Oconto County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Oconto County has 192,276 acres of public land open to the public, 29.6% of the county, the largest share national forest (140,692 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 12 DNR properties here covering 6,954 acres, the largest Green Bay West Shores Wildlife Area (2,380 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU Oconto (7,277 deer in 2025) and DMU 126 (3,288 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 forestNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landOconto CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 650,061 acres (1,016 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 29.6% (192,276 acres) |
| Properties | 12 (6,954 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU Oconto, DMU 126 |
| Towns | Oconto, Oconto Falls, Gillett, Lena, Pulaski and Cecil |
How much public hunting land is in Oconto County?
192,276 of the county's 650,061 acres are public land open to the public (29.6%). 191,506 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Oconto County |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 140,692 | 21.6% |
| County forest | 43,461 | 6.7% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 7,195 | 1.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 589 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 139 | under 0.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 131 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 50 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 19 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 192,276 | 29.6% |
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 Oconto County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Nicolet National Forest (140,794 acres) and Oconto County Forest (43,481 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Oconto County?
12, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay West Shores Wildlife Area | 2,380 | ducks and geese |
| Peshtigo Brook Wildlife Area | 2,238 | |
| Nicolet State Trail | 633 | |
| Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest | 618 | |
| South Branch Oconto River Fishery Area | 609 | deer and small game |
| Lakewood Rearing Station | 195 | |
| Charles Pond State Natural Area | 90 | |
| Oconto River State Trail | 87 | |
| Copper Culture Mounds State Park | 70 | |
| Pensaukee River State Habitat Area | 16 | |
| Little Suamico State Habitat Area | 11 | |
| Oconto River-Patzer Park SPA | 7 |
How many deer are taken in Oconto County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Oconto County is split among 2 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 Oconto | 64.7% | 7,277 | 2025 |
| DMU 126 | 35.2% | 3,288 | 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 Oconto County?
Highways: WI 32 (about 56 miles in the county), US 41 (about 54 miles in the county), US 141 (about 49 miles in the county), WI 22 (about 27 miles in the county) and WI 64 (about 26 miles in the county). Towns: Oconto, Oconto Falls, Gillett, Lena, Suring, Mountain, Lakewood and Sobieski.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Oconto County, Wisconsin?
192,276 acres, 29.6% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is national forest (140,692 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Oconto County?
Green Bay West Shores Wildlife Area, with 2,380 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Oconto County?
DMU Oconto (64.7%) and DMU 126 (35.2%).
Does Oconto 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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