New Wood Wildlife Area is a 4,635-acre property located in the west central portion of Lincoln County. Find New Wood Wildlife Area approximately 16 miles northwest of the city of Merrill. Go west on Conservation Avenue off of County Highway E.
In 1906, near the end of the pine era, A. H. Stange of Merrill realized the untapped potential of hardwood and hemlock and acquired much of the New Wood country including today's wildlife area. In 1914, 1,600 acres comprising part of the present wildlife area was transferred to the Union Land Company of Merrill and, in 1915, to the Union Tanning Co. of New Jersey. Eastern hemlock bark played an important role in the forest and tanning industries of northern Wisconsin between 1885-1922. In 1925, the Rib Lake Lumber Co. of Taylor County bought the land and held if for their use for the next 20 years.
The wildlife area was established in 1945 to protect a significant deer yard and for the management of waterfowl, forest wildlife and public hunting purposes. Early management efforts were aimed at restoring winter cover (spruce) as well as developing small flowages for waterfowl.
The habitat type is typical northern forest, dominated by northern hardwoods with a good mix of aspen, swamp conifer and swamp hardwood. There is a 21-acre shallow water flowage located in the northeast corner of the property that has a robust wild rice bed. The New Wood River flows through the northeast corner of the property. There is also a system of walking trails and wildlife openings that are maintained for public access.
