Mead Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Mead Wildlife Area is 32,664 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Marathon, Portage and Wood counties, next to Junction City. The DNR's page for it names ducks and geese among the game here. Hunters registered 12,041 deer in Marathon 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 landCounty forestOther federal landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landMead Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 32,664 acres in 16 pieces |
|---|---|
| Counties | Marathon County, Portage County and Wood County |
| Deer Management Unit | Marathon County, Portage County, DMU Wood |
| DNR lists for hunting | ducks and geese |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | George W. Mead Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Junction City (next to it), Milladore (2 mi) and Knowlton (3 mi) |
What is Mead Wildlife Area like?
Attention Visitors: Join us this summer at the Stanton W. Mead Visitor Center for educational programming throughout the year. Check the events page for more information.
The visitor center is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nestled in the Little Eau Pleine River valley, the George W. Mead Wildlife Area encompasses over 33,000 acres of open marshes, hardwood and aspen forests and grasslands. Mead is one of the largest wildlife areas in Wisconsin, comprising the most extensive contiguous state ownership of wildlife lands. Two conifer bog state natural areas showcase the tamarack and black spruce ecosystems on the property. Mead's diverse habitats harbor abundant wildlife species such as deer, turkey, bear, grouse, otter, beaver, muskrats, herons, prairie chickens, fox, coyote, eagles, wolves and bobcats. It is an important resting, feeding and nesting site for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds. Over 267 bird species have been documented on the property.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What can you hunt on Mead Wildlife Area?
The DNR's page for Mead Wildlife Area names ducks and geese. Each follows Wisconsin's statewide season and, for deer, the tags and rules of the deer management unit.
What are the rules on Mead Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Mead 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 Mead Wildlife Area: Hunting (please note special waterfowl regulations below);, Trapping;, Hiking (70 miles of trails);, Birding;, Wildlife viewing;, Dog training and trialing;, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail); and and Wild edibles/gathering.
How many deer are taken around Mead Wildlife Area?
Mead Wildlife Area lies in 3 deer management units. The DNR registered 12,041 deer in Marathon County in 2025, against 11,715 in 2024.
| DMU | Mead Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon County | 18,516 | 12,041 | 11,715 | 10,082 |
| Portage County | 10,790 | 8,384 | 7,641 | 6,559 |
| DMU Wood | 3,390 | 5,416 |
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 Mead Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Junction City (next to it), Milladore (2 miles), Knowlton (3 miles) and Auburndale (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 10, WI 34, I-39, US 51 and WI 13. 5 VPA properties within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Mead Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Paul Olson Wildlife Area: 3,421 acres, 1.5 miles away
- Little Bear Hemlocks State Natural Area: 59 acres, 1.9 miles away
- Auburndale Transmitter Site: 22 acres, 5.6 miles away
- Dewey Marsh Wildlife Area: 6,042 acres, 5.8 miles away
- McMillan Wildlife Area: 5,807 acres, 7.2 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Mead Wildlife Area
Counting Mead Wildlife Area itself, 34,472 of the 138,193 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (24.9%), 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 | 32,996 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 1,476 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Mead Wildlife Area?
In Marathon, Portage and Wood counties, next to Junction City. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Mead 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 Mead Wildlife Area in?
Marathon County (18,516 acres), Portage County (10,790 acres) and DMU Wood (3,390 acres).
How much public land is around Mead Wildlife Area?
34,472 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Mead Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Paul Olson Wildlife Area (1.5 miles).
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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, Mead 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.
Wisconsin hunting Marathon County Portage County Wood County Marathon County Portage County