Iron County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Iron County has 292,072 acres of public land open to the public, 56.9% of the county, the largest share county forest (171,948 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 18 DNR properties here covering 115,023 acres, the largest Turtle Flambeau Scenic Waters Area (35,474 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 118 (475 deer in 2025), DMU 117 (895 deer in 2025), Lac du Flambeau Reservation and Bad River Reservation.
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 forestOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landIron CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 513,646 acres (803 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 56.9% (292,072 acres) |
| Properties | 18 (115,023 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU 118, DMU 117, Lac du Flambeau Reservation, Bad River Reservation |
| Towns | Hurley, Montreal, Mercer, Iron Belt, Mellen and Park Falls |
How much public hunting land is in Iron County?
292,072 of the county's 513,646 acres are public land open to the public (56.9%). 288,359 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Iron County |
|---|---|---|
| County forest | 171,948 | 33.5% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 116,377 | 22.7% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 2,836 | 0.6% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 877 | 0.2% |
| National forest | 33 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 292,072 | 56.9% |
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 Iron County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Iron County Forest (172,004 acres), County Land (2,257 acres), Natural Area (1,019 acres) and Clifford F. Messinger Bass Lake Preserve (822 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Iron County?
18, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Turtle Flambeau Scenic Waters Area | 35,474 | |
| Northern Highland State Forest | 30,283 | |
| Great Northern Conservation Easement | 14,010 | |
| Twin Lakes Conservation Easement | 14,007 | |
| Hay Creek-Hoffman Lake Wildlife Area | 8,321 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, bear and small game |
| Moose Lake State Natural Area | 4,086 | |
| Tomahawk Timberlands Conservation Easement (Moose Lake Trct) | 3,017 | |
| Lehto Lake State Natural Area | 1,624 | |
| Underwood Wildlife Area | 1,553 | |
| Forest Legacy Program | 1,004 | |
| Springstead Muskeg State Natural Area | 632 | |
| Town of Saxon State Habitat Area | 360 | |
| Lake Evelyn State Natural Area | 244 | |
| Caroline Lake State Natural Area | 135 | |
| Island Lake Hemlocks State Natural Area | 113 | |
| Powell Marsh Wildlife Area | 106 | deer and ducks and geese |
| Mercer Station | 39 | |
| Snake Track State Habitat Area | 15 |
How many deer are taken in Iron County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Iron County is split among 4 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 118 | 58.1% | 475 | 2025 |
| DMU 117 | 37.9% | 895 | 2025 |
| Lac du Flambeau Reservation | 2.8% | ||
| Bad River Reservation | 1.1% |
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 Iron County?
Highways: US 51 (about 32 miles in the county), WI 77 (about 20 miles in the county), US 2 (about 19 miles in the county), WI 182 (about 18 miles in the county) and WI 122 (about 15 miles in the county). Towns: Hurley, Montreal, Mercer, Iron Belt, Saxon and Pence.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Iron County, Wisconsin?
292,072 acres, 56.9% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is county forest (171,948 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Iron County?
Turtle Flambeau Scenic Waters Area, with 35,474 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Iron County?
DMU 118 (58.1%), DMU 117 (37.9%), Lac du Flambeau Reservation (2.8%) and Bad River Reservation (1.1%).
Does Iron 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.