Dunn County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Dunn County is its own deer management unit, 864 square miles around Menomonie. Hunters registered 9,118 deer here in 2025, 3,858 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 17% from 2024. 3.7% of Dunn County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (18,272 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 landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landDunn CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Dunn County |
|---|---|
| Size | 552,833 acres (864 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 9,118 (3,858 bucks, 5,260 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 7,452 deer |
| Public land | 3.7% (20,409 acres) |
| Properties | 15 (13,241 acres inside Dunn County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 3 sites, 208 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Menomonie, Boyceville, Downing, Elmwood, Glenwood City and Wilson |
How many deer are harvested in Dunn County?
The DNR registered 9,118 deer in Dunn County in 2025: 3,858 bucks and 5,260 antlerless deer, 58% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 7,452 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2025 (3,858).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9,118 | 3,858 | 5,260 | 58% |
| 2024 | 7,819 | 3,540 | 4,279 | 55% |
| 2023 | 6,979 | 3,040 | 3,939 | 56% |
| 2022 | 8,082 | 3,492 | 4,590 | 57% |
| 2021 | 6,987 | 3,260 | 3,727 | 53% |
| 2020 | 8,133 | 3,547 | 4,586 | 56% |
| 2019 | 6,526 | 2,929 | 3,597 | 55% |
| 2018 | 6,742 | 2,920 | 3,822 | 57% |
| 2017 | 6,672 | 2,966 | 3,706 | 56% |
| 2016 | 7,463 | 3,101 | 4,362 | 58% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Dunn 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 Dunn County?
20,409 of Dunn County's 552,833 acres are public land open to the public (3.7%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 18,272 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Dunn County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 18,272 | 3.3% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 1,271 | 0.2% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 624 | 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 156 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 66 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 20 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 20,409 | 3.7% |
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 Dunn County
DNR properties in Dunn County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Dunnville Wildlife Area: 4,345 acres
- Muddy Creek Wildlife Area: 3,795 acres
- Lower Chippewa River State Natural Area: 2,264 acres
- Hoffman Hills Recreation Area: 715 acres
- Nine Mile Island State Natural Area: 430 acres
- Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area: 406 acres
- Red Cedar State Trail: 392 acres
- Otter Creek Wildlife Area: 236 acres
- Red Cedar River Savanna State Natural Area: 182 acres
- Chippewa River State Trail: 131 acres
- Rock Falls Wildlife Area: 116 acres
- Bolen Creek Fishery Area: 106 acres
- Elk Creek Fishery Area: 84 acres
- Lake Menomin Fishery Area: 26 acres
- Sand Creek Fishery Area: 13 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Dunn County Waterfowl Production Area (1,282 acres), Extensive Wl Habitat - Public Hunting Ground (955 acres) and Natural Area (296 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Dunn County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 3 properties in Dunn County, 208 acres of private land open to the public. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Dunn County?
Highways through it: I-94 (about 50 miles inside), WI 25 (about 40 miles inside), WI 29 (about 30 miles inside), US 12 (about 29 miles inside) and WI 64 (about 25 miles inside). Towns inside: Menomonie, Boyceville, Downing, Elk Mound, Knapp and Colfax. Nearby: Elmwood (on the line), Glenwood City (on the line), Wilson (2 miles) and Prairie Farm (2 miles).
Which deer management units border Dunn County?
Dunn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 8,091 | 2025 | 5.6% | 4 |
| Pepin County | 2,215 | 2025 | 3.7% | |
| Barron County | 6,376 | 2025 | 4.3% | 3 |
| Pierce County | 4,366 | 2025 | 1.7% | 5 |
| DMU Chippewa | 6,315 | 2025 | 1.8% | 1 |
| St. Croix County | 4,858 | 2025 | 4.8% | 5 |
| DMU Eau Claire | 3,672 | 2025 | 2.9% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Dunn County in 2025?
9,118 deer were registered: 3,858 bucks and 5,260 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 7,819.
Is there public hunting land in Dunn County?
Yes. 20,409 acres, 3.7% 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 (18,272 acres). The DNR's map shows 15 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Dunn County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 3 properties, 208 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 Polk County Pepin County Barron County Pierce County St. Croix County