Columbia County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Columbia County is its own deer management unit, 796 square miles around Portage. Hunters registered 7,189 deer here in 2025, 3,299 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is about the same as 2024. 5.5% of Columbia County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (22,705 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 areasOther federal landState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landColumbia CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Columbia County |
|---|---|
| Size | 509,458 acres (796 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 7,189 (3,299 bucks, 3,890 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 6,637 deer |
| Public land | 5.5% (27,991 acres) |
| Properties | 22 (21,698 acres inside Columbia County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 4 sites, 201 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Columbus, Randolph, Merrimac and Prairie du Sac |
How many deer are harvested in Columbia County?
The DNR registered 7,189 deer in Columbia County in 2025: 3,299 bucks and 3,890 antlerless deer, 54% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 6,637 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2020 (3,357).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,189 | 3,299 | 3,890 | 54% |
| 2024 | 7,176 | 3,317 | 3,859 | 54% |
| 2023 | 6,629 | 3,203 | 3,426 | 52% |
| 2022 | 6,877 | 3,219 | 3,658 | 53% |
| 2021 | 6,167 | 3,016 | 3,151 | 51% |
| 2020 | 7,440 | 3,357 | 4,083 | 55% |
| 2019 | 6,093 | 2,995 | 3,098 | 51% |
| 2018 | 6,705 | 3,218 | 3,487 | 52% |
| 2017 | 5,828 | 2,953 | 2,875 | 49% |
| 2016 | 6,269 | 3,112 | 3,157 | 50% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Columbia 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 Columbia County?
27,991 of Columbia County's 509,458 acres are public land open to the public (5.5%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 22,705 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Columbia County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 22,705 | 4.5% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 3,897 | 0.8% |
| Other federal land | 561 | 0.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 473 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 353 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 27,991 | 5.5% |
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 Columbia County
DNR properties in Columbia County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Pine Island Wildlife Area: 4,227 acres
- Peter Helland Wildlife Area: 3,576 acres
- Swan Lake Wildlife Area: 2,502 acres
- Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Columbia: 2,281 acres
- French Creek Wildlife Area: 2,252 acres
- Paradise Marsh Wildlife Area: 1,596 acres
- Rocky Run Creek Fishery Area: 741 acres
- Grassy Lake Wildlife Area: 701 acres
- Rowan Creek Fishery Area: 651 acres
- Poynette Game Farm: 625 acres
- Jennings Creek Wildlife Area: 532 acres
- Glacial Habitat Restoration Area: 481 acres
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 308 acres
- Dells Of The Wisconsin River State Natural Area: 260 acres
- Hinkson Creek Fishery Area: 235 acres
- Lodi Marsh Wildlife Area: 225 acres
- Lost Lake State Natural Area: 169 acres
- Rocky Run Oak Savanna State Natural Area: 164 acres
- Lodi Spring Creek Fishery Area: 53 acres
- Upper Fox River Public Access: 49 acres
- Lower Wisconsin State Riverway: 38 acres
- Baraboo Hills State Recreation Area: 32 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Columbia County Waterfowl Production Area (3,900 acres), Extensive Wl Habitat - Public Hunting Ground (567 acres), Natural Area (382 acres) and Ice Age Trail - Sd (308 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Columbia County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 4 properties in Columbia County, 201 acres of private land open to the public. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Columbia County?
Highways through it: I-39 (about 52 miles inside), WI 16 (about 47 miles inside), I-90 (about 42 miles inside), I-94 (about 42 miles inside) and WI 60 (about 37 miles inside). Towns inside: Portage, Wisconsin Dells, Columbus, Doylestown, Poynette and Pardeeville. Nearby: Randolph (on the line), Merrimac (on the line), Prairie du Sac (on the line) and Lake Delton (on the line).
Which deer management units border Columbia County?
Columbia County touches 7 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dane County | 4,438 | 2025 | 5.7% | 7 |
| Sauk County | 6,025 | 2025 | 7.9% | 1 |
| Adams County | 6,148 | 2025 | 8.1% | |
| Dodge County | 5,477 | 2025 | 8.5% | 3 |
| DMU Juneau | 4,295 | 2025 | 5.3% | 2 |
| Marquette County | 7,790 | 2025 | 5.1% | 2 |
| Green Lake County | 4,589 | 2025 | 8.3% | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Columbia County in 2025?
7,189 deer were registered: 3,299 bucks and 3,890 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 7,176.
Is there public hunting land in Columbia County?
Yes. 27,991 acres, 5.5% of the unit, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (22,705 acres). The DNR's map shows 22 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Columbia County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 4 properties, 201 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.
Wisconsin hunting Dane County Sauk County Adams County Dodge County Marquette County Green Lake County