Metro Sub-Unit 116, Wisconsin

Northern forest and wetland terrain of Wisconsin''s Northern Highlands physiographic region, spanning portions of Lincoln, Oneida, Price, and Vilas counties. Elevations range from roughly 1,400 to 1,800 feet above sea level. The landscape has glacial origins with rolling to hilly topography — flatter ground in the western portions and increasingly hilly terrain toward the central and eastern sections. Land cover is dominated by mixed northern hardwoods (sugar maple, yellow birch, aspen, basswood) interspersed with dense conifer stands (balsam fir, spruce, white pine, red pine plantations). Wetlands are abundant throughout — bogs, tamarack swamps, and sedge meadows fill lowland drainages between ridges. Oneida County alone contains 406 named lakes and 830 miles of streams, with many of those waterways threading through the unit. The Wisconsin River and its tributaries drain much of this country.

Low to moderate overall. The Northern Forest Zone draws far fewer hunters per square mile than Wisconsin''s southern farmland counties. Local Northwoods residents make up the core of gun season participation, with cabin owners and a modest number of out-of-state visitors concentrated near road-accessible public tracts during the nine-day November season. Archery season offers genuine solitude — public land stands can go days without seeing another hunter. Some corridor areas near logging roads see predictable pressure opening weekend of gun deer season, but hunters willing to walk a mile or more from parking areas find low competition for stands and sign.

DMU 116 is under strict antlerless restrictions due to a declining deer herd that local CDAC members described as being in the worst shape. The Citizen Deer Advisory Council recommended a zero antlerless quota for both private and public land for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, making this effectively a buck-only unit. A standard Wisconsin deer license allows harvest of one antlered deer. No bonus antlerless harvest authorizations are available for purchase in this unit, and no youth antlerless tags are offered here either. Recent harvest data shows roughly 1,200 deer taken in a recent season, with over 900 bucks and a buck-to-doe harvest ratio running approximately 3:1 — a stark sign of a stressed population with few does being taken. Buck harvest density ran about 1.4 per square mile and doe density just 0.5 per square mile. Hunters should verify current tag availability each year at GoWild.wi.gov before the season.

Deer archery and crossbow season opens September 13 and runs through January 4, giving bowhunters the longest possible window. The nine-day gun deer season runs November 22 through November 30, followed by muzzleloader December 1-10; the statewide antlerless-only hunt runs December 11-14 but no antlerless authorizations are available in this unit. Wild turkey spring season typically runs late April through late May with fall turkey hunting also available. Black bear hunting is a major attraction in this northern zone — Wisconsin issues bear licenses to residents with priority points and holds a drawing for nonresidents, with strong bear populations across Lincoln, Oneida, Price, and Vilas counties. Ruffed grouse habitat is outstanding across the unit''s aspen and alder-filled stands, with a September through February season. The region''s hundreds of lakes and miles of streams support strong waterfowl hunting September through November. Bobcat, fisher, coyote, and snowshoe hare round out winter recreation options.

DMU 116 offers a genuine Northwoods whitetail experience with real potential to encounter mature, aged bucks. Buck-only management for multiple consecutive seasons means deer that survive hunting pressure are carrying more age and antler than in units with heavy antlerless harvest. The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and Oneida County Forest together provide vast public access that rewards hunters without private land connections. Focus on clear-cut edges and regenerating aspen stands for early-season food sources, then shift to wetland edges and hardwood ridges as the November rut kicks in. Snow tracking after the weekend crowd thins during gun season is a time-honored Northwoods tactic. The PFAS advisory for deer from the Town of Stella area in Oneida County is worth noting. DMU 116 also doubles as an outstanding bear and grouse hunting destination, making a multi-species fall trip highly practical for hunters targeting this remote north-central corner of the state.