Wisconsin — where you can actually hunt
Wisconsin sells tags over the counter — there's no draw. So the question is where: which counties have public land you can walk onto and hunt. And “public land” isn't one thing — a national park or a refuge is closed or permit-only, so we count only what's truly open, and show the rest honestly. Pick your species below.
What “huntable” means here
National forest, BLM, and state game lands / WMAs are open to hunting (state wildlife-agency lands are managed forit); state forests generally are. National & state parks and military land are closed; wildlife refuges are permit-only — those are excluded from the number.
By huntable public land
Most huntable counties first
Ranked by open public land — state game lands / WMAs and national forest are the open categories that push a county up. The mix shows what kind; deer harvest (WDNR reported deer kill) shows where the animals are.
| County | Huntable | Land mix | Deer harvest | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | 53.9% | National Forest 51.5% · County Forest 1.7% · State Game Lands / WMA 0.6% | — | |
| Iron | 50.3% | County Forest 34% · State Game Lands / WMA 16.2% | — | |
| Bayfield | 48.2% | National Forest 28.2% · County Forest 17.3% · State Game Lands / WMA 2.7% | — | |
| Florence | 44.1% | National Forest 26.9% · County Forest 11.2% · State Game Lands / WMA 5.9% | — | |
| Douglas | 39.1% | County Forest 32.1% · State Game Lands / WMA 7% | — | |
| Vilas | 38.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 23.6% · National Forest 8.5% · County Forest 6.2% | — | |
| Sawyer | 37.7% | National Forest 14.7% · County Forest 13.4% · State Game Lands / WMA 9.6% | — | |
| Ashland | 35.1% | National Forest 27% · County Forest 5.9% · State Game Lands / WMA 2.2% | — | |
| Price | 32.2% | National Forest 18.4% · County Forest 11.4% · State Game Lands / WMA 2.4% | — | |
| Langlade | 31.7% | County Forest 23% · National Forest 5.8% · State Game Lands / WMA 3% | 2,007 | |
| Jackson | 31% | County Forest 19% · State Game Lands / WMA 12% | 4,911 | |
| Oconto | 29.4% | National Forest 21.7% · County Forest 6.7% · State Game Lands / WMA 1.1% | 7,277 | |
| Marinette | 29% | County Forest 25% · State Game Lands / WMA 4% | 7,552 | |
| Washburn | 28.9% | County Forest 27.1% · State Game Lands / WMA 1.8% | 1,418 | |
| Oneida | 24.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 13.1% · County Forest 10.4% · National Forest 1.4% | — | |
| Taylor | 24% | National Forest 19.7% · County Forest 2.8% · State Game Lands / WMA 1.5% | 2,710 | |
| Lincoln | 19.5% | County Forest 17.3% · State Game Lands / WMA 2.1% | 1,426 | |
| Rusk | 17.9% | County Forest 14.8% · State Game Lands / WMA 3.1% | — | |
| Clark | 16.9% | County Forest 16.9% | 8,849 | |
| Burnett | 13.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 13.2% | 2,861 | |
| Eau Claire | 13.3% | County Forest 12.4% · State Game Lands / WMA 0.9% | 3,672 | |
| Wood | 10.4% | County Forest 7.3% · State Game Lands / WMA 3.1% | 5,416 | |
| Green Lake | 7.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 7.8% | 4,589 | |
| Chippewa | 6.8% | County Forest 5% · State Game Lands / WMA 1.9% | 6,315 | |
| Sheboygan | 6.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 6.6% | 3,562 | |
| Polk | 6.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 4% · County Forest 2.7% | 8,091 | |
| Milwaukee | 6.7% | County Forest 6.4% | 206 | |
| Portage | 6.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 6.6% | 8,384 | |
| Jefferson | 6.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 6% | 3,843 | |
| Waukesha | 6.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 5.6% · County Forest 0.6% | 3,320 | |
| Marathon | 6% | County Forest 3.2% · State Game Lands / WMA 2.9% | 12,041 | |
| Juneau | 5.6% | County Forest 3.3% · State Game Lands / WMA 2.3% | 4,295 | |
| Sauk | 5.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 5.4% | 6,025 | |
| Fond du Lac | 5.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 5.3% | 4,642 | |
| Kenosha | 5.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.3% · County Forest 0.8% | 510 | |
| Washington | 4.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.7% | 3,731 | |
| Waushara | 4.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.8% | 8,678 | |
| Door | 4.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.7% | 4,302 | |
| Calumet | 4.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.7% | 1,481 | |
| Columbia | 4.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.4% | 7,189 | |
| Walworth | 4.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.3% | 2,132 | |
| Iowa | 4.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.4% | 2,948 | |
| Adams | 4.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.2% | 6,148 | |
| Dodge | 4.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.2% | 5,477 | |
| Marquette | 4.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.2% | 7,790 | |
| Crawford | 4% | State Game Lands / WMA 4% | 5,420 | |
| Barron | 4% | County Forest 2.8% · State Game Lands / WMA 1.2% | 6,376 | |
| Dane | 3.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.8% · County Forest 1% | 4,438 | |
| Pepin | 3.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.5% | 2,215 | |
| Winnebago | 3.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.2% | 2,895 | |
| Buffalo | 3.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.2% | 5,806 | |
| Dunn | 3.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.1% | 9,118 | |
| Outagamie | 2.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.8% | 4,322 | |
| La Crosse | 2.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.4% | 4,515 | |
| Shawano | 2.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.7% | 9,880 | |
| Grant | 2.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.5% | 5,741 | |
| Racine | 2.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.9% · County Forest 0.6% | 768 | |
| Manitowoc | 2.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.5% | 4,513 | |
| Ozaukee | 2.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 2% · County Forest 0.5% | 1,284 | |
| St. Croix | 2.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.4% | 4,858 | |
| Rock | 2.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.1% | 2,667 | |
| Richland | 2.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.2% | 4,744 | |
| Monroe | 2.2% | County Forest 1.3% · State Game Lands / WMA 0.9% | 8,137 | |
| Waupaca | 2% | State Game Lands / WMA 2% | 10,740 | |
| Kewaunee | 1.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.5% | 3,110 | |
| Trempealeau | 1.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.4% | 7,151 | |
| Lafayette | 1.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.4% | 2,042 | |
| Green | 1.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.4% | 2,562 | |
| Vernon | 1.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.1% | 9,561 | |
| Pierce | 1.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.3% | 4,366 | |
| Brown | 1.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.9% | 3,627 | |
| Menominee | 0% | — | — |
huntablePct = state WMAs + national forest + county forest (open to hunting by law) as a share of the county (WDNR GIS + PAD-US, EPSG:5070); deer = WDNR reported deer harvest by county. National & state parks, military land, and permit-only refuges are computed but shown as the “mix,” not counted huntable; confirm the specific tract with the state agency.