Racine County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Racine County is its own deer management unit, 341 square miles around Caledonia. Hunters registered 768 deer here in 2025, 457 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 15% from 2024. 3.3% of Racine County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (4,310 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public).
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: DNR Deer Metrics. Land: PAD-US 4.1, the DNR's managed lands and VPA layers.
State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR landState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landRacine CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Racine County |
|---|---|
| Size | 217,933 acres (341 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 768 (457 bucks, 311 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 572 deer |
| Public land | 3.3% (7,275 acres) |
| Properties | 10 (4,275 acres inside Racine County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 1 site, 71 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Caledonia, Raymond, Mount Pleasant, Mukwonago, Somers and Muskego |
How many deer are harvested in Racine County?
The DNR registered 768 deer in Racine County in 2025: 457 bucks and 311 antlerless deer, 40% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 572 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2025 (457).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 768 | 457 | 311 | 40% |
| 2024 | 670 | 384 | 286 | 43% |
| 2023 | 659 | 425 | 234 | 36% |
| 2022 | 611 | 389 | 222 | 36% |
| 2021 | 507 | 322 | 185 | 36% |
| 2020 | 580 | 356 | 224 | 39% |
| 2019 | 482 | 305 | 177 | 37% |
| 2018 | 482 | 287 | 195 | 40% |
| 2017 | 457 | 284 | 173 | 38% |
| 2016 | 504 | 277 | 227 | 45% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Racine County. Deer registered is the DNR's buck and antlerless harvest added together. The DNR's Deer Metrics shows every year back to 1960 for most counties.
How much public land is in Racine County?
7,275 of Racine County's 217,933 acres are public land open to the public (3.3%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 4,310 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Racine County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 4,310 | 2% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 2,639 | 1.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 322 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 3 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 1 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 7,275 | 3.3% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the DNR's boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). Hunting rules differ by manager: DNR wildlife areas and state forests are open to hunting unless posted; county forests are open to hunting in most cases (check the county forest's rules); national forest land is open in season; refuges follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rules; state parks allow hunting only in listed seasons and areas; national park land is closed to hunting.
DNR properties in Racine County
DNR properties in Racine County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Tichigan Wildlife Area: 1,602 acres
- Honey Creek Wildlife Area: 1,087 acres
- Burlington State Habitat Area: 437 acres
- Wind Lake State Habitat Area: 347 acres
- Karcher Marsh Wildlife Area: 280 acres
- White River State Trail: 230 acres
- Eagle Lake Fishery Area: 98 acres
- Honey Creek Streambank Protection Area: 91 acres
- Dover State Habitat Area: 89 acres
- Wind Lake Fishery Area: 14 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Cliffside Park (211 acres), Wadewitz Nature Center (171 acres), Case Eagle Park (147 acres), Nicholson Wildlife Refuge (143 acres), Extensive Wl Habitat - Public Hunting Ground (134 acres), Racine County Land (117 acres), Charles A Armstrong Park (114 acres) and Colonial Park (100 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Racine County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 1 property in Racine County, 71 acres of private land open to the public. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Racine County?
Highways through it: WI 36 (about 37 miles inside), WI 11 (about 36 miles inside), WI 83 (about 30 miles inside), WI 20 (about 29 miles inside) and I-94 (about 24 miles inside). Towns inside: Caledonia, Raymond, Mount Pleasant, Yorkville, Rochester and Racine. Nearby: Mukwonago (on the line), Somers (2 miles), Muskego (2 miles) and Oak Creek (2 miles).
Which deer management units border Racine County?
Racine County touches 4 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha County | 510 | 2025 | 6.1% | |
| Walworth County | 2,132 | 2025 | 5.2% | 1 |
| Waukesha County | 3,320 | 2025 | 7.9% | |
| Milwaukee County | 206 | 2025 | 11.6% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Racine County in 2025?
768 deer were registered: 457 bucks and 311 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 670.
Is there public hunting land in Racine County?
Yes. 7,275 acres, 3.3% of the unit, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (4,310 acres). The DNR's map shows 10 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Racine County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 1 property, 71 acres.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). DNR properties: Wisconsin DNR managed lands open to hunting. Voluntary Public Access land: Wisconsin DNR Voluntary Public Access and Turkey Hunting Program lands.
- Boundaries: Wisconsin DNR deer management units. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from the DNR and the federal sources above, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Wisconsin hunting Kenosha County Walworth County Waukesha County Milwaukee County