Sauk County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Sauk County is its own deer management unit, 849 square miles around Lake Delton. Hunters registered 6,025 deer here in 2025, 2,846 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 5% from 2024. 7.9% of Sauk County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (31,061 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 landCounty forestNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landState parksOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landSauk CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Sauk County |
|---|---|
| Size | 543,060 acres (849 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 6,025 (2,846 bucks, 3,179 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 6,693 deer |
| Public land | 7.9% (42,826 acres) |
| Properties | 23 (29,118 acres inside Sauk County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 1 site, 1,341 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Lake Delton, Baraboo, Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells, Lone Rock and Cazenovia |
How many deer are harvested in Sauk County?
The DNR registered 6,025 deer in Sauk County in 2025: 2,846 bucks and 3,179 antlerless deer, 53% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 6,693 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2018 (3,517).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,025 | 2,846 | 3,179 | 53% |
| 2024 | 5,739 | 2,933 | 2,806 | 49% |
| 2023 | 6,262 | 3,017 | 3,245 | 52% |
| 2022 | 6,810 | 3,100 | 3,710 | 54% |
| 2021 | 6,115 | 2,918 | 3,197 | 52% |
| 2020 | 7,634 | 3,360 | 4,274 | 56% |
| 2019 | 6,572 | 2,942 | 3,630 | 55% |
| 2018 | 7,610 | 3,517 | 4,093 | 54% |
| 2017 | 6,396 | 2,946 | 3,450 | 54% |
| 2016 | 7,764 | 3,397 | 4,367 | 56% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Sauk 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 Sauk County?
42,826 of Sauk County's 543,060 acres are public land open to the public (7.9%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 31,061 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Sauk County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 31,061 | 5.7% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 10,708 | 2% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 545 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 239 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 177 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 96 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 42,826 | 7.9% |
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 Sauk County
DNR properties in Sauk County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Devil's Lake State Park: 9,796 acres
- Lower Wisconsin State Riverway: 5,304 acres
- Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area: 3,375 acres
- Dell Creek Wildlife Area: 2,537 acres
- Mirror Lake State Park: 2,152 acres
- Pine Island Wildlife Area: 1,388 acres
- Baraboo Hills State Recreation Area: 1,111 acres
- Bear Creek Fishery Area: 547 acres
- Natural Bridge State Park: 527 acres
- Hulburt Creek Fishery Area: 524 acres
- Parfreys Glen State Natural Area: 510 acres
- Ferry Bluff State Natural Area: 403 acres
- The 400 State Trail: 251 acres
- Ableman's Gorge State Natural Area: 108 acres
- Lower Narrows State Natural Area: 107 acres
- Great Sauk State Trail: 106 acres
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 90 acres
- Rocky Arbor State Park: 85 acres
- Dells Of The Wisconsin River State Natural Area: 79 acres
- McGilvra Woods State Natural Area: 72 acres
- Pewits Nest State Natural Area: 34 acres
- Camels Creek-Dell Creek SBE Area: 6 acres
- Willow Creek Fishery Area: 6 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Baxter'S Hollow (5,904 acres), Spring Green Preserve (1,355 acres), Baraboo Hills Recreation Area (1,103 acres), Hemlock Draw (1,057 acres), Honey Creek (876 acres), Natural Area (620 acres) and Freedom Woods (536 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Sauk County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 1 property in Sauk County, 1,341 acres of private land open to the public. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Sauk County?
Highways through it: WI 23 (about 49 miles inside), US 12 (about 47 miles inside), WI 33 (about 42 miles inside), I-90 (about 31 miles inside) and I-94 (about 31 miles inside). Towns inside: Lake Delton, Baraboo, Reedsburg, Prairie du Sac, Spring Green and Sauk City. Nearby: Wisconsin Dells (on the line), Lone Rock (on the line), Cazenovia (on the line) and Wonewoc (on the line).
Which deer management units border Sauk County?
Sauk County touches 7 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dane County | 4,438 | 2025 | 5.7% | 7 |
| Iowa County | 2,948 | 2025 | 5% | 3 |
| Adams County | 6,148 | 2025 | 8.1% | |
| DMU Juneau | 4,295 | 2025 | 5.3% | 2 |
| Vernon County | 9,561 | 2025 | 2.8% | 3 |
| Columbia County | 7,189 | 2025 | 5.5% | 4 |
| Richland County | 4,744 | 2025 | 3.3% | 9 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Sauk County in 2025?
6,025 deer were registered: 2,846 bucks and 3,179 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 5,739.
Is there public hunting land in Sauk County?
Yes. 42,826 acres, 7.9% 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 (31,061 acres). The DNR's map shows 23 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Sauk County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 1 property, 1,341 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 Dane County Iowa County Adams County Vernon County Columbia County Richland County