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 2008. This
is an early morning event. You will 
be met and guided to a blind from a designated location approximately 2 hours
before sunrise. You will be provided with information about when and where
to meet, equipment to bring, background information on prairie chickens, and
observation procedures. There is a fee to defray the cost
of maintaining blinds and
guiding observers.
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) 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 instructions by mail or email.
Refundable cancellations
cannot be accepted after March 25, 2009. 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.
