Knapp Creek Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Knapp Creek Wildlife Area is 1,605 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Richland County, 3 miles from Blue River. Hunters registered 4,744 deer in Richland 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 landVoluntary Public Access landKnapp Creek Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 1,605 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Richland County |
| Deer Management Unit | Richland County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to activities associated with Fishing, Hunting and Trapping. Closed to Passive Use such as hiking and foraging |
| DNR property page | Knapp Creek Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Blue River (3 mi), Boscobel (5 mi) and Boaz (7 mi) |
What is Knapp Creek Wildlife Area like?
Knapp Creek Wildlife Area is a 2,003-acre property located in Richland County that is entirely privately owned and open to the public for hunting, fishing, and, in some locations, trapping. The property is a mosaic of agricultural fields, marshy creek bottoms and forested hillsides located 5 miles east of Boscobel on Highway 60. The only forms of recreation available at Knapp Creek Wildlife Area are hunting, fishing and trapping. It is your responsibility to know where you are and what activities are allowed on that property. Please refer to the property map [PDF] and the code of conduct [PDF].
The Knapp Creek Wildlife Area is a collection of private land parcels with permanent hunting and fishing access easements. Many of the properties also include the right to trap. Since private individuals own these properties and many of them are working agricultural property, please be respectful of the landowners who work and live on this collection of properties by following the rules below:. Plan your hunt in advance and, although not required, check with the landowner so everyone knows what to expect on the day of your hunt. It is your responsibility to know where you are and what activities are allowed on that property.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Knapp Creek Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Knapp Creek Wildlife Area as "Open to activities associated with Fishing, Hunting and Trapping. Closed to Passive Use such as hiking and foraging". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
How many deer are taken around Knapp Creek Wildlife Area?
Knapp Creek Wildlife Area lies in Richland County. The DNR registered 4,744 deer in Richland County in 2025, against 5,072 in 2024.
| DMU | Knapp Creek Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County | 1,605 | 4,744 | 5,072 | 5,459 |
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 Knapp Creek Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Blue River (3 miles), Boscobel (5 miles), Boaz (7 miles) and Muscoda (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 60, WI 133 and US 61. 1 VPA property within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Knapp Creek Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Lower Wisconsin State Riverway: 47,767 acres, next to it
- Blue River Bluffs State Natural Area: 64 acres, 2.4 miles away
- F G Wilson State Forest Nursery: 154 acres, 4.2 miles away
- La Crosse Area Comprehensive Fishery Area: 2,495 acres, 4.4 miles away
- Knapp Creek Fishery Area: 20 acres, 6.8 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Knapp Creek Wildlife Area
Counting Knapp Creek Wildlife Area itself, 6,977 of the 35,607 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (19.6%), 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 | 6,977 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Knapp Creek Wildlife Area?
In Richland County, 3 miles from Blue River. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Knapp Creek Wildlife Area open to hunting?
Yes. The DNR's property map lists it as "Open to activities associated with Fishing, Hunting and Trapping. Closed to Passive Use such as hiking and foraging". Posted refuges or closed areas, where there are any, are marked on site.
Which deer management unit is Knapp Creek Wildlife Area in?
Richland County.
How much public land is around Knapp Creek Wildlife Area?
6,977 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Knapp Creek Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Lower Wisconsin State Riverway (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Knapp 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.