Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area: hunting and access
Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area is 3,375 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Sauk County, next to Bluffview. Hunters registered 6,025 deer in Sauk 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 landOther federal landState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landSauk Prairie State Recreation AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 3,375 acres in 4 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Sauk County |
| Deer Management Unit | Sauk County |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Sauk Prairie |
| Nearest towns | Bluffview (next to it), Prairie du Sac (2 mi) and Merrimac (3 mi) |
What is Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area like?
Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area was once designated as an army ammunition plant that operated during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It was the largest munitions factory in the world during World War II. The plant was declared excess to the Army's needs and has since been transferred to the state and other owners for recreation, conservation and research.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What are the rules on Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area?
The DNR's property map lists Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area 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 Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area?
Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area lies in Sauk County. The DNR registered 6,025 deer in Sauk County in 2025, against 5,739 in 2024.
| DMU | Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sauk County | 3,375 | 6,025 | 5,739 | 6,262 |
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 Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area?
Nearest towns: Bluffview (next to it), Prairie du Sac (2 miles), Merrimac (3 miles) and Sauk City (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 12, WI 78, WI 188, WI 60 and WI 113. 1 VPA property within 3 miles.
What other public land is near Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Great Sauk State Trail: 106 acres, next to it
- Devil's Lake State Park: 9,796 acres, next to it
- Lower Wisconsin State Riverway: 47,767 acres, 1.2 miles away
- Baraboo Hills State Recreation Area: 1,143 acres, 1.7 miles away
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 4,676 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Parfreys Glen State Natural Area: 510 acres, 4.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area
Counting Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area itself, 13,616 of the 49,896 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (27.3%), 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 | 10,978 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,538 |
| State parks | 51 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 35 |
| Other federal land | 14 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area?
In Sauk County, next to Bluffview. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Sauk Prairie State Recreation 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 Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area in?
Sauk County.
How much public land is around Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area?
13,616 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Great Sauk State Trail (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, Sauk Prairie State Recreation 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.