Sheboygan County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Sheboygan County is its own deer management unit, 518 square miles around Sheboygan. Hunters registered 3,562 deer here in 2025, 1,684 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 1% from 2024. 7.9% of Sheboygan County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (22,467 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 landNational wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landSheboygan CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Sheboygan County |
|---|---|
| Size | 331,311 acres (518 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 3,562 (1,684 bucks, 1,878 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 3,243 deer |
| Public land | 7.9% (26,222 acres) |
| Properties | 16 (21,234 acres inside Sheboygan County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 5 sites, 270 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Sheboygan, Sheboygan Falls, Plymouth, St. Cloud, Kiel and Cleveland |
How many deer are harvested in Sheboygan County?
The DNR registered 3,562 deer in Sheboygan County in 2025: 1,684 bucks and 1,878 antlerless deer, 53% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 3,243 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2025 (1,684).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,562 | 1,684 | 1,878 | 53% |
| 2024 | 3,536 | 1,664 | 1,872 | 53% |
| 2023 | 3,251 | 1,617 | 1,634 | 50% |
| 2022 | 3,418 | 1,489 | 1,929 | 56% |
| 2021 | 2,929 | 1,379 | 1,550 | 53% |
| 2020 | 3,499 | 1,508 | 1,991 | 57% |
| 2019 | 3,061 | 1,263 | 1,798 | 59% |
| 2018 | 3,158 | 1,455 | 1,703 | 54% |
| 2017 | 2,885 | 1,417 | 1,468 | 51% |
| 2016 | 3,126 | 1,389 | 1,737 | 56% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Sheboygan 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 Sheboygan County?
26,222 of Sheboygan County's 331,311 acres are public land open to the public (7.9%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 22,467 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Sheboygan County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 22,467 | 6.8% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,021 | 0.6% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 991 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 727 | 0.2% |
| State parks | 10 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 4 | under 0.1% |
| County forest | 2 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 26,222 | 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 Sheboygan County
DNR properties in Sheboygan County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit: 16,290 acres
- Onion River Streambank Protection Area: 1,017 acres
- Sheboygan Marsh Wildlife Area: 864 acres
- John Michael Kohler State Park: 771 acres
- Nichols Creek Wildlife Area: 660 acres
- N Branch Milwaukee River WA and FHA: 423 acres
- La Budde Creek Fishery Area: 392 acres
- Kiel Marsh Wildlife Area: 296 acres
- Terry Andrae State Park: 200 acres
- Muehl Springs State Natural Area: 72 acres
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 70 acres
- Rhine Center Bog State Natural Area: 53 acres
- Schuet Creek Fishery Area: 45 acres
- Lake Ellen Public Access: 40 acres
- Bahr Creek Habitat Preservation: 34 acres
- Plymouth Field Station: 7 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Sheboygan County Waterfowl Production Area (727 acres), Blackwolf Run (596 acres) and Extensive Wl Habitat - Public Hunting Ground (562 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Sheboygan County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 5 properties in Sheboygan County, 270 acres of private land open to the public; one of them is spring-turkey-only Turkey Hunter Access land. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Sheboygan County?
Highways through it: I-43 (about 50 miles inside), WI 23 (about 38 miles inside), WI 32 (about 32 miles inside), WI 57 (about 28 miles inside) and WI 28 (about 25 miles inside). Towns inside: Sheboygan, Sheboygan Falls, Plymouth, Kohler, Cedar Grove and Howards Grove. Nearby: St. Cloud (on the line), Kiel (2 miles), Cleveland (2 miles) and Belgium (3 miles).
Which deer management units border Sheboygan County?
Sheboygan County touches 5 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calumet County | 1,481 | 2025 | 5.1% | 2 |
| Ozaukee County | 1,284 | 2025 | 5.4% | |
| Manitowoc County | 4,513 | 2025 | 2.9% | 2 |
| Washington County | 3,731 | 2025 | 5.7% | 7 |
| Fond du Lac County | 4,642 | 2025 | 6.7% | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Sheboygan County in 2025?
3,562 deer were registered: 1,684 bucks and 1,878 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 3,536.
Is there public hunting land in Sheboygan County?
Yes. 26,222 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 (22,467 acres). The DNR's map shows 16 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Sheboygan County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 5 properties, 270 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 Calumet County Ozaukee County Manitowoc County Washington County Fond du Lac County