Crawford County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Crawford County is its own deer management unit, 599 square miles around Steuben. Hunters registered 5,420 deer here in 2025, 2,278 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 7% from 2024. 9.5% of Crawford County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (20,893 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landCrawford CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Crawford County |
|---|---|
| Size | 383,451 acres (599 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 5,420 (2,278 bucks, 3,142 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 4,745 deer |
| Public land | 9.5% (36,443 acres) |
| Properties | 11 (20,508 acres inside Crawford County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 2 sites, 833 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Steuben, Prairie du Chien, Bell Center, De Soto, Boscobel and Woodman |
How many deer are harvested in Crawford County?
The DNR registered 5,420 deer in Crawford County in 2025: 2,278 bucks and 3,142 antlerless deer, 58% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 4,745 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2024 (2,312).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5,420 | 2,278 | 3,142 | 58% |
| 2024 | 5,067 | 2,312 | 2,755 | 54% |
| 2023 | 5,067 | 2,308 | 2,759 | 54% |
| 2022 | 4,828 | 2,163 | 2,665 | 55% |
| 2021 | 4,327 | 2,027 | 2,300 | 53% |
| 2020 | 4,935 | 2,126 | 2,809 | 57% |
| 2019 | 4,054 | 1,758 | 2,296 | 57% |
| 2018 | 4,938 | 2,160 | 2,778 | 56% |
| 2017 | 4,070 | 1,890 | 2,180 | 54% |
| 2016 | 4,746 | 1,991 | 2,755 | 58% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Crawford 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 Crawford County?
36,443 of Crawford County's 383,451 acres are public land open to the public (9.5%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 20,893 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Crawford County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 20,893 | 5.4% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 15,356 | 4% |
| Other federal land | 105 | under 0.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 68 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 21 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 36,443 | 9.5% |
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 Crawford County
DNR properties in Crawford County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Lower Wisconsin State Riverway: 7,738 acres
- Kickapoo Wildlife Area-Wauzeka Unit: 5,584 acres
- Rush Creek State Natural Area: 2,943 acres
- Kickapoo Wildlife Area-Bell Center Unit: 1,671 acres
- Hogback Prairie State Natural Area: 1,069 acres
- La Crosse Area Comprehensive Fishery Area: 653 acres
- Rush Creek Streambank Protection Area: 367 acres
- Blackhawk-Kickapoo W S: 229 acres
- Limery Ridge Savanna State Natural Area: 205 acres
- Gordons Bay Landing Public Access: 29 acres
- Knapp Creek Fishery Area: 20 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge (15,368 acres) and Natural Area (219 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Crawford County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 2 properties in Crawford County, 833 acres of private land open to the public; all of them are spring-turkey-only Turkey Hunter Access land. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Crawford County?
Highways through it: WI 35 (about 37 miles inside), WI 27 (about 33 miles inside), WI 131 (about 30 miles inside), WI 60 (about 25 miles inside) and WI 171 (about 23 miles inside). Towns inside: Steuben, Prairie du Chien, Bell Center, Gays Mills, Wauzeka and Soldiers Grove. Nearby: De Soto (on the line), Boscobel (on the line), Woodman (on the line) and Readstown (2 miles).
Which deer management units border Crawford County?
Crawford County touches 3 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County | 5,741 | 2025 | 4.6% | 7 |
| Vernon County | 9,561 | 2025 | 2.8% | 3 |
| Richland County | 4,744 | 2025 | 3.3% | 9 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Crawford County in 2025?
5,420 deer were registered: 2,278 bucks and 3,142 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 5,067.
Is there public hunting land in Crawford County?
Yes. 36,443 acres, 9.5% 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 (20,893 acres). The DNR's map shows 11 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Crawford County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 2 properties, 833 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 Grant County Vernon County Richland County