Washburn County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Washburn County has 173,488 acres of public land open to the public, 31.8% of the county, the largest share county forest (148,054 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 28 DNR properties here covering 18,114 acres, the largest Brule St Croix Legacy Forest (8,488 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU 109 (2,681 deer in 2025), DMU 108 (3,490 deer in 2025), DMU 107 (2,406 deer in 2025) and DMU Washburn (1,418 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 forestState parksNational park landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landWashburn CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 546,139 acres (853 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 31.8% (173,488 acres) |
| Properties | 28 (18,114 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU 109, DMU 108, DMU 107, DMU Washburn |
| Towns | Shell Lake, Spooner, Minong, Birchwood, Haugen and Hayward |
How much public hunting land is in Washburn County?
173,488 of the county's 546,139 acres are public land open to the public (31.8%). 166,858 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Washburn County |
|---|---|---|
| County forest | 148,054 | 27.1% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 18,804 | 3.4% |
| National park land | 4,497 | 0.8% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 2,053 | 0.4% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 51 | under 0.1% |
| State parks | 29 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 173,488 | 31.8% |
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 Washburn County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Washburn County Forest (148,082 acres), Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (4,618 acres), St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (1,388 acres), Hunt Hill Sanctuary (409 acres) and Natural Area (279 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Washburn County?
28, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Brule St Croix Legacy Forest | 8,488 | deer, ruffed grouse and woodcock |
| Totogatic Wild River | 2,249 | |
| Beaver Brook Wildlife Area | 1,920 | |
| Bean Brook Fishery Area | 1,581 | |
| Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area | 836 | wild turkey and ruffed grouse |
| Sawyer Creek Fishery Area | 727 | |
| Wild Rivers State Trail | 438 | |
| Totogatic Wildlife Area | 434 | |
| McKenzie Creek Fishery Area | 230 | |
| Whalen Creek Fishery Area | 189 | |
| Totagatic Highlands Hemlocks State Natural Area | 160 | |
| Flat Creek Wildlife Area | 154 | |
| Lampson Moraine Pines State Natural Area | 120 | |
| Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Hatchery | 118 | |
| Namekagon River State Habitat Area | 114 | |
| Spooner Lake State Habitat Area | 84 | |
| Tuscobia State Trail | 53 | |
| Lake Nancy - Island No 1 | 43 | |
| Namekagon River - Trails End Rd SPA | 33 | |
| Tozer State Spring Ponds | 32 | |
| Beartrack Lake State Public Access | 26 | |
| Shell Creek Fishery Area | 24 | |
| Spider Lake Chain - Island No. 19 | 13 | |
| Minong Station | 13 | |
| Namekagon River - Trego Lake SPA | 10 | |
| Kissick Swamp Wildlife Area | 10 | |
| Totogatic River Conservation Easement Area | 10 | |
| Spider Lake Chain - Island No. 18 | 5 |
How many deer are taken in Washburn County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Washburn County is split among 4 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 109 | 49.3% | 2,681 | 2025 |
| DMU 108 | 18.3% | 3,490 | 2025 |
| DMU 107 | 17.2% | 2,406 | 2025 |
| DMU Washburn | 15.2% | 1,418 | 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 Washburn County?
Highways: US 53 (about 76 miles in the county), US 63 (about 41 miles in the county), WI 77 (about 29 miles in the county), WI 70 (about 25 miles in the county) and WI 253 (about 8 miles in the county). Towns: Shell Lake, Spooner, Minong, Birchwood, Trego, Stone Lake and Springbrook.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Washburn County, Wisconsin?
173,488 acres, 31.8% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is county forest (148,054 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Washburn County?
Brule St Croix Legacy Forest, with 8,488 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Washburn County?
DMU 109 (49.3%), DMU 108 (18.3%), DMU 107 (17.2%) and DMU Washburn (15.2%).
Does Washburn 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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