Vilas County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Vilas County has 256,438 acres of public land open to the public, 39.4% of the county, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (158,510 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 15 DNR properties here covering 152,898 acres, the largest Northern Highland State Forest (145,563 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 122 (802 deer in 2025), DMU 117 (895 deer in 2025), DMU 121 (1,615 deer in 2025) and Lac du Flambeau Reservation.
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 county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVilas CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 651,401 acres (1,018 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 39.4% (256,438 acres) |
| Properties | 15 (152,898 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU 122, DMU 117, DMU 121, Lac du Flambeau Reservation, DMU 120, DMU 124, DMU 116 |
| Towns | Eagle River, Lac du Flambeau, Sayner, Boulder Junction, Hurley and Rhinelander |
How much public hunting land is in Vilas County?
256,438 of the county's 651,401 acres are public land open to the public (39.4%). 254,092 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Vilas County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 158,510 | 24.3% |
| National forest | 55,093 | 8.5% |
| County forest | 40,483 | 6.2% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,079 | 0.3% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 267 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 6 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 256,438 | 39.4% |
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 Vilas County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Nicolet National Forest (47,939 acres), Vilas County Forest (40,524 acres), Chequamegon National Forest (7,110 acres), Catherine Wolter Wilderness Area (2,811 acres), Natural Area (1,144 acres) and Guido Rahr, Sr. Tenderfoot Forest Reserve (960 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Vilas County?
15, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Highland State Forest | 145,563 | |
| Powell Marsh Wildlife Area | 4,241 | deer and ducks and geese |
| Forest Legacy Program | 1,231 | |
| Dunn Lake State Natural Area | 585 | |
| Spruce Grouse Swamp State Natural Area | 392 | |
| American Legion State Forest | 207 | |
| Tamarack Rearing Station | 170 | |
| Spring Lake State Habitat Area | 122 | |
| Upper Buckatabon Springs State Natural Area | 120 | |
| Patterson Hemlocks State Natural Area | 117 | |
| Lac Vieux Desert State Public Access | 67 | |
| Mary Lake State Natural Area | 51 | |
| Stateline Lake State Public Access | 16 | |
| Big Sand Lake Vilas State Public Access | 11 | |
| Oxbow Lake State Public Access | 5 |
How many deer are taken in Vilas County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Vilas 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 122 | 38.4% | 802 | 2025 |
| DMU 117 | 24.5% | 895 | 2025 |
| DMU 121 | 21.9% | 1,615 | 2025 |
| Lac du Flambeau Reservation | 10.9% | ||
| DMU 120 | 3.2% | 1,155 | 2025 |
| DMU 124 | 0.7% | 1,226 | 2025 |
| DMU 116 | 0.2% | 1,218 | 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 Vilas County?
Highways: WI 70 (about 49 miles in the county), US 51 (about 34 miles in the county), US 45 (about 33 miles in the county), WI 47 (about 29 miles in the county) and WI 32 (about 25 miles in the county). Towns: Eagle River, Lac du Flambeau, Sayner and Boulder Junction.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Vilas County, Wisconsin?
256,438 acres, 39.4% 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 (158,510 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Vilas County?
Northern Highland State Forest, with 145,563 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Vilas County?
DMU 122 (38.4%), DMU 117 (24.5%), DMU 121 (21.9%), Lac du Flambeau Reservation (10.9%), DMU 120 (3.2%), DMU 124 (0.7%) and DMU 116 (0.2%).
Does Vilas 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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