Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area: hunting and access
Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area is 382 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Green Lake County, 4 miles from Green Lake. Hunters registered 4,589 deer in Green Lake 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 landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landPuchyan Prairie State Natural AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 382 acres in 2 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Green Lake County |
| Deer Management Unit | Green Lake County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Puchyan Prairie |
| Nearest towns | Green Lake (4 mi), Princeton (5 mi) and Berlin (6 mi) |
What is Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area like?
Puchyan Prairie features a mosaic of wetland communities including a large wet-mesic prairie, marsh and sedge meadow in the floodplain of the Puchyan River. Several characteristic fen species such as Indian paintbrush, white wild indigo, shooting-star, cotton-grass, Michigan lily, lady's-tresses orchid and bird's-foot violet are among the 130 species recorded for the site. Toward the Puchyan River the vegetation grades into an extensive undisturbed shallow marsh of cattail and bulrush and sedge meadow dominated by tussock sedge and blue-joint grass. A small wooded island situation within the wetland contains large black and bur oaks with hazelnut and Pennsylvania sedge. A rich bird and butterfly fauna includes many uncommon species. Puchyan Prairie is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1981. Green Lake County. T16N-R12E, Section 1. T17N-R12E, Section 35, 36.
From the intersection of Highways 49 and 23 in Green Lake, go north on 49 for 1.3 miles, then west on County J for 3 miles, then north and west on County CC for 1.3 miles. Go north on Puchyan Marsh Road ~400 feet to a DNR parking area. Walk north into the site. The best prairie lies south and west of the oak island. Puchyan Prairie is owned by the Wisconsin DNR.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area?
The DNR's property map lists Puchyan Prairie 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 Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area?
Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area lies in Green Lake County. The DNR registered 4,589 deer in Green Lake County in 2025, against 4,428 in 2024.
| DMU | Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Lake County | 382 | 4,589 | 4,428 | 4,081 |
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 Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area?
Nearest towns: Green Lake (4 miles), Princeton (5 miles), Berlin (6 miles) and Ripon (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: WI 23, WI 49 and WI 73. 1 VPA property within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Princeton Prairie State Natural Area: 132 acres, next to it
- White River Marsh Wildlife Area: 12,706 acres, 1 mile away
- Snake Creek Fen State Natural Area: 30 acres, 1.2 miles away
- Upper Fox River Public Access: 401 acres, 1.3 miles away
- Berlin Fen State Natural Area: 21 acres, 7 miles away
- Glacial Habitat Restoration Area: 11,308 acres, 7.7 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area
Counting Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area itself, 2,819 of the 25,926 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (10.9%), 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 | 2,819 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area?
In Green Lake County, 4 miles from Green Lake. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Puchyan Prairie 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 Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area in?
Green Lake County.
How much public land is around Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area?
2,819 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Puchyan Prairie State Natural Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Princeton Prairie State Natural Area (next to it).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: DNR, Puchyan Prairie 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.