Marinette County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Marinette County has 283,145 acres of public land open to the public, 31% of the county, the largest share county forest (228,553 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 22 DNR properties here covering 52,948 acres, the largest Wild Rivers/Pine Popple Conservation Easement (16,263 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU Marinette (7,552 deer in 2025), DMU 126 (3,288 deer in 2025) and DMU 125 (2,310 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 forestOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landMarinette CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 914,466 acres (1,429 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 31% (283,145 acres) |
| Properties | 22 (52,948 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU Marinette, DMU 126, DMU 125 |
| Towns | Marinette, Peshtigo, Niagara, Crivitz, Lena and Oconto |
How much public hunting land is in Marinette County?
283,145 of the county's 914,466 acres are public land open to the public (31%). 282,059 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Marinette County |
|---|---|---|
| County forest | 228,553 | 25% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 53,343 | 5.8% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 758 | 0.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 314 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 113 | under 0.1% |
| National forest | 50 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 14 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 283,145 | 31% |
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 Marinette County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Marinette County Forest (228,557 acres) and Natural Area (2,022 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Marinette County?
22, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Rivers/Pine Popple Conservation Easement | 16,263 | |
| Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest | 11,176 | |
| Green Bay West Shores Wildlife Area | 5,516 | ducks and geese |
| Menominee River State Recreation Area | 4,784 | |
| Pike Wild River | 4,758 | |
| Governor Thompson State Park | 2,947 | |
| Dunbar Barrens State Natural Area | 1,412 | |
| Lake Noquebay Wildlife Area | 1,236 | deer, ruffed grouse, woodcock and bear |
| Amberg Wildlife Area | 1,169 | |
| North Branch Beaver Creek Fishery Area | 1,150 | |
| Town Corner Wildlife Area | 899 | deer |
| Miscauno Wildlife Area | 622 | |
| Bloch Oxbow State Natural Area | 610 | |
| Thunder River Rearing Station | 136 | |
| Montana Lake Fishery Area | 96 | |
| Upper Middle Inlet State Habitat Area | 52 | |
| Wausaukee Timber Demo Forest | 40 | |
| Little River State Habitat Area | 28 | |
| Wausaukee River State Habitat Area | 23 | |
| Habitat Area | 19 | |
| Gilas Lake State Public Access | 7 | |
| County P Peshtigo River State Public Access | 5 |
How many deer are taken in Marinette County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Marinette 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 Marinette | 51.4% | 7,552 | 2025 |
| DMU 126 | 28.1% | 3,288 | 2025 |
| DMU 125 | 20.5% | 2,310 | 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 Marinette County?
Highways: US 141 (about 65 miles in the county), US 8 (about 34 miles in the county), US 41 (about 32 miles in the county), WI 180 (about 30 miles in the county) and WI 64 (about 27 miles in the county). Towns: Marinette, Peshtigo, Niagara, Crivitz, Wausaukee, Coleman, Pound and Goodman.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Marinette County, Wisconsin?
283,145 acres, 31% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is county forest (228,553 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Marinette County?
Wild Rivers/Pine Popple Conservation Easement, with 16,263 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Marinette County?
DMU Marinette (51.4%), DMU 126 (28.1%) and DMU 125 (20.5%).
Does Marinette 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.
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