Wisconsin Public Deer Hunting

[btupy]

My girlfriends parents are in the process of buying a cabin between Grantsburg and Siren Wi.

I've always wanted to start some sort of "Deer Camp" so I've been thinking this might be my opportunity. The cabin doesn't have any land to hunt on so I am wondering how the public deer hunting is in Wisconsin in that area? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

 

[rkhinrichs]

Get the OnXmap app for your smart phone if you don't all ready have it. Great tool! I have no intell on land! Good luck!!!

[minky]

A fair amount of public land around Danbuary and along the St Croix river.

[MJ1657]

I hunt in that area on private ground. Just to the east of me is some public ground called Amsterdam Sloughs. I've never hunted on it but I don't see alot of vehicles parked on the west side during deer hunting. 

[btupy]

1 hour ago, MJ1657 said:

I hunt in that area on private ground. Just to the east of me is some public ground called Amsterdam Sloughs. I've never hunted on it but I don't see alot of vehicles parked on the west side during deer hunting. 

How are the deer numbers in that area? I don't trophy hunt so I'm not looking for any monsters, but a few deer to pick from would be nice. I'm used to hunting in the south metro where the bucks don't have a chance to become bigger than a small 6-pointer.

[MJ1657]

49 minutes ago, btupy said:

How are the deer numbers in that area? I don't trophy hunt so I'm not looking for any monsters, but a few deer to pick from would be nice. I'm used to hunting in the south metro where the bucks don't have a chance to become bigger than a small 6-pointer.

Deer numbers are real good. We saw a few bucks last year in stand. Lots of does and fawns. I settled on a nice mature doe last year. 

We hunt MN as well and had meat in the freezer so we are selective.

[Cheetah]

Deer numbers on PUBLIC land in NW WI are very low.  Private land seems to be the opposite.  I hunt a number of public areas in Polk County for the last ~10 years or so.   You have to work pretty hard to shoot a deer there.  MFL land is also heavily hunted, but there are lots of opportunities.   Once you learn an area you might do alright, but it is tough if you are new to the region.   Don't expect to get permission to hunt on any farms, in my experience they are all tied up for friends/family.

[DonBo]

Tons of public land up that way, especially towards the St Croix River. Years of limitless bonus tags in area really took a toll on numbers, but the last few years have been bucks only and the numbers are coming back. Don't expect big bucks but a few are taken every year. FWIW, I love hunting up in that area.