Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area: hunting and access
Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area is 406 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Dunn County, 3 miles from Wheeler. Hunters registered 9,118 deer in Dunn 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 landOtter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 406 acres |
|---|---|
| County | Dunn County |
| Deer Management Unit | Dunn County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Otter Creek Oak Barrens |
| Nearest towns | Wheeler (3 mi), Tainter Lake (6 mi) and Ridgeland (8 mi) |
What is Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area like?
Situated on rolling topography, Otter Creek Oak Barrens contains undisturbed oak barrens dominated by scattered large black and Hill's oaks with groves of smaller bur, black, and white oak. Jack pine and trembling aspen are also present. The large black oaks are at least 140 years old and may be over 200 years old. The smaller oaks, 8 to 20 inches in diameter, are 70 to 110 years old. The moderate shrub layer contains American hazelnut and dogwood brush. The ground layer is quite diverse with a rich assemblage of prairie grasses and forbs including prairie larkspur. Other species are June grass, little blue-stem, leadplant, puccoon, field wormwood, flowering spurge, bastard-toadflax, false Solomon's seal, bird's-foot violet, prairie coreopsis and New Jersey tea. Pocket gophers are abundant.
From the junction of Highways 25 and 170 in Wheeler, go east on 170 for 1.8 miles, then north on County S for 4.5 miles, then east on Forest Lane (1150th Avenue) for 1.2 miles and park at the corner. Walk south 0.5 miles on a gated sand lane to the northern boundary of the natural area. Otter Creek Oak Barrens is owned by: Wisconsin DNR.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area?
The DNR's property map lists Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area as "Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping". Hunting follows Wisconsin's statewide seasons and the rules posted on the property.
How many deer are taken around Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area?
Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area lies in Dunn County. The DNR registered 9,118 deer in Dunn County in 2025, against 7,819 in 2024.
| DMU | Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn County | 406 | 9,118 | 7,819 | 6,979 |
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 Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Wheeler (3 miles), Tainter Lake (6 miles), Ridgeland (8 miles) and Colfax (8 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 25, WI 64 and WI 170.
What other public land is near Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Otter Creek Wildlife Area: 236 acres, next to it
- Red Cedar River Savanna State Natural Area: 182 acres, 5.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area
Counting Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area itself, 1,134 of the 25,906 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (4.4%), 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 | 1,134 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area?
In Dunn County, 3 miles from Wheeler. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural 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 Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area in?
Dunn County.
How much public land is around Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area?
1,134 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Otter Creek Wildlife Area (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Otter Creek Oak Barrens State Natural 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.