Wisconsin hunting maps: public land, units and season dates
Wisconsin DNR divides Wisconsin into 98 Deer Management Units. Across them, about 9.4% of the land is public: Forest Service 4.2%, state land 4.2%, Fish & Wildlife Service under 1%.
- 98Deer Management Units
- 9.4%public land
- 55,996square miles mapped
- 5general seasons tracked
Units measured Oct 12, 2026 · sources
Who manages Wisconsin’s public land
- U.S. Forest Service4.2%
- National Park Serviceunder 1%
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceunder 1%
- Department of Defenseunder 1%
- State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies)4.2%
Share of the area covered by Wisconsin’s Deer Management Units.
Public land share per unit. Tap a unit to open it.
All 98 Deer Management Units, by public land
Sorted by public land share. Tap a column to re-sort.
| Fort McCoy County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 99% | 93 | Dept. of Defense |
| DMU 104Northern Forest Zone | 99% | 60 | National Park Service |
| DMU 124Northern Forest Zone | 62% | 774 | Forest Service |
| DMU 113Northern Forest Zone | 54% | 1,150 | Forest Service |
| DMU 206Central Forest Zone | 52% | 261 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| DMU 117Northern Forest Zone | 42% | 731 | state land |
| DMU 114Northern Forest Zone | 39% | 437 | Forest Service |
| DMU 126Northern Forest Zone | 36% | 1,345 | Forest Service |
| DMU 122Northern Forest Zone | 34% | 407 | Forest Service |
| DMU 103Northern Forest Zone | 33% | 538 | Forest Service |
| DMU 121Northern Forest Zone | 32% | 592 | state land |
| DMU 116Northern Forest Zone | 32% | 658 | Forest Service |
| DMU 205Central Forest Zone | 25% | 98 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| DMU 112Northern Forest Zone | 24% | 528 | state land |
| DMU 203Central Forest Zone | 23% | 480 | state land |
| DMU 102Superior Metro Sub-unit · Northern Forest Zone | 19% | 915 | state land |
| DMU 105Northern Forest Zone | 17% | 23 | state land |
| DMU 106Northern Forest Zone | 17% | 298 | Forest Service |
| DMU 108Northern Forest Zone | 16% | 760 | state land |
| DMU 204Central Forest Zone | 12% | 162 | state land |
| Red Cliff Reservation County DMUNorthern Forest Zone | 11% | 23 | National Park Service |
| DMU 120Northern Forest Zone | 8.9% | 493 | Forest Service |
| Dodge County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 7.9% | 905 | state land |
| DMU 107Northern Forest Zone | 7.8% | 859 | Forest Service |
| Crawford County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 7.8% | 597 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Green Lake County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 7.7% | 379 | state land |
| Sheboygan County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 6.9% | 516 | state land |
| La Crosse County DMULa Crosse Metro Sub-unit · Central Farmland Zone | 6.7% | 480 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Portage County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 6.7% | 822 | state land |
| Fond du Lac County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 5.7% | 765 | state land |
| Sauk County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 5.6% | 847 | state land |
| DMU 111Northern Forest Zone | 5.5% | 454 | state land |
| DMU 125Northern Forest Zone | 5.5% | 496 | state land |
| Jefferson County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 5.5% | 581 | state land |
| Waukesha County DMUMilwaukee Metro Sub-unit · Southern Farmland Zone | 5.5% | 579 | state land |
| Buffalo County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 5.4% | 708 | state land |
| Columbia County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 5.3% | 794 | state land |
| Door County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 5% | 487 | state land |
| Calumet County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 4.7% | 396 | state land |
| Marquette County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 4.7% | 464 | state land |
| Waushara County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 4.7% | 636 | state land |
| Washington County DMUMilwaukee Metro Sub-unit · Southern Farmland Zone | 4.6% | 436 | state land |
| Iowa County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 4.4% | 766 | state land |
| Adams County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 4.2% | 687 | state land |
| Walworth County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 4.2% | 575 | state land |
| Kenosha County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 4.1% | 278 | state land |
| Polk County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 3.9% | 892 | state land |
| St Croix County DMUHudson Metro Sub-unit · Central Farmland Zone | 3.9% | 736 | state land |
| Washburn County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 3.9% | 129 | state land |
| Marinette County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 3.8% | 734 | state land |
| Winnebago County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 3.8% | 578 | state land |
| DMU 115Northern Forest Zone | 3.7% | 857 | Forest Service |
| DMU 110Northern Forest Zone | 3.6% | 778 | state land |
| Juneau County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 3.6% | 542 | state land |
| DMU 118Northern Forest Zone | 3.5% | 681 | Forest Service |
| Grant County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 3.4% | 1,178 | state land |
| Dunn County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 3.3% | 862 | state land |
| Pepin County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 3.3% | 249 | state land |
| Dane County DMUMadison Metro Sub-unit · Southern Farmland Zone | 3.1% | 1,237 | state land |
| Langlade County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 3.1% | 347 | state land |
| DMU 123Northern Forest Zone | 2.9% | 514 | state land |
| Marathon County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 2.9% | 1,571 | state land |
