Evansville Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Evansville Wildlife Area is 839 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Rock County, next to Evansville. The DNR's page for it names deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game among the game here. Hunters registered 2,667 deer in Rock County in 2025.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: the DNR's DNR property data, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Metrics.
State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR landOther county, city and regional landVoluntary Public Access landEvansville Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 839 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Rock County |
| Deer Management Unit | Rock County |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Evansville Wildlife Area and Allen Creek Stream Bank Protection Area |
| Nearest towns | Evansville (next to it), Footville (6 mi) and Brooklyn (7 mi) |
What is Evansville Wildlife Area like?
Evansville Wildlife Area is located outside the city of Evansville in Rock County and currently consists of 739 acres of state-owned land on the east side of Hwy 213. The Allen Creek Streambank Protection Area consists of 225 acres of state-owned land primarily located on the west side of Hwy 213. Allen Creek, a class 2 trout stream, flows north-south for approximately 2.5 miles through the properties. There are also 2 privately-owned easements open to the public located off the intersection of West Coon Island Road and Hwy M, and North Weary Road, respectively. Habitat types include native wet prairie, emergent marsh, sedge meadow, upland prairie, shrub, and cropland mixed throughout.
Together, these properties provide public access to hunting, fishing, trapping and other recreational opportunities. Common game species include pheasants, mourning doves, turkey, waterfowl, deer and other small game species. The Evansville Wildlife Area was established in 1964 and has primarily been known as a home for many game and non-game bird species, including pheasants, mourning doves, northern harriers, and a variety of migrant songbirds and waterfowl. The Allen Creek SBPA was established in 1995 as a buffer to the Allen Creek watershed. Prescribed burning, mowing, invasive species control and agricultural practices are the most common management tools used on the landscape.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What can you hunt on Evansville Wildlife Area?
The DNR's page for Evansville Wildlife Area names deer, wild turkey, pheasants, ducks and geese and small game. Each follows Wisconsin's statewide season and, for deer, the tags and rules of the deer management unit.
What are the rules on Evansville Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Evansville Wildlife Area as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
Activities the DNR lists for Evansville Wildlife Area: Birding, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Fishing, Hiking (no designated trail), Hunting (noted for: pheasants and mourning doves), Trapping, Wild edibles/gathering and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Evansville Wildlife Area?
Evansville Wildlife Area lies in Rock County. The DNR registered 2,667 deer in Rock County in 2025, against 2,501 in 2024.
| DMU | Evansville Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock County | 839 | 2,667 | 2,501 | 2,468 |
Harvest for the whole deer management unit, not the property alone: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
How do you get to Evansville Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Evansville (next to it), Footville (6 miles), Brooklyn (7 miles) and Albany (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 59, US 14, WI 213 and WI 104. 9 VPA properties within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Evansville Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Allen Creek Streambank Protection Area: 220 acres, next to it
- Footville Wildlife Area: 476 acres, 1.7 miles away
- Liberty Creek Wildlife Area: 565 acres, 4.9 miles away
- Bad Fish Creek Wildlife Area: 1,155 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Albany Wildlife Area: 1,954 acres, 6.9 miles away
- Sugar River State Trail: 248 acres, 7.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Evansville Wildlife Area
Counting Evansville Wildlife Area itself, 1,482 of the 29,780 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (5%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 1,418 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 64 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Evansville Wildlife Area?
In Rock County, next to Evansville. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Evansville Wildlife Area open to hunting?
Yes. The DNR's property map lists it as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Posted refuges or closed areas, where there are any, are marked on site.
Which deer management unit is Evansville Wildlife Area in?
Rock County.
How much public land is around Evansville Wildlife Area?
1,482 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Evansville Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Allen Creek Streambank Protection Area (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Evansville Wildlife Area; Wisconsin DNR managed lands open to hunting.
- Boundary and acres: the DNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
- Deer harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
FilledTag is not part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Check the DNR's rules and posted signs before you go.