Jennings Creek Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Jennings Creek Wildlife Area is 532 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Columbia County, 2 miles from Rio. Hunters registered 7,189 deer in Columbia 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasVoluntary Public Access landJennings Creek Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 532 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Deer Management Unit | Columbia County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Jennings Creek Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Rio (2 mi), Doylestown (3 mi) and Wyocena (5 mi) |
What is Jennings Creek Wildlife Area like?
Jennings Creek Wildlife Area is a 530-acre property located in Columbia County. Find it by heading north out of Rio on Highway SS for two miles to Jennings Road, then east on Jennings, less than two miles to Ludwig Road, and then continue to Jennings Creek. Jennings Creek Wildlife Area was created in 1947. The property was established to provide opportunities for public hunting and fishing. Jennings Creek flows through the property and is designated as a Class II trout stream.
Jennings Creek Wildlife Area is managed to provide opportunities for public hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor recreation while protecting the watershed of Jennings Creek. The upland forests are primarily southern dry-mesic forest types, with management focusing on maintaining oak as a viable forest component. Bottomland hardwoods and shrub-carr marsh habitats are managed passively. Prescribed fire, mowing, brushing, and timber harvests may be used on this property to maintain habitat. Populations of invasive species may be controlled or eliminated by cutting, pulling, burning, herbicide treatment and/or biocontrol. The Jennings Creek Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Jennings Creek Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Jennings Creek 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 Jennings Creek Wildlife Area: Birding, Canoeing, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Fishing and Hiking (no designated trail) Dogs must be kept on a leash of no longer than 8ft from April 15 to July 31.
How many deer are taken around Jennings Creek Wildlife Area?
Jennings Creek Wildlife Area lies in Columbia County. The DNR registered 7,189 deer in Columbia County in 2025, against 7,176 in 2024.
| DMU | Jennings Creek Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County | 532 | 7,189 | 7,176 | 6,629 |
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 Jennings Creek Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Rio (2 miles), Doylestown (3 miles), Wyocena (5 miles) and Cambria (5 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 16 and WI 146. 1 VPA property within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Jennings Creek Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Grassy Lake Wildlife Area: 701 acres, 2.3 miles away
- Peter Helland Wildlife Area: 3,576 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Glacial Habitat Restoration Area: 11,308 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Paradise Marsh Wildlife Area: 1,596 acres, 3.3 miles away
- Mud Lake Wildlife Area-Columbia: 2,281 acres, 4.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Jennings Creek Wildlife Area
Counting Jennings Creek Wildlife Area itself, 2,265 of the 30,970 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (7.3%), 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 | 1,760 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 505 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Jennings Creek Wildlife Area?
In Columbia County, 2 miles from Rio. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Jennings Creek 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 Jennings Creek Wildlife Area in?
Columbia County.
How much public land is around Jennings Creek Wildlife Area?
2,265 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Jennings Creek Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Grassy Lake Wildlife Area (2.3 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Jennings Creek 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.