Burnett County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Burnett County has 85,648 acres of public land open to the public, 15.2% of the county, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (78,559 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 28 DNR properties here covering 74,656 acres, the largest Crex Meadows Wildlife Area (29,812 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 108 (3,490 deer in 2025), DMU Burnett (2,861 deer in 2025) and DMU 107 (2,406 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 park landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landBurnett CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 563,441 acres (880 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 15.2% (85,648 acres) |
| Properties | 28 (74,656 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU 108, DMU Burnett, DMU 107 |
| Towns | Grantsburg, Webster, Siren, Danbury, Frederic and Luck |
How much public hunting land is in Burnett County?
85,648 of the county's 563,441 acres are public land open to the public (15.2%). 78,615 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Burnett County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 78,559 | 13.9% |
| National park land | 5,917 | 1.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 858 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 247 | under 0.1% |
| County forest | 52 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 11 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 4 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 85,648 | 15.2% |
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 Burnett County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (6,054 acres) and Public Land (802 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Burnett County?
28, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Crex Meadows Wildlife Area | 29,812 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, bear and small game |
| Governor Knowles State Forest | 15,751 | |
| Fish Lake Wildlife Area | 13,535 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese and small game |
| Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area | 5,574 | wild turkey and ruffed grouse |
| Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Area | 5,099 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese and small game |
| Clam River Fishery Area | 2,575 | |
| Sand Creek Fishery Area-Polk | 733 | |
| Clam Lake Wildlife Area | 459 | deer, ducks and geese and bear |
| Gandy Dancer State Trail | 313 | |
| Yellow Lake State Habitat Area | 233 | |
| Goose Lake State Habitat Area | 128 | |
| Spring Creek Fishery Area | 72 | |
| Brule St Croix Legacy Forest | 45 | deer, ruffed grouse and woodcock |
| Sand Lake State Habitat Area | 43 | |
| Truck Lake State Habitat Area | 40 | |
| Culbertson Springs Fishery Area | 40 | |
| Upper Twin Lake State Habitat Area | 35 | |
| Round Lake State Habitat Area | 24 | |
| Oak Lake - Island No 1 | 22 | |
| Grantsburg Station | 20 | |
| Clam Lake - Island No 1 | 20 | |
| Clam Lake - Cumberland Point SPA | 20 | |
| Bass Lake SPA - Burnett | 18 | |
| Birch Island Lake - Burnt Island | 17 | |
| Clam River Habitat Area | 9 | |
| Mud Lake - Island No 1 | 8 | |
| Point Lake - Island No 4 | 6 | |
| Green Lake State Public Access | 5 |
How many deer are taken in Burnett County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Burnett County is split among 3 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 108 | 61.6% | 3,490 | 2025 |
| DMU Burnett | 25.9% | 2,861 | 2025 |
| DMU 107 | 12.4% | 2,406 | 2025 |
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 Burnett County?
Highways: WI 70 (about 40 miles in the county), WI 35 (about 35 miles in the county), WI 77 (about 20 miles in the county), WI 48 (about 14 miles in the county) and WI 87 (about 9 miles in the county). Towns: Grantsburg, Webster, Siren and Danbury.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Burnett County, Wisconsin?
85,648 acres, 15.2% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (78,559 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Burnett County?
Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, with 29,812 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Burnett County?
DMU 108 (61.6%), DMU Burnett (25.9%) and DMU 107 (12.4%).
Does Burnett 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.