Rusk County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Rusk County has 107,507 acres of public land open to the public, 18% of the county, the largest share county forest (88,208 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 16 DNR properties here covering 18,748 acres, the largest Flambeau River State Forest (15,254 acres in the county). The DNR's lease programs add 1 private property open to the public, 158 acres in all. Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 110 (3,544 deer in 2025), DMU 109 (2,681 deer in 2025), DMU 112 (1,398 deer in 2025) and DMU 111 (1,366 deer in 2025).
Data updated October 2026. Land: PAD-US 4.1. DNR properties and Voluntary Public Access land: the DNR's map layers, read 2026-10. Harvest: DNR Deer Metrics.
State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR landCounty forestNational forestOther federal landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landRusk CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 595,625 acres (931 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 18% (107,507 acres) |
| Properties | 16 (18,748 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 1 site, 158 acres |
| Deer management units | DMU 110, DMU 109, DMU 112, DMU 111, DMU 115 |
| Towns | Ladysmith, Bruce, Hawkins, Tony, Birchwood and Exeland |
How much public hunting land is in Rusk County?
107,507 of the county's 595,625 acres are public land open to the public (18%). 107,163 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Rusk County |
|---|---|---|
| County forest | 88,208 | 14.8% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 18,799 | 3.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 184 | under 0.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 160 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 156 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 107,507 | 18% |
Measured by FilledTag inside the county line from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). 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.
The largest public areas in Rusk County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Rusk County Forest (88,202 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Rusk County?
16, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Flambeau River State Forest | 15,254 | |
| Silvernail Wildlife Area | 1,040 | deer, ruffed grouse, bear and small game |
| Potato Creek Wildlife Area | 942 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, bear and small game |
| Washington Creek Wildlife Area | 517 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse, bear and small game |
| Ten Mile Creek Wildlife Area | 407 | |
| Big Weirgor Creek State Habitat Area | 115 | |
| South Fork Main Creek State Habitat Area | 110 | |
| Fish Lake State Habitat Area | 95 | |
| Devil's Creek Conservation Easement Area | 68 | |
| South Fork Main Creek Conservation Easement Area | 56 | |
| Hawkins Hemlock Hardwoods Forest State Natural Area | 40 | |
| Island Lake Wildlife Area | 39 | |
| Clear Lake State Public Access | 30 | |
| Chippewa River State Public Access | 22 | |
| Jump River Conservation Easement Area | 7 | |
| Big Weirgor Creek Conservation Easement Area | 6 |
Where is the Voluntary Public Access land in Rusk County?
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 1 property in Rusk County, 158 acres of private land open to the public. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
| Site | Acres | Location |
|---|---|---|
| VPA property V448 | 158 | 45.4607, -91.0225 |
Locations are the middle of each property, from the DNR's 2026 lease layer. Each property's DNR map shows its boundary and parking; THAP properties are open March 1 to May 29 for spring turkey only.
How many deer are taken in Rusk County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Rusk County is split among 5 deer management units that do not follow the county line, so there is no county total. The DNR has one year of numbers for the redrawn units so far. Each figure is for the whole unit.
| DMU | Share of the county | Deer harvested in the whole DMU | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMU 110 | 40.2% | 3,544 | 2025 |
| DMU 109 | 21.2% | 2,681 | 2025 |
| DMU 112 | 16.3% | 1,398 | 2025 |
| DMU 111 | 13.5% | 1,366 | 2025 |
| DMU 115 | 8.7% | 3,013 | 2025 |
Harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit). Share of the county measured by FilledTag from the DNR's deer management units and the Census county line.
How do you get around Rusk County?
Highways: US 8 (about 45 miles in the county), WI 40 (about 28 miles in the county), WI 27 (about 24 miles in the county), WI 194 (about 10 miles in the county) and WI 73 (about 9 miles in the county). Towns: Ladysmith, Bruce, Hawkins, Tony, Ingram, Weyerhaeuser, Sheldon and Glen Flora.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Rusk County, Wisconsin?
107,507 acres, 18% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is county forest (88,208 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Rusk County?
Flambeau River State Forest, with 15,254 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Rusk County?
DMU 110 (40.2%), DMU 109 (21.2%), DMU 112 (16.3%), DMU 111 (13.5%) and DMU 115 (8.7%).
Does Rusk County have VPA land?
Yes. 1 property, 158 acres, on the DNR's 2026 lease map.
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Where these numbers come from
- 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.
- Deer harvest: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics (registered harvest by deer management unit).
- County line: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads.
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.
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