Bayfield County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Bayfield County has 477,956 acres of public land open to the public, 49.4% of the county, the largest share national forest (272,703 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 31 DNR properties here covering 29,115 acres, the largest Bibon Swamp State Natural Area (9,595 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 103 (1,134 deer in 2025), DMU 102 (2,184 deer in 2025), DMU 113 (1,776 deer in 2025) and DMU 106 (1,250 deer in 2025).
Data updated October 2026. Land: PAD-US 4.1. DNR properties and Voluntary Public Access land: the DNR's map layers, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Metrics.
State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR landCounty forestNational forestNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasNational park landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landBayfield CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 967,218 acres (1,511 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 49.4% (477,956 acres) |
| Properties | 31 (29,115 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU 103, DMU 102, DMU 113, DMU 106, DMU 107, Red Cliff Reservation, DMU 104 |
| Towns | Washburn, Bayfield, Mason, Iron River, Ashland and Lake Nebagamon |
How much public hunting land is in Bayfield County?
477,956 of the county's 967,218 acres are public land open to the public (49.4%). 470,609 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Bayfield County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 272,703 | 28.2% |
| County forest | 167,103 | 17.3% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 29,393 | 3% |
| National park land | 7,139 | 0.7% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,410 | 0.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 201 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 7 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 477,956 | 49.4% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). 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.
The largest public areas in Bayfield County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Chequamegon National Forest (272,758 acres), Bayfield County Forest (167,116 acres), Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (5,783 acres), Natural Area (1,704 acres), Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (1,444 acres) and Iron River National Fish Hatchery (1,143 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Bayfield County?
31, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Bibon Swamp State Natural Area | 9,595 | |
| White River Fishery Area-Bayfield | 4,368 | |
| Brule St Croix Legacy Forest | 2,730 | deer, ruffed grouse and woodcock |
| SSLSFA - Sioux River Unit | 2,297 | |
| SSLSFA - Fish Creek Unit | 1,910 | |
| SSLSFA - Flag River Unit | 1,030 | |
| SSLSFA - Pikes Creek Unit | 1,003 | |
| SSLSFA - Iron River Unit | 989 | |
| Totagatic Lake Wildlife Area | 978 | ducks and geese |
| Lost Creek Bog State Natural Area | 847 | |
| Bark Bay Slough State Natural Area | 646 | |
| SSLSFA - Cranberry River Unit | 616 | |
| Inch Lake State Natural Area | 567 | |
| Nourse Sugarbush State Natural Area | 442 | |
| South Shore Lake Superior Fishery Area | 292 | |
| Saxine Creek State Habitat Area | 237 | |
| Port Wing Boreal Forest State Natural Area | 211 | |
| Big Brook Brook Trout Reserves Easement Area | 70 | |
| Mid Eau Claire Lake State Public Access | 56 | |
| Namekagon River Fishery Area | 48 | |
| Schacte Creek State Habitat Area | 38 | |
| Eighteenmile Creek State Habitat Area | 38 | |
| Cranberry Lake State Habitat Area | 30 | |
| Cap Creek-Namekagon River Brook Trout Reserves Easement Area | 18 | |
| Upper Eau Claire Lake - Three In One Island | 12 | |
| Big Brook State Habitat Area | 10 | |
| Barnes Ranger Station | 9 | |
| Brule River State Forest | 9 | |
| Jones Lake State Natural Area | 7 | |
| Star Lake - Crooked Island | 7 | |
| Pickerel Lake Fishery Area | 5 |
How many deer are taken in Bayfield County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Bayfield County is split among 7 deer management units that do not follow the county line, so there is no county total. The DNR has one year of numbers for the redrawn units so far. Each figure is for the whole unit.
| DMU | Share of the county | Deer harvested in the whole DMU | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 103 | 35.6% | 1,134 | 2025 |
| DMU 102 | 20.9% | 2,184 | 2025 |
| DMU 113 | 17.6% | 1,776 | 2025 |
| DMU 106 | 13.6% | 1,250 | 2025 |
| DMU 107 | 10.5% | 2,406 | 2025 |
| Red Cliff Reservation | 1.5% | ||
| DMU 104 | 0.4% |
Harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit). Share of the county measured by FilledTag from the DNR's deer management units and the Census county line.
How do you get around Bayfield County?
Highways: WI 13 (about 66 miles in the county), US 63 (about 35 miles in the county), US 2 (about 32 miles in the county), WI 27 (about 14 miles in the county) and WI 118 (about 6 miles in the county). Towns: Washburn, Bayfield, Mason, Iron River, Herbster, Cornucopia, Drummond and Port Wing.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Bayfield County, Wisconsin?
477,956 acres, 49.4% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is national forest (272,703 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Bayfield County?
Bibon Swamp State Natural Area, with 9,595 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Bayfield County?
DMU 103 (35.6%), DMU 102 (20.9%), DMU 113 (17.6%), DMU 106 (13.6%), DMU 107 (10.5%), Red Cliff Reservation (1.5%) and DMU 104 (0.4%).
Does Bayfield County have VPA land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 lease map.
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Where these numbers come from
- 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.
- Deer harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
- County line: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads.
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.
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