Manitowoc County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Manitowoc County is its own deer management unit, 595 square miles around Manitowoc. Hunters registered 4,513 deer here in 2025, 2,195 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 6% from 2024. 2.9% of Manitowoc County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (10,075 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 areasOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landManitowoc CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Manitowoc County |
|---|---|
| Size | 381,086 acres (595 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 4,513 (2,195 bucks, 2,318 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 4,330 deer |
| Public land | 2.9% (11,229 acres) |
| Properties | 8 (9,710 acres inside Manitowoc County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 2 sites, 245 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Manitowoc, Two Rivers, Mishicot, Brillion, Denmark and New Holstein |
How many deer are harvested in Manitowoc County?
The DNR registered 4,513 deer in Manitowoc County in 2025: 2,195 bucks and 2,318 antlerless deer, 51% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 4,330 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2025 (2,195).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,513 | 2,195 | 2,318 | 51% |
| 2024 | 4,262 | 2,077 | 2,185 | 51% |
| 2023 | 4,130 | 1,981 | 2,149 | 52% |
| 2022 | 4,300 | 1,863 | 2,437 | 57% |
| 2021 | 4,021 | 1,755 | 2,266 | 56% |
| 2020 | 4,567 | 1,898 | 2,669 | 58% |
| 2019 | 4,202 | 1,667 | 2,535 | 60% |
| 2018 | 4,454 | 1,931 | 2,523 | 57% |
| 2017 | 4,435 | 2,027 | 2,408 | 54% |
| 2016 | 4,416 | 1,892 | 2,524 | 57% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Manitowoc 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 Manitowoc County?
11,229 of Manitowoc County's 381,086 acres are public land open to the public (2.9%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 10,075 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Manitowoc County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 10,075 | 2.6% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 879 | 0.2% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 256 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 19 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 11,229 | 2.9% |
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 Manitowoc County
DNR properties in Manitowoc County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Collins Marsh Wildlife Area: 4,319 acres
- Point Beach State Forest: 3,023 acres
- Killsnake Wildlife Area: 1,699 acres
- Devil's River State Trail: 222 acres
- Kiel Marsh Wildlife Area: 209 acres
- Fischer Creek Recreation Area: 117 acres
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 93 acres
- Two Creeks State Park: 28 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Manitowoc County Waterfowl Production Area (256 acres), Devils River State Trail (222 acres) and Lincoln Park, Zoo And Conservancy (115 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Manitowoc County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 2 properties in Manitowoc County, 245 acres of private land open to the public; all of them are spring-turkey-only Turkey Hunter Access land. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Manitowoc County?
Highways through it: I-43 (about 68 miles inside), WI 42 (about 40 miles inside), US 10 (about 32 miles inside), US 151 (about 25 miles inside) and WI 147 (about 15 miles inside). Towns inside: Manitowoc, Two Rivers, Mishicot, Kiel, Cleveland and Valders. Nearby: Brillion (on the line), Denmark (2 miles), New Holstein (3 miles) and Potter (3 miles).
Which deer management units border Manitowoc County?
Manitowoc County touches 4 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 3,627 | 2025 | 2% | |
| Calumet County | 1,481 | 2025 | 5.1% | 2 |
| Kewaunee County | 3,110 | 2025 | 1.6% | 1 |
| Sheboygan County | 3,562 | 2025 | 7.9% | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Manitowoc County in 2025?
4,513 deer were registered: 2,195 bucks and 2,318 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 4,262.
Is there public hunting land in Manitowoc County?
Yes. 11,229 acres, 2.9% 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 (10,075 acres). The DNR's map shows 8 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Manitowoc County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 2 properties, 245 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.
Wisconsin hunting Brown County Calumet County Kewaunee County Sheboygan County