Peter Helland Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Peter Helland Wildlife Area is 3,576 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Columbia County, 2 miles from Cambria. Hunters registered 7,189 deer in Columbia 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 areasOther county, city and regional landPeter Helland Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,576 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Deer Management Unit | Columbia County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Peter Helland Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Cambria (2 mi), Pardeeville (2 mi) and Wyocena (3 mi) |
What is Peter Helland Wildlife Area like?
Peter Helland Wildlife Area is a 3,580-acre property in Columbia County. It is located six miles east of Pardeeville on County Road P. The property consists of approximately 2,600 acres of wetland, 550 acres of grassland, 290 acres of forested habitat and some agricultural lands. It also contains the north branch of Duck Creek. The property's wetlands range from wet prairie and sedge meadow to cattail marsh as well as extensive areas of disturbed marsh dominated by reed canary grass. Shrub-carr habitat with dogwood and willow is interspersed within the low areas. The uplands are former agricultural areas with scattered oak woodlots. The majority of the non-forested upland acres are managed as cover for grassland birds and other wildlife.
Peter Helland Wildlife Area lies in a basin formed by the meltwaters from the last glacial period about 10,000 years ago. Native Americans used the marsh as a hunting ground, likely for prairie chicken, deer, waterfowl and small mammals. Following settlement by European immigrants and the development of drainage and dredging equipment, the marsh was partially drained to allow for farming of the muck soils. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources began acquiring property for the project in 1972 to serve as a goose management area, a satellite unit for the Horicon Marsh. The property is now used extensively for hunting, especially for deer, pheasant and waterfowl.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Peter Helland Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Peter Helland 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 Peter Helland Wildlife Area: Birding, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Canoeing, Fishing, Hiking (no designated trail), Kayaking, Trapping, Snowshoeing (no designated trail), Wild edibles/gathering and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Peter Helland Wildlife Area?
Peter Helland Wildlife Area lies in Columbia County. The DNR registered 7,189 deer in Columbia County in 2025, against 7,176 in 2024.
| DMU | Peter Helland Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County | 3,576 | 7,189 | 7,176 | 6,629 |
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 Peter Helland Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Cambria (2 miles), Pardeeville (2 miles), Wyocena (3 miles) and Rio (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 22, WI 16, WI 146 and WI 44.
What other public land is near Peter Helland Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Jennings Creek Wildlife Area: 532 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Glacial Habitat Restoration Area: 11,308 acres, 4.7 miles away
- Paradise Marsh Wildlife Area: 1,596 acres, 5.2 miles away
- Rocky Run Creek Fishery Area: 741 acres, 5.4 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Peter Helland Wildlife Area
Counting Peter Helland Wildlife Area itself, 4,450 of the 52,533 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (8.5%), 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 | 4,101 |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 201 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 148 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Peter Helland Wildlife Area?
In Columbia County, 2 miles from Cambria. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Peter Helland 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 Peter Helland Wildlife Area in?
Columbia County.
How much public land is around Peter Helland Wildlife Area?
4,450 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Peter Helland Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Jennings Creek Wildlife Area (2.4 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Peter Helland 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.