Hunting - Hayward, Wisconsin

If it's hunting you're after, there's deer, bear, ducks, grouse, woodcock, and small game hunting almost right out of your cabin door step in the vast Chequamegon Forest. You don't need to worry about many"no trespassing" signs here.

Hunting Northwest Wisconsin

With around 850,000 acres of public land, the Chequamegon offers a lot to those who enjoy the outdoors and just want to get away from it all!!

Have you been looking for a place where you can get away from the hectic pace of todays world? Well there is just such a place close by. In our National Forests you can hunt, fish, or just enjoy the great outdoors without constantly running into all those "No Hunting or No Trespassing" signs you find almost everywhere today.

Nationwide our National Forests and other lands controlled by the United States Forest Service total some 191 million acres. Most of which is open to the public for many recreational uses. Right here in Wisconsin we have over one and one half million acres of National Forest alone.

The Chequamegon, pronounced Sho-wa-me-gon, National Forest being Wisconsin's largest. It encompasses over 850,000 acres of northern forest lands. Although there are three separate sections in the Chequamegon the bulk of the forest lies between Hayward and Park Falls Wi. and runs north almost to lake Superior. There is another smaller section east of Park Falls and the third section lies northwest of Medford Wi. The Chequamegon forest is managed by the U.S.Forest Service to provide many different recreational uses as well as timber harvest.

Recreational uses include such things as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, and much more.

Anglers Paradise; Within the largest part of the Chequamegon forest lies the headwaters of the Chippewa river just upstream from the world famous Lake Chippewa Flowage. Also in the forest are many other lakes like Teal, Lost Land, Moose, Ghost, Day, and others that are known for their fine musky fishing. Besides the musky there are also abundant populations of walleye, bass,and panfish present in these lakes and rivers. If you want to try your hand at catching the wily trout there are many miles of first rate trout streams as well as a few lakes that are stocked with trout.

Literally translated the name Chequamegon means "place of shallow water". For the angler the Chequamegon can provide just about anything you want. Not to mention surrounding lakes, within the forest there is so much water to fish that it may take you a lifetime to fish it all. From cold water trout streams to warm water rivers and from deep clear natural lakes to dark water shallow man made flowages your choices seem almost endless.

Hunting in the Chequamegon; Because of it's vast areas of wild land the Chequamegon just naturally provides good hunting for several species of game. However through forest management practices the U.S.Forest Service can and does enhance wildlife habitat. Timber management done in our National Forests is done with wildlife, both game and non game, in mind. Scattered throughout the Chequamegon there are several designated hunter walking trails. These trails are closed to all motorized traffic and are managed by periodic mowing, selective timber harvesting, and seeding with wildlife grass mixtures to actually attract wildlife. Besides these trails there are also hundreds of logging roads and trails that provide good hunting in the forest. There are topo maps available from the U.S.Forest Service that show most of these roads and trails. If you are going to hunt in the Chequamegon I strongly suggest you carry one of these maps as well as a good compass.

Camping in the National Forest; There are 24 designated campgrounds in the Chequamegon Forest. Most of which are situated on lakes throughout the forest and are easily accessible by good forest roads. If you are planning a trip ahead of time there is a new reservation system available so you can be assured of getting a spot in the campgrounds you desire. If you really want to get away from it all the Forest Service allows disbursed camping outside of the designated campgrounds in the Chequamegon. If you should decide to camp outside of the designated campground areas there is stay limit of 21days.

Trails; Along with the many logging and hunter walking trails there are many miles of maintained trails for hiking, snowmobiling, skiing, and ATVs. Some of these trails are also open in the summer to mountain bikers as well.

When you think about it our National Forests are one of this nations most valuable resources. They not only provide much of the timber our country needs for lumber and paper, but they also provide a multitude of recreational opportunities as well. Information on the Chequamegon Forest and what it has to offer is available from the U.S.Forest Service district ranger stations in Hayward, Washburn, Park Falls, Glidden, or Medford Wi.

So the next time you start planning a trip to get away to one of the more distant or exotic destinations. Stop to remember the wilderness that we have right in our back yard, the Chequamegon National Forest.