Pierce County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Pierce County is its own deer management unit, 593 square miles around River Falls. Hunters registered 4,366 deer here in 2025, 1,950 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 16% from 2024. 1.7% of Pierce County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (5,285 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 landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landPierce CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Pierce County |
|---|---|
| Size | 379,279 acres (593 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 4,366 (1,950 bucks, 2,416 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 4,162 deer |
| Public land | 1.7% (6,535 acres) |
| Properties | 13 (4,498 acres inside Pierce County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 5 sites, 636 acres |
| Towns in and near it | River Falls, Spring Valley, Ellsworth, Stockholm, Woodville and Baldwin |
How many deer are harvested in Pierce County?
The DNR registered 4,366 deer in Pierce County in 2025: 1,950 bucks and 2,416 antlerless deer, 55% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 4,162 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2020 (1,963).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,366 | 1,950 | 2,416 | 55% |
| 2024 | 3,766 | 1,753 | 2,013 | 53% |
| 2023 | 3,718 | 1,553 | 2,165 | 58% |
| 2022 | 4,287 | 1,841 | 2,446 | 57% |
| 2021 | 3,873 | 1,740 | 2,133 | 55% |
| 2020 | 4,534 | 1,963 | 2,571 | 57% |
| 2019 | 4,055 | 1,755 | 2,300 | 57% |
| 2018 | 4,356 | 1,786 | 2,570 | 59% |
| 2017 | 4,235 | 1,754 | 2,481 | 59% |
| 2016 | 4,425 | 1,847 | 2,578 | 58% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Pierce 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 Pierce County?
6,535 of Pierce County's 379,279 acres are public land open to the public (1.7%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 5,285 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Pierce County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 5,285 | 1.4% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 835 | 0.2% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 412 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 6,535 | 1.7% |
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 Pierce County
DNR properties in Pierce County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Kinnickinnic State Park: 1,350 acres
- Pierce Co Islands Wildlife Area: 1,273 acres
- Plum Creek Watershed: 748 acres
- Kinnickinnic River Fishery Area: 266 acres
- Rush River Delta State Natural Area: 175 acres
- Manion State Habitat Area: 158 acres
- Clay Corners State Habitat Area: 149 acres
- Trenton Bluff Prairie State Natural Area: 113 acres
- Plum Creek Woods State Natural Area: 79 acres
- Ray Morrison Memorial SHA: 65 acres
- Morgan Coulee Prairie State Natural Area: 58 acres
- Bay City Mine State Natural Area: 48 acres
- Trimbelle River Headwaters SBE Area: 16 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Natural Area (445 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Pierce County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 5 properties in Pierce County, 636 acres of private land open to the public. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Pierce County?
Highways through it: WI 35 (about 47 miles inside), US 10 (about 38 miles inside), US 63 (about 28 miles inside), WI 72 (about 17 miles inside) and WI 183 (about 12 miles inside). Towns inside: River Falls, Spring Valley, Ellsworth, Prescott, Elmwood and Maiden Rock. Nearby: Stockholm (3 miles), Woodville (6 miles), Baldwin (6 miles) and Pepin (7 miles).
Which deer management units border Pierce County?
Pierce County touches 3 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn County | 9,118 | 2025 | 3.7% | 3 |
| Pepin County | 2,215 | 2025 | 3.7% | |
| St. Croix County | 4,858 | 2025 | 4.8% | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Pierce County in 2025?
4,366 deer were registered: 1,950 bucks and 2,416 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 3,766.
Is there public hunting land in Pierce County?
Yes. 6,535 acres, 1.7% 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 (5,285 acres). The DNR's map shows 13 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Pierce County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 5 properties, 636 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.