Waupaca County, Wisconsin: deer harvest and public hunting land
Waupaca County is its own deer management unit, 765 square miles around Waupaca. Hunters registered 10,740 deer here in 2025, 5,202 of them bucks, by the DNR's Deer Metrics. That is up 4% from 2024. 2.3% of Waupaca County is public land open to the public, the largest share state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land (10,706 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 landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landVoluntary Public Access landWaupaca CountyNeighboring deer management unitsLakeHighway
| Counties | Waupaca County |
|---|---|
| Size | 489,579 acres (765 square miles) |
| Deer registered, 2025 | 10,740 (5,202 bucks, 5,538 antlerless) |
| Yearly average, 2016 to 2025 | 10,491 deer |
| Public land | 2.3% (11,340 acres) |
| Properties | 20 (8,319 acres inside Waupaca County) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | 3 sites, 806 acres |
| Towns in and near it | Waupaca, New London, Clintonville, Bear Creek, Amherst and Nelsonville |
How many deer are harvested in Waupaca County?
The DNR registered 10,740 deer in Waupaca County in 2025: 5,202 bucks and 5,538 antlerless deer, 52% of the harvest antlerless. Over the 10 years shown, the harvest averaged 10,491 deer a year; the most bucks were registered in 2025 (5,202).
| Year | Deer registered | Bucks | Antlerless | Antlerless share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10,740 | 5,202 | 5,538 | 52% |
| 2024 | 10,349 | 5,192 | 5,157 | 50% |
| 2023 | 9,097 | 4,315 | 4,782 | 53% |
| 2022 | 10,370 | 4,556 | 5,814 | 56% |
| 2021 | 9,347 | 4,454 | 4,893 | 52% |
| 2020 | 10,315 | 4,466 | 5,849 | 57% |
| 2019 | 9,153 | 3,960 | 5,193 | 57% |
| 2018 | 11,079 | 4,429 | 6,650 | 60% |
| 2017 | 11,386 | 4,731 | 6,655 | 58% |
| 2016 | 13,075 | 5,183 | 7,892 | 60% |
Source: Wisconsin DNR Deer Metrics, harvest history for Waupaca 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 Waupaca County?
11,340 of Waupaca County's 489,579 acres are public land open to the public (2.3%). The biggest share is state wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land: 10,706 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Waupaca County |
|---|---|---|
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 10,706 | 2.2% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 607 | 0.1% |
| State parks | 15 | under 0.1% |
| Other federal land | 9 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 3 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 11,340 | 2.3% |
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 Waupaca County
DNR properties in Waupaca County, largest first, with the acres of each inside it:
- Mukwa Wildlife Area: 1,338 acres
- Radley Creek Fishery Area: 1,151 acres
- Navarino Wildlife Area: 1,074 acres
- Hartman Creek State Park: 1,040 acres
- Little Wolf River Fishery Area: 1,040 acres
- Lower Wolf River Bottomlands Natural Resource Area: 696 acres
- Skunk And Foster Lakes State Natural Area: 265 acres
- Wolf River Fishery Area: 205 acres
- Deer Creek Wildlife Area: 194 acres
- Tomorrow River State Trail: 189 acres
- Emmons Creek Fishery Area: 187 acres
- Myklebust Lake State Natural Area: 171 acres
- Trout-Nace Creek Fishery Area: 169 acres
- Little Wolf River State Natural Area: 162 acres
- Mud Lake Bog State Natural Area: 155 acres
- Waupaca River Fishery Area: 79 acres
- Wolf River Bottoms Wildlife Area: 73 acres
- State Ice Age Trail Area (SIATA): 60 acres
- Tellock's Hill Woods State Natural Area: 52 acres
- Wiouwash State Trail: 19 acres
Other large public areas here, by PAD-US: Natural Area (473 acres).
Voluntary Public Access land in Waupaca County
The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 3 properties in Waupaca County, 806 acres of private land open to the public; all of them are spring-turkey-only Turkey Hunter Access land. No landowner permission is needed. DNR VPA program.
How do you get to Waupaca County?
Highways through it: WI 49 (about 56 miles inside), WI 22 (about 55 miles inside), US 10 (about 52 miles inside), WI 110 (about 44 miles inside) and US 45 (about 34 miles inside). Towns inside: Waupaca, New London, Clintonville, Marion, Iola and Manawa. Nearby: Bear Creek (on the line), Amherst (3 miles), Nelsonville (4 miles) and Rosholt (4 miles).
Which deer management units border Waupaca County?
Waupaca County touches 6 other deer management units. Their latest DNR harvest and public land, for comparison:
| DMU | Deer harvested | Year | Public land | Voluntary Public Access land sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County | 8,384 | 2025 | 7.6% | |
| Shawano County | 9,880 | 2025 | 2.8% | 1 |
| Marathon County | 12,041 | 2025 | 6.6% | 8 |
| Waushara County | 8,678 | 2025 | 4.9% | 1 |
| Outagamie County | 4,322 | 2025 | 3.5% | 3 |
| Winnebago County | 2,895 | 2025 | 5.1% | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were harvested in Waupaca County in 2025?
10,740 deer were registered: 5,202 bucks and 5,538 antlerless deer (DNR Deer Metrics). In 2024: 10,349.
Is there public hunting land in Waupaca County?
Yes. 11,340 acres, 2.3% 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 (10,706 acres). The DNR's map shows 20 DNR properties open to hunting here.
Does Waupaca County have VPA land?
Yes. The DNR's 2026 lease map shows 3 properties, 806 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 Portage County Shawano County Marathon County Waushara County Outagamie County Winnebago County