Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Fond du Lac County is its own deer management unit, 766 square miles around Fond du Lac. Hunters registered 4,642 deer here in 2025, 2,417 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 2% from 2024. 6.7% of Fond du Lac County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (26,280 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 areasState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landFond du Lac CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Fond du Lac County |
|---|---|
| Size | 490,074 acres (766 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 4,642 (2,417 bucks, 2,225 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 4,133 deer |
| Public land | 6.7% (32,633 acres) |
| Properties | 10 (25,768 acres inside Fond du Lac County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 5 sites, 381 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Fond du Lac, Ripon, North Fond du Lac, Waupun, Brownsville and Kewaskum |
How many deer are harvested in Fond du Lac County?
The DNR registered 4,642 deer in Fond du Lac County in 2025: 2,417 bucks and 2,225 antlerless deer, 48% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 4,133 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2025 (2,417).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,642 | 2,417 | 2,225 | 48% |
| 2024 | 4,546 | 2,283 | 2,263 | 50% |
| 2023 | 4,068 | 2,180 | 1,888 | 46% |
| 2022 | 3,974 | 2,003 | 1,971 | 50% |
| 2021 | 3,777 | 1,879 | 1,898 | 50% |
| 2020 | 4,174 | 1,990 | 2,184 | 52% |
| 2019 | 3,816 | 1,736 | 2,080 | 55% |
| 2018 | 4,188 | 1,950 | 2,238 | 53% |
| 2017 | 3,926 | 1,975 | 1,951 | 50% |
| 2016 | 4,222 | 1,947 | 2,275 | 54% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Fond du Lac 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 Fond du Lac County?
32,633 of Fond du Lac County's 490,074 acres are public land open to the public (6.7%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 26,280 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Fond du Lac County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 26,280 | 5.4% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,775 | 0.6% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 2,210 | 0.5% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 1,250 | 0.3% |
| County forest | 69 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 49 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 32,633 | 6.7% |
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 Fond du Lac County
DNR properties in Fond du Lac County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit: 10,873 acres
- Eldorado Wildlife Area: 6,355 acres
- Glacial Habitat Restoration Area: 5,770 acres
- Mullet Creek Wildlife Area: 2,245 acres
- Wild Goose State Trail: 205 acres
- Eisenbahn State Trail: 146 acres
- Oakfield Ledge State Natural Area: 101 acres
- Mascoutin Valley State Trail: 47 acres
- Rush Lake Row: 16 acres
- Campbellsport Drumlin State Park: 10 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Glacial Habitat Restoration (2,980 acres), Fond Du Lac County Waterfowl Production Area (1,168 acres), Horicon National Wildlife Refuge (1,047 acres), Lakeside Park West (250 acres), Lakeside Park (138 acres), Extensive Wl Habitat - Public Hunting Ground (115 acres) and Natural Area (101 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Fond du Lac County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 5 properties in Fond du Lac County, 381 acres of private land open to the public; 2 of them are spring-turkey-only Turkey Hunter Access land. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Fond du Lac County?
Highways through it: US 151 (about 56 miles inside), US 41 (about 42 miles inside), I-41 (about 42 miles inside), WI 23 (about 42 miles inside) and US 45 (about 33 miles inside). Towns inside: Fond du Lac, Ripon, North Fond du Lac, Campbellsport, Rosendale and Mount Calvary. Nearby: Waupun (on the line), Brownsville (on the line), Kewaskum (2 miles) and Lomira (2 miles).
Which deer management units border Fond du Lac County?
Fond du Lac County touches 6 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge County | 5,477 | 2025 | 8.5% | 3 |
| Calumet County | 1,481 | 2025 | 5.1% | 2 |
| Sheboygan County | 3,562 | 2025 | 7.9% | 5 |
| Winnebago County | 2,895 | 2025 | 5.1% | 2 |
| Green Lake County | 4,589 | 2025 | 8.3% | 3 |
| Washington County | 3,731 | 2025 | 5.7% | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Fond du Lac County in 2025?
4,642 deer were registered: 2,417 bucks and 2,225 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 4,546.
Is there public hunting land in Fond du Lac County?
Yes. 32,633 acres, 6.7% 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 (26,280 acres). The DNR's map shows 10 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Fond du Lac County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 5 properties, 381 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.
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