Column and Photographs by DNR Warden Joshua N. Litvinoff
This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s July 2026 eNewsletter.
Sandhill Wildlife Area: Genuine Gold Mine Of Hunting, Wildlife Watching Opportunities
When I think of the myriad of opportunities for hunting and outdoor activities, I think of Dorothy’s lessons from the movie, The Wizard of Oz, and Wisconsin.
If you’ve ever watched the 1939 movie, you’ll remember Dorothy repeatedly saying: “There’s no place like home.” I changed that to “there’s no place like Wisconsin.” And when it comes to waterfowl hunting and wildlife viewing, there’s no place like the Sandhill Wildlife Area in Wood County.
This is a gem hidden in plain sight in central Wisconsin. Here’s why planning a road trip to Sandhill is worth packing the vehicle with your waterfowl hunting gear and binoculars.
One Of A Kind: Northern, Southern Sections Offer Unique Prospects
Sandhill is centrally located, which makes it a doable road trip from any part of the state.
Purchased in 1962, this place is huge – a 9,150-acre property. It is a mixed-use area providing incredible views of Wisconsin’s wildlife activities. This is why you’ll want the binoculars for your downtime between waterfowl hunts.
About half of its acreage is a refuge closed to hunting. This includes the Gallagher Marsh, known as a staging site for more than 5,000 sandhill cranes during the fall migration. That’s the northern half.
You may have heard of Sandhill for its applied wildlife research and habitat demonstration areas. However, did you know there also is a bison herd on the property?
The southern half is where you’ll want your hunting gear at the ready. This is open to waterfowl, ruffed grouse, woodcock, rabbit and squirrel hunting. You’ll also see a managed deer hunt for a to-be-designated fall weekend.
I can note that waterfowl hunting is less active here than at other state properties.
However, make sure you plan your hunting trip before Halloween; waterfowl and small-game hunting typically closes around this holiday.
The specific hunting regulations and season structures are posted on the Sandhill website, https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Lands/WildlifeAreas/sandhill, as well as at the registration gate.
Administrative Code NR10.22 authorizes different season structures, bag limits, and regulations to be established within Sandhill that are separate from the statewide seasons.
Small game and waterfowl hunters are required to have the same hunting licenses and stamps that would be needed for statewide hunting, in addition to a daily hunting permit card (no fee) that is picked up in person when they arrive at the property.
This permit card allows the collection of hunting data (hours hunted, game harvested, and hunting method) and establishes a maximum number of hunters for each waterfowl hunting unit (flowage) to support quality hunting and avoid overcrowding. There are nine discrete waterfowl permit cards to allow for the allocation of these hunters on these flowages.
Active wetland management occurs on these flowages to create optimal feeding conditions for migrating waterfowl through managed drawdowns that rotationally occur.
Each flowage goes through a drawdown cycle every three or four years during May and June and is held at that level until August, when the pool is gradually refilled for the vegetation. Sandhill sits at the junction of three watersheds and is the headwaters area in these watersheds.
I am a big fan of Sandhill, and if you’ve never visited, consider adding it to your calendar.
Stay safe and enjoy your summer.
