Forest County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Forest County has 386,443 acres of public land open to the public, 57.7% of the county, the largest share national forest (345,096 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 18 DNR properties here covering 29,606 acres, the largest Wabikon Waters Conservation Easement (18,238 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 126 (3,288 deer in 2025), DMU 124 (1,226 deer in 2025), DMU 120 (1,155 deer in 2025) and DMU 123 (1,726 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 forestState parksLand trusts and other open landForest CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 669,721 acres (1,046 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 57.7% (386,443 acres) |
| Properties | 18 (29,606 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU 126, DMU 124, DMU 120, DMU 123, DMU 122, DMU 125 |
| Towns | Crandon, Mole Lake, Wabeno, Laona, Eagle River and White Lake |
How much public hunting land is in Forest County?
386,443 of the county's 669,721 acres are public land open to the public (57.7%). 386,298 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Forest County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 345,096 | 51.5% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 29,713 | 4.4% |
| County forest | 11,489 | 1.7% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 117 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 28 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 386,443 | 57.7% |
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 Forest County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Nicolet National Forest (345,172 acres) and Forest County Forest (11,476 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Forest County?
18, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Wabikon Waters Conservation Easement | 18,238 | |
| Wild Rivers/Pine Popple Conservation Easement | 6,386 | |
| Little Rice Wildlife Area | 2,287 | ducks and geese |
| Pelican River Forest Conservation Easement | 692 | |
| Nicolet State Trail | 466 | |
| South Branch Peshtigo River State Habitat Area | 463 | |
| Bog Brook Wildlife Area | 267 | |
| Wolf River State Trail | 246 | |
| Hemlock Springs State Habitat Area | 154 | |
| Crandon Ribbed Fen State Natural Area | 132 | |
| Camp One Springs Conservation Easement Area | 80 | |
| Lily Lake State Public Access | 46 | |
| Campbell Springs State Spring Ponds | 45 | |
| Peterson Springs State Spring Ponds | 41 | |
| Bishop Lake State Public Access | 21 | |
| Pine Lake State Habitat Area | 20 | |
| Wabikon Lake - Wild Rice Island | 14 | |
| Lake Lucerne State Public Access | 8 |
How many deer are taken in Forest County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Forest County is split among 6 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 126 | 44.4% | 3,288 | 2025 |
| DMU 124 | 44.2% | 1,226 | 2025 |
| DMU 120 | 6.1% | 1,155 | 2025 |
| DMU 123 | 3.4% | 1,726 | 2025 |
| DMU 122 | 1.7% | 802 | 2025 |
| DMU 125 | 0.2% | 2,310 | 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 Forest County?
Highways: WI 55 (about 45 miles in the county), WI 32 (about 44 miles in the county), US 8 (about 37 miles in the county), WI 70 (about 19 miles in the county) and WI 139 (about 11 miles in the county). Towns: Crandon, Mole Lake, Wabeno, Laona, Newald and Argonne.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Forest County, Wisconsin?
386,443 acres, 57.7% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is national forest (345,096 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Forest County?
Wabikon Waters Conservation Easement, with 18,238 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Forest County?
DMU 126 (44.4%), DMU 124 (44.2%), DMU 120 (6.1%), DMU 123 (3.4%), DMU 122 (1.7%) and DMU 125 (0.2%).
Does Forest 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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