Marathon County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Marathon County is its own deer management unit, 1,576 square miles around Kronenwetter. Hunters registered 12,041 deer here in 2025, 6,260 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 3% from 2024. 6.6% of Marathon County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (32,131 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 landCounty forestOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landMarathon CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Marathon County |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,008,938 acres (1,576 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 12,041 (6,260 bucks, 5,781 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 11,369 deer |
| Public land | 6.6% (66,735 acres) |
| Properties | 9 (30,774 acres inside Marathon County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 8 sites, 1,361 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Kronenwetter, Maine, Rib Mountain, Colby, Abbotsford and Birnamwood |
How many deer are harvested in Marathon County?
The DNR registered 12,041 deer in Marathon County in 2025: 6,260 bucks and 5,781 antlerless deer, 48% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 11,369 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2025 (6,260).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12,041 | 6,260 | 5,781 | 48% |
| 2024 | 11,715 | 5,900 | 5,815 | 50% |
| 2023 | 10,082 | 4,941 | 5,141 | 51% |
| 2022 | 11,999 | 5,771 | 6,228 | 52% |
| 2021 | 10,767 | 5,453 | 5,314 | 49% |
| 2020 | 11,607 | 5,353 | 6,254 | 54% |
| 2019 | 9,950 | 4,729 | 5,221 | 52% |
| 2018 | 11,778 | 5,549 | 6,229 | 53% |
| 2017 | 11,599 | 5,579 | 6,020 | 52% |
| 2016 | 12,152 | 5,453 | 6,699 | 55% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Marathon 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 Marathon County?
66,735 of Marathon County's 1,008,938 acres are public land open to the public (6.6%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 32,131 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Marathon County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 32,131 | 3.2% |
| County forest | 30,079 | 3% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 3,539 | 0.4% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 965 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 15 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 6 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 66,735 | 6.6% |
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 Marathon County
DNR properties in Marathon County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Mead Wildlife Area: 18,516 acres
- McMillan Wildlife Area: 5,807 acres
- Rib Mountain State Park: 1,557 acres
- Plover River Fishery Area: 1,475 acres
- Forest Legacy Program: 1,352 acres
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 1,198 acres
- Big Rib River Fishery Area: 437 acres
- Mountain-Bay State Trail: 228 acres
- Winding Creek Rearing Station: 204 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Marathon County Forest (29,819 acres), Eau Plaine Park (1,476 acres), Ice Age Trail - Wd (1,179 acres), Sunny Vale Park (281 acres) and Dc Everest Environmental Center (212 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Marathon County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 8 properties in Marathon County, 1,361 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.
How do you get to Marathon County?
Highways through it: WI 29 (about 115 miles inside), US 51 (about 65 miles inside), WI 153 (about 56 miles inside), WI 97 (about 33 miles inside) and I-39 (about 32 miles inside). Towns inside: Kronenwetter, Maine, Rib Mountain, Weston, Wausau and Mosinee. Nearby: Colby (on the line), Abbotsford (on the line), Birnamwood (on the line) and Eland (on the line).
Which deer management units border Marathon County?
Marathon County touches 8 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMU Wood | 5,416 | 2025 | 6.6% | |
| DMU Clark | 8,849 | 2025 | 1.5% | 2 |
| DMU Taylor | 2,710 | 2025 | 0.2% | |
| DMU Lincoln | 1,426 | 2025 | 2.8% | |
| Portage County | 8,384 | 2025 | 7.6% | |
| Shawano County | 9,880 | 2025 | 2.8% | 1 |
| Waupaca County | 10,740 | 2025 | 2.3% | 3 |
| DMU Langlade | 2,007 | 2025 | 14.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Marathon County in 2025?
12,041 deer were registered: 6,260 bucks and 5,781 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 11,715.
Is there public hunting land in Marathon County?
Yes. 66,735 acres, 6.6% 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 (32,131 acres). The DNR's map shows 9 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Marathon County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 8 properties, 1,361 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 Portage County Shawano County Waupaca County