Oneida County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Oneida County has 277,158 acres of public land open to the public, 35% of the county, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (182,523 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 26 DNR properties here covering 179,759 acres, the largest Pelican River Forest Conservation Easement (66,118 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 120 (1,155 deer in 2025), DMU 116 (1,218 deer in 2025), DMU 121 (1,615 deer in 2025) and DMU 123 (1,726 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 landOneida CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 791,429 acres (1,237 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 35% (277,158 acres) |
| Properties | 26 (179,759 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU 120, DMU 116, DMU 121, DMU 123, DMU 119, DMU 124, DMU 117, Lac du Flambeau Reservation |
| Towns | Rhinelander, Three Lakes, Lake Tomahawk, Woodruff, Eagle River and Tomahawk |
How much public hunting land is in Oneida County?
277,158 of the county's 791,429 acres are public land open to the public (35%). 275,367 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Oneida County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 182,523 | 23.1% |
| County forest | 82,136 | 10.4% |
| National forest | 10,698 | 1.4% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,725 | 0.2% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 53 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 13 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 10 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 277,158 | 35% |
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 Oneida County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Oneida County Forest (82,117 acres), Nicolet National Forest (10,652 acres) and Natural Area (2,710 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Oneida County?
26, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Pelican River Forest Conservation Easement | 66,118 | |
| American Legion State Forest | 60,887 | |
| Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area | 27,366 | |
| Forest Legacy Program | 8,469 | |
| Woodboro Lakes Wildlife Area | 3,302 | ruffed grouse |
| Thunder Lake Wildlife Area | 3,253 | ducks and geese |
| Bootjack Bog State Natural Area | 2,087 | |
| Willow Flowage SWA - Dick Steffes Unit | 2,034 | |
| Squirrel River Pines State Natural Area | 1,369 | |
| Atkins Lake and Hiles Swamp State Natural Area | 670 | |
| Bearskin State Trail | 638 | |
| Enterprise Hemlocks State Natural Area | 632 | |
| Northern Highland State Forest | 477 | |
| Spur Lake State Natural Area | 435 | |
| Gobler Lake State Natural Area | 393 | |
| One Stone Lake Hemlocks/Little Rice Lake SNA | 379 | |
| Upper Tomahawk River Pines State Natural Area | 365 | |
| Town of Three Lakes State Habitat Area | 210 | |
| Patterson Hemlocks State Natural Area | 188 | |
| Menard Island Resource Area | 139 | |
| Arthur A. Oehmcke Fish Hatchery | 106 | |
| Sugar Camp Hemlocks State Natural Area | 80 | |
| Mercer Lake Springs Fishery Area | 78 | |
| Swamp Lake Public Access | 56 | |
| LUP Grants | 18 | |
| Rhinelander Station | 10 |
How many deer are taken in Oneida County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Oneida County is split among 8 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 120 | 31.5% | 1,155 | 2025 |
| DMU 116 | 30.6% | 1,218 | 2025 |
| DMU 121 | 30% | 1,615 | 2025 |
| DMU 123 | 4.3% | 1,726 | 2025 |
| DMU 119 | 2.3% | 2,516 | 2025 |
| DMU 124 | 0.8% | 1,226 | 2025 |
| DMU 117 | 0.5% | 895 | 2025 |
| Lac du Flambeau Reservation | 0.1% |
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 Oneida County?
Highways: WI 47 (about 47 miles in the county), US 8 (about 35 miles in the county), US 51 (about 32 miles in the county), US 45 (about 30 miles in the county) and WI 17 (about 22 miles in the county). Towns: Rhinelander, Three Lakes, Lake Tomahawk, Woodruff and Minocqua.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Oneida County, Wisconsin?
277,158 acres, 35% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (182,523 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Oneida County?
Pelican River Forest Conservation Easement, with 66,118 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Oneida County?
DMU 120 (31.5%), DMU 116 (30.6%), DMU 121 (30%), DMU 123 (4.3%), DMU 119 (2.3%), DMU 124 (0.8%), DMU 117 (0.5%) and Lac du Flambeau Reservation (0.1%).
Does Oneida 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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