Juneau County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Juneau County has 108,561 acres of public land open to the public, 21.1% of the county, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (50,020 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 21 DNR properties here covering 49,868 acres, the largest Meadow Valley Wildlife Area (38,645 acres in the county). The DNR's lease programs add 2 private properties open to the public, 344 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU Juneau (4,295 deer in 2025), DMU 206 (657 deer in 2025) and Adams County (6,148 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 wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landJuneau CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 515,290 acres (805 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 21.1% (108,561 acres) |
| Properties | 21 (49,868 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 2 sites, 344 acres |
| Deer management units | DMU Juneau, DMU 206, Adams County |
| Towns | Mauston, New Lisbon, Necedah, Lyndon Station, Wisconsin Dells and Hillsboro |
How much public hunting land is in Juneau County?
108,561 of the county's 515,290 acres are public land open to the public (21.1%). 108,440 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Juneau County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 50,020 | 9.7% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 41,331 | 8% |
| County forest | 16,909 | 3.3% |
| Other federal land | 180 | under 0.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 44 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 39 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 38 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 108,561 | 21.1% |
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 Juneau County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (44,044 acres), Necedah Wildlife Management Area (34,476 acres), Juneau County Forest (16,913 acres) and Natural Area (1,210 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Juneau County?
21, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Meadow Valley Wildlife Area | 38,645 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and small game |
| Buckhorn State Park | 4,000 | |
| Yellow River Wildlife Area | 2,197 | |
| Buckhorn Wildlife Area | 1,677 | deer and wild turkey |
| Mill Bluff State Park | 737 | |
| Cranberry Creek Mound Group SNA | 676 | |
| Lemonweir Bottomland Hardwood Forest SNA | 322 | |
| Onemile Creek SBE Area | 285 | |
| Bass Hollow State Natural Area | 210 | |
| Rocky Arbor State Park | 181 | |
| Dells Of The Wisconsin River State Natural Area | 173 | |
| Dell Creek Wildlife Area | 172 | |
| Fountain Ck-Little Lemonweir R SBE Area | 129 | |
| The 400 State Trail | 107 | |
| Indian Ck-Little Lemonweir R SBE Area | 88 | |
| Elroy-Sparta State Trail | 86 | |
| Hulburt Creek Fishery Area | 49 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese and small game |
| Town of Marion SHA | 40 | |
| Hillsboro State Trail | 37 | |
| Brewer Creek-Lemonweir River SBE Area | 33 | |
| Brewer Creek-Lemonweir River SHA | 24 |
Where is the Voluntary Public Access land in Juneau County?
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 2 properties in Juneau County, 344 acres of private land open to the public; one of them is spring-turkey-only Turkey Hunter Access land. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| VPA property V244 | 201 | 43.8565, -90.1997 |
| Turkey Hunter Access property T19 | 143 | 43.7943, -90.2977 |
Locations are the middle of each property, from the DNR's 2026 lease layer. Each property's DNR map shows its boundary and parking; THAP properties are open March 1 to May 29 for spring turkey only.
How many deer are taken in Juneau County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Juneau 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 Juneau | 67.3% | 4,295 | 2025 |
| DMU 206 | 32.5% | 657 | 2025 |
| Adams County | 0.3% | 6,148 | 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 Juneau County?
Highways: I-94 (about 68 miles in the county), I-90 (about 68 miles in the county), WI 80 (about 47 miles in the county), US 12 (about 35 miles in the county) and WI 82 (about 31 miles in the county). Towns: Mauston, New Lisbon, Necedah, Lyndon Station, Elroy, Wonewoc, Camp Douglas and Union Center.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Juneau County, Wisconsin?
108,561 acres, 21.1% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (50,020 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Juneau County?
Meadow Valley Wildlife Area, with 38,645 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Juneau County?
DMU Juneau (67.3%), DMU 206 (32.5%) and Adams County (0.3%).
Does Juneau County have VPA land?
Yes. 2 properties, 344 acres, 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.
Wisconsin hunting Adams County Wood County Monroe County Jackson County Voluntary Public Access land