| Jackson County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 2.8% | 518 | state land |
| Outagamie County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 2.8% | 643 | state land |
| Shawano County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 2.7% | 906 | state land |
| Vernon County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 2.6% | 816 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Burnett County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 2.5% | 228 | state land |
| Manitowoc County DMUMilwaukee Metro Sub-unit · Southern Farmland Zone | 2.5% | 595 | state land |
| Ozaukee County DMUMilwaukee Metro Sub-unit · Southern Farmland Zone | 2.5% | 234 | state land |
| Trempealeau County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 2.5% | 741 | state land |
| DMU 119Northern Forest Zone | 2.2% | 834 | state land |
| Rock County DMURock Metro Sub-unit · Southern Farmland Zone | 2.2% | 725 | state land |
| DMU 201Central Forest Zone | 2.1% | 158 | state land |
| Richland County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 2.1% | 588 | state land |
| Waupaca County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 2% | 763 | state land |
| Racine County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 1.8% | 341 | state land |
| DMU 109Northern Forest Zone | 1.6% | 775 | state land |
| Oconto County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 1.5% | 657 | state land |
| Kewaunee County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 1.4% | 344 | state land |
| Lafayette County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 1.4% | 634 | state land |
| Green County DMUSouthern Farmland Zone | 1.3% | 583 | state land |
| Wood County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 1.3% | 646 | state land |
| Barron County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 1.2% | 888 | state land |
| Bad River Reservation County DMUNorthern Forest Zone | 1.1% | 194 | state land |
| Chippewa County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 1.1% | 734 | state land |
| Monroe County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 1.1% | 715 | state land |
| Pierce County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 1.1% | 591 | state land |
| Brown County DMUGreen Bay Metro Sub-unit · Central Farmland Zone | under 1% | 535 | state land |
| DMU 101Northern Forest Zone | under 1% | 357 | state land |
| Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation County DMUNorthern Forest Zone | under 1% | 124 | state land |
| Eau Claire County DMUEau Claire Metro Sub-unit · Central Farmland Zone | under 1% | 486 | state land |
| Milwaukee County DMUMilwaukee Metro Sub-unit · Southern Farmland Zone | under 1% | 242 | state land |
| DMU 202Central Forest Zone | under 1% | 348 | state land |
| Lac du Flambeau Reservation County DMUNorthern Forest Zone | under 1% | 135 | state land |
| Lincoln County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | under 1% | 199 | state land |
| Taylor County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | under 1% | 268 | state land |
| Clark County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 0% | 867 | — |
| Menominee Reservation County DMUCentral Farmland Zone | 0% | 365 | — |
Wisconsin hunting season dates, 2026
Statewide general seasons from WikiHunt’s season table (updated Sep 2, 2026). Units, zones and draw hunts can differ, so confirm in the Wisconsin regulations.
| Species | Season | 2026 dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery/Crossbow DeerArchery | Sep 12 – Jan 3 | Regular statewide archery/crossbow window. Extended metro-subunit and Farmland Zone counties run through Jan. 31, 2027. Deer license is OTC. |
| Deer | Gun DeerRifle | Nov 21 – Nov 29 | Traditional 9-day gun deer season opening the Saturday before Thanksgiving. OTC license. |
| Deer | Muzzleloader DeerMuzzleloader | Nov 30 – Dec 9 | Muzzleloader opens the day after the 9-day gun season closes. OTC license. |
| Black bear | BearAny legal weapon · draw or permit required | Sep 9 – Oct 13 | Overall 2026 bear window Sept. 9 - Oct. 13, zone-phased. Requires drawn Class A bear license. |
| Turkey | Fall TurkeyAny legal weapon | Sep 12 – Jan 3 | Statewide fall turkey window (all 7 zones open). Zones 1-5 run to Jan. 3, 2027; zones 6-7 close Friday before Thanksgiving. Authorizations OTC — no draw. |
When is the rut in Wisconsin?
White-tailed deer
Southwest (Dane, Iowa, Grant) Study
Oct 23 – Nov 12
Breeding season from DNR study deer, 2017–2020. Buck movement peaked the week of Nov 5–11.
Source: Hunsaker et al., Ecology and Evolution (2025)
Central Study
Nov 8 – Dec 5
Old data (1970s–80s); adult does peaked Nov 15–21.
Source: Clark, UW–Stevens Point thesis (1981)
Northern Wisconsin: no published peak date found.
Questions
How much of Wisconsin is public land?
About 9.4% of the area covered by Wisconsin’s Deer Management Units is federal or state public land in USGS PAD-US 4.1, led by U.S. Forest Service, State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Which Wisconsin units have the most public land?
Fort McCoy County DMU (99%), DMU 104 (99%), DMU 124 (62%). The full table above sorts every unit.
When is deer season in Wisconsin in 2026?
Archery/Crossbow Deer: Sep 12 – Jan 3; Gun Deer: Nov 21 – Nov 29; Muzzleloader Deer: Nov 30 – Dec 9. Unit and zone dates can differ; check the regulations.
Does WikiHunt have property lines for Wisconsin?
Yes. Parcel boundaries for Wisconsin are part of the Single State ($19.99 a year) and All States ($39.99 a year) plans in the app and on the web map.
Sources
- Unit boundaries: Wisconsin DNR.
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1, Fee Managers (public domain), measured per unit on a ~250-cell grid after ~100 m simplification.
- Season dates: WikiHunt’s season table, updated Sep 2, 2026; regulations: dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Hunt/regulations.html.
- Rut dates: each row links to its source (state agency, study or press).