Barron County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Barron County is its own deer management unit, 890 square miles around Rice Lake. Hunters registered 6,376 deer here in 2025, 3,247 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 10% from 2024. 4.3% of Barron County is public land open to the public, the largest share county forest (15,765 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: DNR Deer Metrics. Land: PAD-US 4.1, the DNR's managed lands and VPA layers.
State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR landCounty forestNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landBarron CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Barron County |
|---|---|
| Size | 569,486 acres (890 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 6,376 (3,247 bucks, 3,129 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 6,187 deer |
| Public land | 4.3% (24,648 acres) |
| Properties | 9 (5,286 acres inside Barron County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 3 sites, 444 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Rice Lake, Cumberland, Barron, Clayton, New Auburn and Ridgeland |
How many deer are harvested in Barron County?
The DNR registered 6,376 deer in Barron County in 2025: 3,247 bucks and 3,129 antlerless deer, 49% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 6,187 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2025 (3,247).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,376 | 3,247 | 3,129 | 49% |
| 2024 | 5,789 | 2,810 | 2,979 | 51% |
| 2023 | 5,457 | 2,394 | 3,063 | 56% |
| 2022 | 7,098 | 3,070 | 4,028 | 57% |
| 2021 | 6,187 | 2,667 | 3,520 | 57% |
| 2020 | 6,923 | 2,847 | 4,076 | 59% |
| 2019 | 5,692 | 2,363 | 3,329 | 58% |
| 2018 | 6,846 | 2,743 | 4,103 | 60% |
| 2017 | 6,567 | 2,978 | 3,589 | 55% |
| 2016 | 4,936 | 2,765 | 2,171 | 44% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Barron County. Deer registered is the DNR's buck and antlerless harvest added together. The DNR's Deer Metrics shows every year back to 1960 for most counties.
How much public land is in Barron County?
24,648 of Barron County's 569,486 acres are public land open to the public (4.3%). The biggest share is county forest: 15,765 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Barron County |
|---|---|---|
| County forest | 15,765 | 2.8% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 7,568 | 1.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 790 | 0.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 497 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 28 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 24,648 | 4.3% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the DNR's boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). Hunting rules differ by manager: DNR wildlife areas and state forests are open to hunting unless posted; county forests are open to hunting in most cases (check the county forest's rules); national forest land is open in season; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks allow hunting only in listed seasons and areas; national park land is closed to hunting.
DNR properties in Barron County
DNR properties in Barron County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Loon Lake Wildlife Area: 2,808 acres
- New Auburn Wildlife Area: 1,184 acres
- Yellow River Fishery Area: 698 acres
- Engle Creek Springs Fishery Area: 190 acres
- Wild Rivers State Trail: 140 acres
- Tuscobia State Trail: 125 acres
- Cattail State Trail: 86 acres
- Turtle Creek Fishery Area: 39 acres
- Dummy Lake Fishery Area: 16 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Barron County Forest (15,761 acres) and Extensive Wl Habitat - Public Hunting Ground (589 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Barron County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 3 properties in Barron County, 444 acres of private land open to the public. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Barron County?
Highways through it: US 53 (about 67 miles inside), WI 48 (about 37 miles inside), US 8 (about 34 miles inside), WI 25 (about 22 miles inside) and US 63 (about 20 miles inside). Towns inside: Rice Lake, Cumberland, Barron, Turtle Lake, Cameron and Chetek. Nearby: Clayton (on the line), New Auburn (on the line), Ridgeland (on the line) and Birchwood (on the line).
Which deer management units border Barron County?
Barron County touches 8 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 109 | 2,681 | 2025 | 32.9% | |
| DMU 110 | 3,544 | 2025 | 10.4% | 2 |
| Dunn County | 9,118 | 2025 | 3.7% | 3 |
| Polk County | 8,091 | 2025 | 5.6% | 4 |
| DMU Burnett | 2,861 | 2025 | 2.9% | |
| DMU Chippewa | 6,315 | 2025 | 1.8% | 1 |
| St. Croix County | 4,858 | 2025 | 4.8% | 5 |
| DMU Washburn | 1,418 | 2025 | 12.5% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Barron County in 2025?
6,376 deer were registered: 3,247 bucks and 3,129 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 5,789.
Is there public hunting land in Barron County?
Yes. 24,648 acres, 4.3% of the unit, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, the largest share county forest (15,765 acres). The DNR's map shows 9 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Barron County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 3 properties, 444 acres.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). DNR properties: Wisconsin DNR managed lands open to hunting. Voluntary Public Access land: Wisconsin DNR Voluntary Public Access and Turkey Hunting Program lands.
- Boundaries: Wisconsin DNR deer management units. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.