Sawyer County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Sawyer County has 376,026 acres of public land open to the public, 43.5% of the county, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (129,261 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 43 DNR properties here covering 128,819 acres, the largest Flambeau River State Forest (65,250 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 113 (1,776 deer in 2025), DMU 111 (1,366 deer in 2025), DMU 112 (1,398 deer in 2025) and DMU 109 (2,681 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 forestNational park landLand trusts and other open landSawyer CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 864,595 acres (1,351 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 43.5% (376,026 acres) |
| Properties | 43 (128,819 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU 113, DMU 111, DMU 112, DMU 109, Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation, DMU 107, DMU 115 |
| Towns | Hayward, Exeland, Couderay, Winter, Birchwood and Kennan |
How much public hunting land is in Sawyer County?
376,026 of the county's 864,595 acres are public land open to the public (43.5%). 371,988 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Sawyer County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 129,261 | 15% |
| National forest | 126,870 | 14.7% |
| County forest | 115,840 | 13.4% |
| National park land | 2,549 | 0.3% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,395 | 0.2% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 52 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 42 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 17 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 376,026 | 43.5% |
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 Sawyer County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Chequamegon National Forest (126,935 acres), Sawyer County Forest (115,718 acres), Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (2,566 acres) and St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (743 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Sawyer County?
43, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Flambeau River State Forest | 65,250 | |
| Lake of the Pines Conservation Easement | 20,835 | |
| Chippewa Flowage Conservation Easement | 17,902 | |
| Chippewa Flowage | 14,069 | |
| Totogatic Wildlife Area | 2,229 | |
| Weirgor Springs Wildlife Area | 1,957 | deer, ruffed grouse, bear and rabbits and squirrels |
| Chief River Wildlife Area | 1,188 | deer and ruffed grouse |
| Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area | 923 | |
| Tuscobia State Trail | 650 | |
| Grindstone Creek Fishery Area | 410 | |
| Lake Helane State Natural Area | 391 | |
| Hungry Ham Lakes Woods Conservation Easement | 311 | |
| Benson Creek Fishery Area | 306 | deer, wild turkey and small game |
| Eddy Creek Fishery Area | 282 | |
| Beverly Lake Fishery Area | 275 | |
| Mosquito Brook State Habitat Area | 226 | |
| Flat Creek Wildlife Area | 216 | |
| McDermott Brook Fishery Area | 154 | |
| Hayward Nursery | 135 | |
| Hauer Springs State Habitat Area | 130 | |
| Uhrenholdt Mem Timber Demo Forest | 123 | |
| Big Island on Nelson State Habitat Area | 104 | |
| Whitefish Lake State Habitat Area | 96 | |
| Mud Callahan State Habitat Area | 94 | |
| Dead Creek Springs Fishery Area | 84 | |
| Bean Brook Fishery Area | 79 | |
| Musky Bay State Habitat Area | 72 | |
| Little Weirgor Creek State Habitat Area | 51 | |
| Stress Springs State Spring Ponds | 45 | |
| Town of Spider Lake State Habitat Area | 42 | |
| Chippewa River Conservation Easement Area | 39 | |
| Little Weirgor Creek Brook Trout Reserves Easement Area | 38 | |
| Teal Lake - Knox Island | 20 | |
| Teal Lake - Paradise Island | 16 | |
| Teal Lake - Raspberry Island | 14 | |
| Namekagon River Fishery Area | 12 | |
| Clear Lake - Butternut Island | 10 | |
| Silvernail Wildlife Area | 8 | deer, ruffed grouse, bear and small game |
| Hayward Station | 8 | |
| Lac Courte Oreilles State Public Access | 7 | |
| Winter Station | 6 | |
| Grindstone Lake State Public Access | 6 | |
| Grindstone Lake - Observation Island | 6 |
How many deer are taken in Sawyer County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Sawyer County is split among 7 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 113 | 26.5% | 1,776 | 2025 |
| DMU 111 | 24.4% | 1,366 | 2025 |
| DMU 112 | 23.2% | 1,398 | 2025 |
| DMU 109 | 11.7% | 2,681 | 2025 |
| Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation | 9.2% | ||
| DMU 107 | 4.6% | 2,406 | 2025 |
| DMU 115 | 0.4% | 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 Sawyer County?
Highways: WI 27 (about 56 miles in the county), WI 70 (about 51 miles in the county), WI 77 (about 37 miles in the county), US 63 (about 18 miles in the county) and WI 48 (about 17 miles in the county). Towns: Hayward, Exeland, Couderay, Winter, Radisson, Reserve, Chief Lake and New Post.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Sawyer County, Wisconsin?
376,026 acres, 43.5% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (129,261 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Sawyer County?
Flambeau River State Forest, with 65,250 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Sawyer County?
DMU 113 (26.5%), DMU 111 (24.4%), DMU 112 (23.2%), DMU 109 (11.7%), Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation (9.2%), DMU 107 (4.6%) and DMU 115 (0.4%).
Does Sawyer County have VPA land?
Not 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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