Wisconsin's Prairie Chickens
Viewing
Every
spring volunteers from across the state and the country come to the Buena Vista
Grassland to aid in the spring prairie chicken census. The sunrise, the booming
males, the fresh air, and the endless horizons are the rewards to those who
participate.
About the Census
Approximately 12,000 acres of land on the
Buena Vista marsh are presently being managed by the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources to provide wide horizons and grasslands for prairie chickens.
Every spring the birds of Buena Vista must be counted to keep track of the
population trends and evaluate management effectiveness.
The census consists of finding all
booming grounds and counting the attending males. This provides an index to
population trends that is quite reliable because of the routine behavior of the
males and their affinity to specific booming grounds. If the total number of
males increases, we assume that the entire population has increased
proportionately.
Many of the grounds are monitored by
volunteers that drive from ground to ground counting early in the morning. Not
all grounds are in good view of the roads, and many must be counted by
volunteers in blinds on the booming grounds. Every April these blinds must be
filled by volunteers from the public. Viewing the chickens booming is a
wonderful experience not soon forgotten, and, at the same time, it provides aid
in the tracking of this threatened species.
Reservation Information
Reservations
will be taken for observing prairie chickens on the Buena Vista Marsh for the
month of April beginning in November 2011. This is an
early morning event. You will 
meet
a guide at a designated
location
and follow them via car to the site approximately 2 hours before
sunrise. At each site the guide will give you instructions
and data sheets. Each booming ground is a short walk from the road. There are
two blinds at each site and each blind holds four people. Each blind is
enclosed with benches inside. There is a fee
to defray the cost
of maintaining blinds and
guiding observers.
The cost (per
person) for viewing the prairie chickens is $15 for adults and $10 for kids
under 18, students enrolled in college, or seniors over 55.
You
can reserve observation space by sending a
reservation form along with the fee to guarantee your request. If you have
a restrictive schedule, contact the
Viewing
Coordinator
(715-346-3259 or toll free 877-269-6626) before submitting your reservation form
and payment to ensure availability of your preferred dates. Submit your payment
only by check or money order payable to UW-Stevens Point. Canceled checks or
money order will be your only receipt. You will be notified about the status of
your request and provided with a confirmation packet
by mail or email that includes information about when and
where to meet, equipment to bring, background information on prairie chickens,
and observation procedures.
Refundable cancellations
cannot be accepted after March 23, 2012. We would appreciate being notified if
you are unable to keep your reservation. We encourage you to complete and
return the reservation form quickly because the demand for observation space
exceeds the supply, especially on weekends.
