Merrick State Park: hunting and access
Merrick State Park is 290 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Buffalo County, 3 miles from Fountain City. Hunters registered 5,806 deer in Buffalo 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 areasMerrick State ParkCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 290 acres in 9 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Buffalo County |
| Deer Management Unit | Buffalo County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Merrick |
| Nearest towns | Fountain City (3 mi), Cochrane (6 mi) and Buffalo City (6 mi) |
What is Merrick State Park like?
Merrick State Park is located on the beautiful backwaters of the Mississippi River. All island campground sites and some sites in the south campground have river access for mooring watercraft or fishing directly from the sites. There are 3 miles of hiking trails, and two boat landings provide easy launching for boats of all sizes.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Merrick State Park?
The DNR's property map lists Merrick State Park as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
In Wisconsin state parks and recreation areas, hunting is limited to the seasons and the parts of the property the DNR sets for each one; the DNR's page has the details.
How many deer are taken around Merrick State Park?
Merrick State Park lies in Buffalo County. The DNR registered 5,806 deer in Buffalo County in 2025, against 5,321 in 2024.
| DMU | Merrick State Park acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County | 290 | 5,806 | 5,321 | 5,148 |
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 Merrick State Park?
Nearest towns: Fountain City (3 miles), Cochrane (6 miles), Buffalo City (6 miles) and Dodge (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 35, WI 95 and WI 88.
What other public land is near Merrick State Park?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Whitman Dam Wildlife Area: 2,096 acres, next to it
- Trempealeau River Meadows State Natural Area: 412 acres, 6.3 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Merrick State Park
Counting Merrick State Park itself, 2,742 of the 27,668 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (9.9%), 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 | 2,461 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 279 |
| State parks | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Merrick State Park?
In Buffalo County, 3 miles from Fountain City. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Merrick State Park 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 Merrick State Park in?
Buffalo County.
How much public land is around Merrick State Park?
2,742 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Merrick State Park included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Whitman Dam Wildlife 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, Merrick State Park; 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.