Wisconsin deer research / Columbia County
Columbia County, Wisconsin Deer Hunting Research
Provisional FDR Deer Herd Index 62.8 Provisional, ranked #8 of 61 ranked Wisconsin counties. Built from Wisconsin DNR county registrations, 1960–2025.
B - StrongWhat drives the Columbia County index
Provisional components, each scored 0–100 against the ranked Wisconsin counties. Provisional.
Trophy Index
96↓ out of 100. How this county ranks for trophy bucks against every county we cover. 100 is the top. Ranked per acre of bow-huntable land (10 m estimate).
1960–2025 harvest trend
| Season | Total harvest |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,189 |
| 2024 | 7,176 |
| 2023 | 6,629 |
| 2022 | 6,877 |
| 2021 | 6,167 |
| 2020 | 7,440 |
| 2019 | 6,093 |
| 2018 | 6,705 |
| 2017 | 5,828 |
| 2016 | 6,269 |
| 2015 | 6,359 |
| 2014 | 6,622 |
| 2013 | 6,118 |
| 2012 | 6,514 |
| 2011 | 7,190 |
| 2010 | 8,205 |
| 2009 | 7,977 |
| 2008 | 9,962 |
| 2007 | 10,615 |
| 2006 | 9,678 |
| 2005 | 10,169 |
| 2004 | 12,715 |
| 2003 | 11,948 |
| 2002 | 9,381 |
| 2001 | 9,372 |
| 2000 | 13,245 |
| 1999 | 9,810 |
| 1998 | 8,990 |
| 1997 | 8,428 |
| 1996 | 13,054 |
| 1995 | 10,144 |
| 1994 | 10,235 |
| 1993 | 7,522 |
| 1992 | 6,745 |
| 1991 | 6,379 |
| 1990 | 6,045 |
| 1989 | 5,757 |
| 1988 | 5,830 |
| 1987 | 6,384 |
| 1986 | 7,152 |
| 1985 | 7,067 |
| 1984 | 11,102 |
| 1983 | 7,985 |
| 1982 | 6,229 |
| 1981 | 5,420 |
| 1980 | 4,303 |
| 1979 | 2,668 |
| 1978 | 5,061 |
| 1977 | 5,582 |
| 1976 | 4,506 |
| 1975 | 4,336 |
| 1974 | 3,535 |
| 1973 | 2,629 |
| 1972 | 2,201 |
| 1971 | 2,049 |
| 1970 | 1,786 |
| 1969 | 2,554 |
| 1968 | 2,670 |
| 1967 | 2,935 |
| 1966 | 1,959 |
| 1965 | 1,153 |
| 1964 | 972 |
| 1963 | 641 |
| 1962 | 510 |
| 1961 | 434 |
| 1960 | 264 |
Harvest totals from Wisconsin DNR county registrations, 1960–2025. WDNR reports totals by county and season; archery / firearm splits are not broken out in this dataset.
See full Columbia County harvest charts →
Harvest composition
WDNR reports each deer as antlered or antlerless. In 2025, Columbia County ran 3,299 antlered and 3,890 antlerless deer.
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,299 | 3,890 | 7,189 |
| 2024 | 3,317 | 3,859 | 7,176 |
| 2023 | 3,203 | 3,426 | 6,629 |
| 2022 | 3,219 | 3,658 | 6,877 |
| 2021 | 3,016 | 3,151 | 6,167 |
| 2020 | 3,357 | 4,083 | 7,440 |
| 2019 | 2,995 | 3,098 | 6,093 |
| 2018 | 3,218 | 3,487 | 6,705 |
| 2017 | 2,953 | 2,875 | 5,828 |
| 2016 | 3,112 | 3,157 | 6,269 |
| 2015 | 3,041 | 3,318 | 6,359 |
| 2014 | 3,060 | 3,562 | 6,622 |
| 2013 | 2,656 | 3,462 | 6,118 |
| 2012 | 3,000 | 3,514 | 6,514 |
| 2011 | 3,303 | 3,887 | 7,190 |
| 2010 | 2,530 | 5,675 | 8,205 |
| 2009 | 2,587 | 5,390 | 7,977 |
| 2008 | 2,835 | 7,127 | 9,962 |
WDNR's antlerless category includes does AND button bucks (male fawns); it is not a doe-only count. Table shows the most recent 18 seasons; the full 1960–2025 series (66 years) drives the chart.
See full Columbia County composition charts →
Herd & land detail
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Latest season (2025) | 7,189 deer |
| Harvest per sq mi | 9.39 |
| Antlered harvest | 3,299 |
| Antlerless harvest | 3,890 |
| County land (sq mi) | 765.60 |
Methodology
Provisional index. Provisional index: herd, harvest, trophy (the Trophy Index), and roadway (exposure-normalized deer-vehicle crash rate) components; habitat/age-structure partial where the state does not publish them.. FULLY DRAWN RESEARCH · Wisconsin DNR (WDNR) PROVISIONAL COUNTY DEER INDEX
Informational only. Built from public-record Wisconsin DNR (WDNR) county harvest data, US Census TIGER county land area, the Trophy Index, and exposure-normalized deer-vehicle crash rates where published. Provisional index; some components partial or pending. Not a prediction or guarantee. Verify with the Wisconsin DNR (WDNR).
See Columbia County on the map
Parcels with owner & acreage, public hunting land, leaf-off imagery, and this research, together on one hunting map.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
Is Columbia County, Wisconsin good for deer hunting?
Columbia County scores 62.8 of 100 on the provisional FDR Deer Herd Index (B - Strong), ranked #8 of 61 ranked Wisconsin counties. The provisional index is built from WDNR public harvest records, the Trophy Index and deer-vehicle crash data; some components are partial, as noted in the methodology.
How many deer were harvested in Columbia County last season?
WDNR records show 7,189 deer harvested in Columbia County, Wisconsin in 2025, the most recent reported season.