Forest Legacy Program: hunting and access
Forest Legacy Program is 33,075 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Langlade, Oneida, Lincoln, Marathon, Vilas and Iron counties, 4 miles from White Lake. Hunters registered 1,726 deer in DMU 123 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 landCounty forestNational forestOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landForest Legacy ProgramCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 33,075 acres in 14 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Langlade County, Oneida County, Lincoln County, Marathon County, Vilas County and Iron County |
| Deer Management Unit | DMU 123, DMU 116, DMU 126, DMU Lincoln, Marathon County, DMU 122, DMU 117 |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Forest Legacy Areas |
| Nearest towns | White Lake (4 mi), Athens (6 mi) and Minocqua (6 mi) |
What is Forest Legacy Program like?
The Forest Legacy Areas must meet national eligibility criteria in order to qualify for participation in the Forest Legacy Program. Wisconsin selected and defined the Forest Legacy Areas in the state by applying the national criteria and then refining them further to meet the state's requirements. In order for land to be eligible for the program it must be located within one of the five Forest Legacy Areas. Select your county from the drop-down menu to view a larger map.
The goal of the Forest Legacy Areas is to protect those values and attributes that led us to designate them as environmentally important. These include:.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Forest Legacy Program?
The DNR's property map lists Forest Legacy Program as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
How many deer are taken around Forest Legacy Program?
Forest Legacy Program lies in 7 deer management units. The DNR registered 1,726 deer in DMU 123 in 2025.
| DMU | Forest Legacy Program acres in it | Deer, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| DMU 123 | 14,187 | 1,726 |
| DMU 116 | 8,469 | 1,218 |
| DMU 126 | 4,092 | 3,288 |
| DMU Lincoln | 2,718 | 1,426 |
| Marathon County | 1,352 | 12,041 |
| DMU 122 | 1,231 | 802 |
| DMU 117 | 1,004 | 895 |
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 Forest Legacy Program?
Nearest towns: White Lake (4 miles), Athens (6 miles), Minocqua (6 miles) and Woodruff (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 64, WI 52, WI 55, US 51 and US 45.
What other public land is near Forest Legacy Program?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Big Rib River Fishery Area: 728 acres, next to it
- Upper Wolf River Fishery Area: 9,345 acres, next to it
- Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area: 27,366 acres, next to it
- Upper Tomahawk River Pines State Natural Area: 365 acres, next to it
- Wolf River State Trail: 524 acres, next to it
- Squirrel River Pines State Natural Area: 1,369 acres, next to it
Public land within 3 miles of Forest Legacy Program
Counting Forest Legacy Program itself, 111,171 of the 309,662 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (35.9%), 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 | 61,816 |
| County forest | 27,911 |
| National forest | 20,527 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 858 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 46 |
| State parks | 13 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Forest Legacy Program?
In Langlade, Oneida, Lincoln, Marathon, Vilas and Iron counties, 4 miles from White Lake. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Forest Legacy Program 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 Forest Legacy Program in?
DMU 123 (14,187 acres), DMU 116 (8,469 acres), DMU 126 (4,092 acres), DMU Lincoln (2,718 acres), Marathon County (1,352 acres), DMU 122 (1,231 acres) and DMU 117 (1,004 acres).
How much public land is around Forest Legacy Program?
111,171 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Forest Legacy Program included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Big Rib River Fishery Area (next to it).
Get a Wisconsin hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Wisconsin are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Wisconsin included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Forest Legacy Program; 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.
Wisconsin hunting Langlade County Oneida County Lincoln County Marathon County Vilas County Iron County Marathon County