Unit 115

Navigation focuses on lakes and stream systems rather than dramatic summits. Key water features include Lake Seven, Priest Lake, Cranberry Lake, and numerous smaller lakes and flowages scattered throughout. The Elk River and Mondeaux River provide major drainage corridors and reliable water reference points.

Small summits like Timms Hill offer modest glassing vantage points but are subtle features in this relatively flat terrain. Rapids on the Priest River system mark specific locations. Springs including Ottertail and Janacek offer reliable water sources.

This water-rich landscape makes navigation straightforward—follow drainages, locate lakes, find cover between them.

The entire unit sits in the lower elevation band, ranging from around 1,160 to 1,965 feet with relatively minor relief. The landscape is split roughly evenly between forested terrain and open grassland, brush, and cleared areas. Where forest exists, it's moderate in density—a mix of hardwoods and conifers typical of northern Wisconsin's transition zone.

Open areas are predominantly grassland, brush fields, and former agricultural or logged land now reverting to cover. This mosaic of forest patches and open country creates varied hunting opportunities; neither extensive wilderness nor open prairie dominates.

The unit is well-roaded with approximately 1.98 miles of road per square mile—a connected network supporting easy vehicle access. Major highways and secondary roads link towns like Prentice and Ogema to hunting areas. However, 82 percent of land is private, creating access challenges that define hunting strategy here.

Most hunting requires landowner permission rather than public land access. Road density suggests moderate general pressure, but private land concentration means successful hunting depends on relationships and scouting specific properties. Staging from Prentice or Ogema works well for organizing hunts across this landscape.

Unit 115 encompasses roughly 860 square miles of north-central Wisconsin's Price and Taylor County plateau region. The unit centers on communities including Prentice, Kennan, and Ogema, with smaller towns scattered throughout. Terrain is characteristically flat to gently rolling—typical of Wisconsin's glaciated landscape.

The area sits entirely below 2,000 feet elevation, creating a landscape where topographic features are subtle but navigable. This is quintessential north woods country: a patchwork of forest, clearings, and water that's been shaped by logging history and agricultural clearing.

Water is abundant and distributed throughout the unit, rarely a limiting factor. Major streams include the Elk River, Mondeaux River, and Beaver Creek, all flowing through huntable terrain. Numerous named lakes—Priest, Cranberry, Wilson, Betsy, Lake Seven—provide both navigation aids and wildlife concentration points.

Wildlife flowages and reservoirs including Cranberry Creek, Spring Creek, and Skinner Creek Flowage offer managed water access. Springs exist throughout the unit. This water abundance supports healthy deer populations and simplifies camp logistics; finding drinking water is never a challenge.

Unit 115 is white-tailed deer country, historically supporting healthy populations across the mixed forest-grassland mosaic. Early season hunters find deer in open areas and forest edges; rut hunting centers on thicker cover. The abundance of water and habitat transition zones supports reliable deer movement.

Without extensive public land, success depends on gaining access to private property through landowner relationships. Focus on properties adjacent to water features, particularly where forest meets open grassland. The straightforward terrain and moderate complexity make this unit approachable for hunters willing to invest in access.

Deer hunting follows standard north woods patterns: locate food sources, water, and bedding cover, then position accordingly across the seasons.