[4]: 5 Farmsteads and a short railway track used to transport lumber were the first recorded instances of development within the current bounds of the wildlife area, which were present by the 1930s.

The site was naturally prone to wildfires, which were responsible for helping new vegetation spring up from the peat, which in turn attracted geese to the area.

[4]: 18 Early efforts to secure the integrity of the habitat resulted in the construction of various dikes and drainage ditches to allow for controlled burns to take place, which would create a more hospitable environment for geese.

An investigation determined by the WDNR concluded that the dwindling flocks of geese could be attributed to a shift in migration patterns and the base inhospitableness of the marsh.

[8] The current management strategy centers on the manipulation of water levels to shift land cover to be more suitable for shorebirds and other waterfowl.

The wildlife area is bordered by the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest and Manitowish Chain O Lakes to the north, east, and west and the Lac du Flambeau Reservation to the south.

In the mid-1950s, the construction of water control structures and an extensive ditch and levee road system began in the wildlife area, which did restore much of the original marshland but also cut deep into the bog's semi-aquitard layer.

[4]: 34 The groundwater in the area is rich in iron, which naturally precipitates when exposed to oxygen, providing nutrients to iron-oxidizing bacteria.

[5]: 33 Hunting, fishing, and trapping are allowed in the wildlife area, although other recreational activities such as camping and hiking are limited by poor soil quality.

[24] Fishing is available in both Dead Pike Lake[25] and Sherman lake,[26] both of which are attached to the wildlife area and subject to catch limitations set by the WDNR,[27] with the focus of such limits being set around the catching of walleye,[28] also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, despite it not having any relation to the pickerel family.