Wood County, Wisconsin: public hunting land
Wood County has 75,174 acres of public land open to the public, 14.5% of the county, the largest share county forest (36,856 acres), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public). The DNR's map shows 10 DNR properties here covering 36,775 acres, the largest Wood County Wildlife Area (19,259 acres in the county). Deer here are counted by deer management unit: DMU Wood (5,416 deer in 2025) and DMU 204 (598 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 wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areasOther federal landOther county, city and regional landLand trusts and other open landWood CountyNeighboring countiesLakeHighway
| Size | 518,025 acres (809 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Public land | 14.5% (75,174 acres) |
| Properties | 10 (36,775 acres) |
| Voluntary Public Access land | None mapped this year |
| Deer management units | DMU Wood, DMU 204 |
| Towns | Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, Port Edwards, Biron, Junction City and Spencer |
How much public hunting land is in Wood County?
75,174 of the county's 518,025 acres are public land open to the public (14.5%). 73,772 acres of that are state wildlife, state forest or federal land, where hunting is the rule rather than the exception.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Wood County |
|---|---|---|
| County forest | 36,856 | 7.1% |
| State wildlife areas, forests and other DNR land | 36,804 | 7.1% |
| Other county, city and regional land | 1,374 | 0.3% |
| Other federal land | 107 | under 0.1% |
| Land trusts and other open land | 28 | under 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas | 5 | under 0.1% |
| All public land open to the public | 75,174 | 14.5% |
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 Wood County by PAD-US, besides the properties: Wood County Forest (37,524 acres), Necedah Wildlife Management Area (2,337 acres), Conservancy (289 acres) and Wildwood Park & Zoo (170 acres).
Which DNR properties are in Wood County?
10, largest first.
| Property | Acres in the county | DNR lists for hunting |
|---|---|---|
| Wood County Wildlife Area | 19,259 | deer, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse, woodcock and rabbits and squirrels |
| Sandhill Wildlife Area | 9,653 | |
| Mead Wildlife Area | 3,420 | ducks and geese |
| Meadow Valley Wildlife Area | 2,356 | deer, wild turkey, ducks and geese, ruffed grouse and small game |
| Paul Olson Wildlife Area | 1,362 | ducks and geese |
| Ten Mile Creek Streambank Protection Area | 518 | |
| Griffith Nursery | 132 | |
| Wisconsin Rapids Service Center | 40 | |
| Auburndale Transmitter Site | 22 | |
| Saratoga Barrens SNA | 13 |
How many deer are taken in Wood County?
Since the DNR redrew its northern and central forest units in 2025, Wood County is split among 2 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 Wood | 79.9% | 5,416 | 2025 |
| DMU 204 | 20% | 598 | 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 Wood County?
Highways: WI 13 (about 77 miles in the county), WI 54 (about 58 miles in the county), WI 73 (about 54 miles in the county), US 10 (about 43 miles in the county) and WI 80 (about 28 miles in the county). Towns: Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield, Port Edwards, Biron, Nekoosa, Auburndale, Pittsville and Rudolph.
Questions hunters ask
How much public hunting land is in Wood County, Wisconsin?
75,174 acres, 14.5% of the county, are public land open to the public by PAD-US 4.1; the largest share is county forest (36,856 acres).
What is the largest DNR property in Wood County?
Wood County Wildlife Area, with 19,259 acres inside the county.
Which deer management units cover Wood County?
DMU Wood (79.9%) and DMU 204 (20%).
Does Wood 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.