Unit 117

The unit's identity centers on water features. The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage and Upper Park Falls Flowage are major reservoirs providing orientation points and access routes. Numerous smaller lakes—Wilson, Hall, Vincent, Blockhouse, and Parker Lakes among them—dot the unit and serve as navigation landmarks.

Swamp Lake and Beaverdam Lake anchor the eastern portion. These water bodies aren't just geographic references; they define hunting pressure patterns and access points. Several islands including Big Island and Manito Island mark visible features on maps and shorelines.

The interconnected waterway system is the primary navigation framework.

Terrain sits in the 1,400- to 1,900-foot range with minimal elevation change—this is flat-to-gently-rolling country typical of glaciated northern Wisconsin. Forest coverage is moderate, with a mix of second-growth hardwoods, conifers, and substantial open marshland. The habitat transition is gradual: aspen and birch dominate forested areas, while wetlands and grassland create natural clearings that support browse and water.

The gentle topography means deer use terrain differently than in steeper country; movement corridors follow drainages and shorelines rather than elevation bands.

The unit is well-connected with 1,707 miles of road creating a 2.33 mi/sq mi density—substantial road infrastructure for a northern Wisconsin unit. Highway 51 and other major routes provide quick access from regional towns. The road network supports relatively easy entry throughout much of the unit, but this also means predictable hunting pressure in accessible areas.

Private land parcels interspersed with public create a checkerboard pattern; successful hunters identify the public-land pockets that receive less attention. Early-season pressure clusters near road-accessible water features and small towns, while mid-unit remoteness requires more effort but offers solitude.

Unit 117 encompasses 733 square miles of north-central Wisconsin, anchored around the Park Falls and Mercer region. The unit sprawls across relatively uniform terrain with numerous towns providing staging points: Park Falls, Presque Isle, Manitowish Waters, and Boulder Junction are the main population centers. The landscape is predominantly low-elevation forest and open country—classic Wisconsin North Woods with no significant elevation relief.

Public and private land interweave throughout, requiring attention to boundaries but offering reasonable hunting access across most of the unit.

Water is abundant and defines this unit's character. Beyond the major flowages, perennial streams including the Little Turtle River, Threemile Creek, Hoffman Creek, and Cedar Creek provide reliable water access. Trout Springs and Ferry Springs offer year-round sources.

Wetlands and marshland cover significant portions, particularly in transition zones between forest and open country. The extensive water network means deer congregate around drainages and wetland edges, especially during dry periods. Water scarcity is not a limiting factor here; instead, the challenge is identifying which water sources concentrate deer movement during different seasons.

Unit 117 supports white-tailed deer populations across diverse habitat. The moderate forest mixed with extensive wetlands creates ideal deer country—browse is abundant in aspen and birch, water is everywhere, and the gentle terrain allows deer to move freely. Early season focuses on transition zones between forest and marsh where deer feed.

Rut hunting targets travel corridors between bedding areas and food, particularly along creeks and smaller lakes away from the main flowages. Late season pushes deer toward standing corn and marsh edges as water freezes. The straightforward terrain means glassing shorelines and stream corridors is effective; deer in this country don't have steep escapes or tight draws to rely on.

Identify public parcels near productive water features and hunt travel routes rather than waiting in remote terrain.