Kenosha County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Kenosha County is its own deer management unit, 278 square miles around Pleasant Prairie. Hunters registered 510 deer here in 2025, 316 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 22% from 2024. 6.1% of Kenosha County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (7,735 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landKenosha CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Kenosha County |
|---|---|
| Size | 178,195 acres (278 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 510 (316 bucks, 194 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 404 deer |
| Public land | 6.1% (10,912 acres) |
| Properties | 9 (7,714 acres inside Kenosha County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Pleasant Prairie, Bristol, Salem Lakes, Genoa City, Union Grove and Elmwood Park |
How many deer are harvested in Kenosha County?
The DNR registered 510 deer in Kenosha County in 2025: 316 bucks and 194 antlerless deer, 38% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 404 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2023 (317).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 510 | 316 | 194 | 38% |
| 2024 | 419 | 276 | 143 | 34% |
| 2023 | 481 | 317 | 164 | 34% |
| 2022 | 445 | 269 | 176 | 40% |
| 2021 | 379 | 228 | 151 | 40% |
| 2020 | 411 | 245 | 166 | 40% |
| 2019 | 318 | 195 | 123 | 39% |
| 2018 | 357 | 217 | 140 | 39% |
| 2017 | 340 | 192 | 148 | 44% |
| 2016 | 376 | 200 | 176 | 47% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Kenosha 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 Kenosha County?
10,912 of Kenosha County's 178,195 acres are public land open to the public (6.1%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 7,735 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Kenosha County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 7,735 | 4.3% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 2,993 | 1.7% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 167 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 14 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 10,912 | 6.1% |
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 Kenosha County
DNR properties in Kenosha County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Richard Bong State Recreation Area: 4,691 acres
- New Munster Wildlife Area: 1,502 acres
- Chiwaukee Prairie-Carol Beach State Natural Area: 567 acres
- Peat Lake State Habitat Area: 480 acres
- Camp Lake Fishery Area: 227 acres
- George Lake State Habitat Area: 161 acres
- Hooker Lake Marsh Fishery Area: 46 acres
- Silver Lake Marsh Fishery Area: 35 acres
- Paddock Lake State Habitat Area: 5 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Richard Bong Recreation Area (4,550 acres), Extensive Wl Habitat - Public Hunting Ground (685 acres), Prairie Springs Park (411 acres) and Chiwaukee Prairie (154 acres).
How do you get to Kenosha County?
Highways through it: WI 50 (about 48 miles inside), WI 31 (about 25 miles inside), I-94 (about 24 miles inside), US 41 (about 24 miles inside) and I-41 (about 24 miles inside). Towns inside: Pleasant Prairie, Bristol, Salem Lakes, Kenosha, Somers and Twin Lakes. Nearby: Genoa City (on the line), Union Grove (on the line), Elmwood Park (2 miles) and Sturtevant (2 miles).
Which deer management units border Kenosha County?
Kenosha County touches 2 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Racine County | 768 | 2025 | 3.3% | 1 |
| Walworth County | 2,132 | 2025 | 5.2% | 1 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Kenosha County in 2025?
510 deer were registered: 316 bucks and 194 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 419.
Is there public hunting land in Kenosha County?
Yes. 10,912 acres, 6.1% 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 (7,735 acres). The DNR's map shows 9 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Kenosha County have VPA land?
Not on the DNR's 2026 lease map.
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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.