Waunakee Wildlife Area: hunting and access
Waunakee Wildlife Area is 482 acres of land managed by the Wisconsin DNR in Dane County, 2 miles from Waunakee. The DNR's page for it names deer and ducks and geese among the game here. Hunters registered 4,438 deer in Dane 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 landState parksOther county, city and regional landWaunakee Wildlife AreaCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 482 acres in 5 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Dane County |
| Deer Management Unit | Dane County |
| DNR lists for hunting | deer and ducks and geese |
| Public access (DNR) | Open to Hiking, Fishing, Hunting and Trapping |
| DNR property page | Waunakee Marsh Wildlife Area |
| Nearest towns | Waunakee (2 mi), Dane (4 mi) and Middleton (5 mi) |
What is Waunakee Wildlife Area like?
Waunakee Marsh Wildlife Area is a 470-acre property. The property is mainly wetland with smaller areas of hardwood forest and grassland. The wetlands are associated with the upper reach of Six Mile Creek and contain some spring heads. Waunakee Marsh Wildlife Area is located in Dane County. From Waunakee, head west on State Highway 19 for 3.5 miles to a parking lot on the south side of the road. This property protects and maintains the existing wetlands. There is minimal management currently on the property.
The Waunakee Marsh Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:.
In the DNR's words, from its page for the property.
What can you hunt on Waunakee Wildlife Area?
The DNR's page for Waunakee Wildlife Area names deer and ducks and geese. Each follows Wisconsin's statewide season and, for deer, the tags and rules of the deer management unit.
What are the rules on Waunakee Wildlife Area?
The DNR's property map lists Waunakee 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 Waunakee Wildlife Area: Birding, Cross-country skiing (no designated trail), Hiking (no designated trail), Hunting (noted for: deer and waterfowl), Trapping, Wild edibles/gathering and Wildlife viewing.
How many deer are taken around Waunakee Wildlife Area?
Waunakee Wildlife Area lies in Dane County. The DNR registered 4,438 deer in Dane County in 2025, against 4,403 in 2024.
| DMU | Waunakee Wildlife Area acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dane County | 482 | 4,438 | 4,403 | 4,461 |
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 Waunakee Wildlife Area?
Nearest towns: Waunakee (2 miles), Dane (4 miles), Middleton (5 miles) and Cross Plains (7 miles). Highways within 5 miles: US 12, WI 19 and WI 113.
What other public land is near Waunakee Wildlife Area?
DNR properties within 10 miles:
- Empire Prairies (Westport Drumlin) State Natural Area: 27 acres, 2.4 miles away
- Dorn Creek Fishery Area: 205 acres, 2.9 miles away
- Governor Nelson State Park: 421 acres, 3.9 miles away
- Towell Family State Habitat Area: 76 acres, 4.2 miles away
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 4,676 acres, 4.8 miles away
- Cherokee Marsh Public Access: 39 acres, 5.1 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Waunakee Wildlife Area
Counting Waunakee Wildlife Area itself, 732 of the 30,632 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (2.4%), 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 | 498 |
| Other county, city and regional land | 234 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Waunakee Wildlife Area?
In Dane County, 2 miles from Waunakee. The DNR's property page has its maps and parking.
Is Waunakee 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 Waunakee Wildlife Area in?
Dane County.
How much public land is around Waunakee Wildlife Area?
732 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Waunakee Wildlife Area included, by PAD-US 4.1. The closest other DNR property is Empire Prairies (Westport Drumlin) State Natural Area (2.4 miles).
Get a Wisconsin hunt plan when they open
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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, Waunakee 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.