flowage: 14,069 acres
• Tiffany Wildlife Area: 14,019 acres
• Fish Lake Wildlife Area: 13,535 acres
• White River Marsh Wildlife Area: 12,706 acres
• Buena Vista Wildlife Area: 12,552 acres
• Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest: 11,795 acres
• Pine-Popple Wild Rivers: 11,648 acres

348 DNR properties have a page of their own; each county page lists the rest.

What is Wisconsin's Voluntary Public Access program?

The DNR leases private land for public hunting, fishing and trapping (VPA), and some for spring turkey hunting only (the Turkey Hunter Access Program). Its 2026 layer shows 148 leased properties covering about 21,610 acres. Voluntary Public Access land by county.

Questions hunters ask

When is Wisconsin's 2026 gun deer season?

November 21 to 29, 2026, statewide. The muzzleloader season follows, November 30 to December 9, then a four-day antlerless-only hunt December 10 to 13 (DNR season dates).

How many deer were harvested in Wisconsin last year?

Hunters registered 345,207 deer in 2025: 165,984 bucks and 179,223 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics).

Can you hunt on Wisconsin DNR wildlife areas?

Most DNR properties are open to hunting, fishing and trapping; the DNR's property map lists each property's public access, and each property page here quotes it. Some properties have refuges or closed areas posted on site.

Do you need permission to hunt VPA land?

No. The DNR says not to contact landowners: VPA properties are open to the public year-round for hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife watching, and Turkey Hunter Access properties are open March 1 to May 29 for spring turkey only. Public deer tags are required on VPA land (DNR VPA program).

Where these numbers come from

• Seasons: Wisconsin DNR season dates.
• Deer harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
• DNR properties: Wisconsin DNR managed lands open to hunting and each property's DNR page. VPA: Wisconsin DNR Voluntary Public Access and Turkey Hunting Program lands.
• Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).

FilledTag is not part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The DNR's hunting pages are the final word on every rule.

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