Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area is 933 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Sawyer and Washburn counties, 2 miles from Hayward. Hunters registered 2,681 deer in DMU 109 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 forestNational park landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landKissick Swamp Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 933 acres |
|---|---|
| Counties | Sawyer County and Washburn County |
| Deer Management Unit | DMU 109 |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Hayward (2 mi), Little Round Lake (8 mi) and Springbrook (8 mi) |
What is Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area like?
Just a couple miles outside of Hayward, Wisconsin, Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area provides plenty of options for public use. Mixtures of high-ground oak, aspen forest, lowland conifer and alkaline bog give this property a lot of variety. Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area was acquired in 1946-48 for deer yard protection. At the time, there was a large amount of white cedar reproduction on the property. Several additional purchases were made in 1951, bringing the total acreage of the property to 933. The property was logged in the 1920s, resulting in the uniform conifer cover that dominates the property.
Directly south of Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area lays the town of Hayward Forest, providing additional silent sport recreational opportunities. The wildlife area also shares a western boundary with Washburn County Forest, creating a large block of land for public recreational opportunity. Active timber management continues on the property today using modern silviculture practices with a focus on quality wildlife habitat for both game and non-game species. There are individual mature, mast-producing red and white oaks scattered throughout the property. The north end of the property has featured more aspen management over the last 40 years, and timber management will continue with a focus on multi-aged stands producing quality wildlife habitat. There are multiple large openings on the south end of the property that are maintained for warm-season grasses, flowers and soft mast production.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Kissick Swamp 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 Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area: Biking, Birding, Canoeing, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Hiking, Hunting, Trapping, Wild edibles/gathering and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area?
Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area lies in DMU 109. The DNR registered 2,681 deer in DMU 109 in 2025.
| DMU | Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| DMU 109 | 933 | 2,681 |
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 Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Hayward (2 miles), Little Round Lake (8 miles), Springbrook (8 miles) and Chief Lake (11 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 63, WI 77 and WI 27.
What other public land is near Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Stress Springs State Spring Ponds: 45 acres, 0.9 miles away
- Hayward Nursery: 135 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Namekagon River State Habitat Area: 114 acres, 2.8 miles away
- Flat Creek Wildlife Area: 371 acres, 3.8 miles away
- Big Island on Nelson State Habitat Area: 104 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Totagatic Highlands Hemlocks State Natural Area: 160 acres, 3.9 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area
Counting Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area itself, 11,425 of the 29,434 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (38.8%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| County forest | 9,238 |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 1,143 |
| National park land | 658 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 333 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 51 |
| National forest | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area?
In Sawyer and Washburn counties, 2 miles from Hayward. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Kissick Swamp 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 Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area in?
DMU 109.
How much public land is around Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area?
11,425 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Stress Springs State Spring Ponds (0.9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Kissick Swamp 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.