Douglas County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Douglas County has 402,328 acres of public land open to the public, 46.8% of the county, the largest share county forest (272,801 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 26 DNR properties here covering 126,124 acres, the largest Brule St Croix Legacy Forest (63,194 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 102 (2,184 deer in 2025), DMU 107 (2,406 deer in 2025) and DMU 101 (1,194 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 landDouglas CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 859,228 acres (1,343 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 46.8% (402,328 acres) |
| Properties | 26 (126,124 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU 102, DMU 107, DMU 101 |
| Towns | Superior, Lake Nebagamon, Poplar, Oliver, Minong and Hayward |
How much public hunting land is in Douglas County?
402,328 of the county's 859,228 acres are public land open to the public (46.8%). 399,221 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Douglas County |
|---|---|---|
| County forest | 272,801 | 31.7% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 126,417 | 14.7% |
| National park land | 1,448 | 0.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,112 | 0.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 470 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 77 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 402,328 | 46.8% |
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 Douglas County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Douglas County Forest (275,801 acres), Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (1,282 acres), Natural Area (235 acres), North Country National Scenic Trail (193 acres) and Hidden Green North (189 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Douglas County?
26, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Brule St Croix Legacy Forest | 63,194 | deer, ruffed grouse and woodcock |
| Brule River State Forest | 47,310 | |
| St Louis River Streambank Protection Area | 6,672 | |
| Douglas County Wildlife Area | 3,919 | |
| Pattison State Park | 1,543 | |
| Amnicon Falls State Park | 834 | |
| Wild Rivers State Trail | 580 | |
| Clear Creek State North Country Trail Area | 347 | |
| Gandy Dancer State Trail | 336 | |
| Pokegama Carnegie Wetlands State Natural Area | 311 | |
| Totogatic Wild River | 240 | |
| Black River State North Country Trail Area | 178 | |
| Nemadji River State North Country Trail Area | 177 | |
| Saunders State Trail | 143 | |
| Leader Lake State Public Access | 87 | |
| Solon Springs State North Country Trail Area | 55 | |
| Pattison State Park North Country Trail Area | 41 | |
| Lake Nebagamon State Habitat Area | 38 | |
| Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area | 24 | wild turkey and ruffed grouse |
| North Country Nat'l Scenic Trail | 22 | |
| Amnicon Lake - Tomahawk Island | 21 | |
| Town of Gordon State Habitat Area | 20 | |
| Middle River Sea Lamprey Barrier SHA | 11 | |
| Person Lake Fishery Area | 9 | |
| Wisconsin Point Bird Sanctuary SHA | 7 | |
| Gordon Station | 5 |
How many deer are taken in Douglas County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Douglas 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 102 | 44.7% | 2,184 | 2025 |
| DMU 107 | 28.6% | 2,406 | 2025 |
| DMU 101 | 26.7% | 1,194 | 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 Douglas County?
Highways: US 53 (about 88 miles in the county), US 2 (about 43 miles in the county), WI 35 (about 42 miles in the county), WI 27 (about 16 miles in the county) and WI 13 (about 15 miles in the county). Towns: Superior, Lake Nebagamon, Poplar, Oliver, Solon Springs, Superior, Brule and Gordon.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Douglas County, Wisconsin?
402,328 acres, 46.8% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is county forest (272,801 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Douglas County?
Brule St Croix Legacy Forest, with 63,194 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Douglas County?
DMU 102 (44.7%), DMU 107 (28.6%) and DMU 101 (26.7%).
Does Douglas 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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