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| Male greater prairie chicken in Wisconsin grasslands. |
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| Buena Vista Grasslands Trail map. Click for larger version. |
About a half-mile of old ATV-made paths run through the Buena Vista Grasslands Wildlife Area southwest of Plover. The wildlife area includes 12,700 acres of grasslands in scattered sections across southwest Portage County.
To reach the grasslands, from Adams-Frienship drive north on Wis. Hwy. 13. As nearing Wisconsin Rapids, turn right/east onto Townline Road. This road eventually becomes County Hwy. W. Next, turn left/north onto County Road F/North 120th Street. Then go right/east onto Griffith Avenue. In abou a half-mile, you’ll see old ATV trails on the right/south side of the road. Park on the shoulder.
Take the ATV trail south into the grasslands. The route heads about 600 feet straight south. Along the way, another trail branches off, looping about 0.4 miles back to the road.
Blue vervain, bromegrass, daisy fleabane, goldenrod, hoary alyssum, switchgrass, timothy, wheatgrass, yarrow, all grow across the mixed and managed grasslands. That’s a perfect environment for the greater prairie chicken.
The threatened bird really isn’t a chicken at all but one of four grouse species native to Wisconsin. About the size of its domestic cousin, plumage on the prairie chicken runs from olive- to pale-brown. Beige and white cross-bars runs along its back, belly, breast, wings and tail. The cocks boast orange “air sacs” on their necks. For nests, they line hollows in the ground with grasses, especially where vegetation can hide them.
Before pioneers arrived in Wisconsin, the greater prairie chicken primarily lived in the southern third of the state, where grasslands dominated. Unlike most native species, they initially benefited from the pioneers’ arrival. By the late 1800s when logging eliminated forests across the state, the greater prairie chicken spread to every county. The conversion of that land to farm fields, reforestation, and hunting, however, reduced and isolated the bird’s population. Today, the greater prairie chicken can be found in only six central Wisconsin counties.
Among the best times to hike the trail is April before the grasses have overgrown the trail. If arriving before dawn, you’ll likely witness spring territorial breeding displays if you stay behind an observation blind. The blinds are short wooden boxes with benches and covered viewing ports.
The right after sunrise display consists of the cock dancing about, as calling for a hen. Should another male come onto the scene, the two will fight for the breeding territory through false charges, stomping feet, and leaps.
To protect the great prairie chicken during nesting and the early weeks of their hatchlings’ lives, the grasslands is closed to hiking from May 10 to August 1.
