Milwaukee County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Milwaukee County is its own deer management unit, 242 square miles around Milwaukee. Hunters registered 206 deer here in 2025, 122 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 14% from 2024. 11.6% of Milwaukee County is public land open to the public, the largest share other county, city and regional land (11,373 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 landMilwaukee CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Milwaukee County |
|---|---|
| Size | 155,186 acres (242 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 206 (122 bucks, 84 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 212 deer |
| Public land | 11.6% (18,008 acres) |
| Properties | 5 (489 acres inside Milwaukee County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Towns in and near it | Milwaukee, Franklin, Oak Creek, Butler, Elm Grove and Mequon |
How many deer are harvested in Milwaukee County?
The DNR registered 206 deer in Milwaukee County in 2025: 122 bucks and 84 antlerless deer, 41% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 212 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2017 (132).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 206 | 122 | 84 | 41% |
| 2024 | 180 | 104 | 76 | 42% |
| 2023 | 200 | 115 | 85 | 43% |
| 2022 | 181 | 110 | 71 | 39% |
| 2021 | 194 | 102 | 92 | 47% |
| 2020 | 239 | 121 | 118 | 49% |
| 2019 | 217 | 118 | 99 | 46% |
| 2018 | 212 | 109 | 103 | 49% |
| 2017 | 266 | 132 | 134 | 50% |
| 2016 | 229 | 92 | 137 | 60% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee County?
18,008 of Milwaukee County's 155,186 acres are public land open to the public (11.6%). The biggest share is other county, city and regional land: 11,373 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Milwaukee County |
|---|---|---|
| Other county, city and regional land | 11,373 | 7.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 6,060 | 3.9% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 508 | 0.3% |
| County forest | 61 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 4 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 18,008 | 11.6% |
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 Milwaukee County
DNR properties in Milwaukee County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Havenwoods Forest Preserve And Nature Center: 223 acres
- Big Muskego Lake Wildlife Area: 120 acres
- Forest Exploration Center: 69 acres
- Hank Aaron State Trail: 67 acres
- Lakeshore State Park: 10 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Root River Parkway (3,889 acres), Oak Creek Parkway (1,994 acres), Whitnall Park (1,064 acres), Little Menomonee River Parkway (866 acres), Root River Parks (658 acres), Grant Park (610 acres), Bender Park (585 acres) and Brown Deer Park (363 acres).
How do you get to Milwaukee County?
Highways through it: I-41 (about 56 miles inside), US 41 (about 56 miles inside), I-43 (about 48 miles inside), US 45 (about 45 miles inside) and I-94 (about 44 miles inside). Towns inside: Milwaukee, Franklin, Oak Creek, Wauwatosa, Greenfield and West Allis. Nearby: Butler (on the line), Elm Grove (on the line), Mequon (on the line) and Brookfield (3 miles).
Which deer management units border Milwaukee County?
Milwaukee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Racine County | 768 | 2025 | 3.3% | 1 |
| Ozaukee County | 1,284 | 2025 | 5.4% | |
| Waukesha County | 3,320 | 2025 | 7.9% | |
| Washington County | 3,731 | 2025 | 5.7% | 7 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Milwaukee County in 2025?
206 deer were registered: 122 bucks and 84 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 180.
Is there public hunting land in Milwaukee County?
Yes. 18,008 acres, 11.6% of the unit, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, the largest share other county, city and regional land (11,373 acres). The DNR's map shows 5 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Milwaukee 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.
Wisconsin hunting Racine County Ozaukee County Waukesha County Washington County