New Munster Wildlife Area in New Munster

This 1226-acre property has diverse habitats that make it a great place to look for birds and other wildlife. Marshes, bogs, creeks, ponds and two perennial streams draw a wide variety of waterfowl during spring and fall migrations. In the fall and winter you might find Great Horned, Long-eared and Short-eared Owls. Winter finches, golden-crowned kinglets, brown creepers, and nuthatches inhabit forested areas, oak woodlands and conifer plantations. During migrations you might see warblers, wrens, sparrows and yellow-breasted chats.

 

The New Munster Bog Island State Natural Area is within the boundaries of the property. The Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program mission is to protect outstanding examples of Wisconsin’s native landscape and to provide refuge for rare plants and animals. Bog Island is a sandy knoll of hardwoods surrounded by tamarack bog. Vegetation includes wild geranium, sweet cicely, honewort, mayapple, and golden alexanders. Nesting birds make their home here, including the northern waterthrush.

 

The Wildlife Area is featured in the Lake Michigan Region of the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail and is identified as an ebird hotspot.

Palmer Creek, a Class III trout stream, runs through the northwest part of the property, provides canoeing opportunities, and is stocked with brown and rainbow trout.

Hunting is popular, for deer, small game, waterfowl, turkey and especially pheasant, which is stocked regularly during the season. According to the DNR website, additional recreational opportunities include canoeing, off trail cross country skiing, hiking, trapping, wild edibles/gathering and wildlife viewing.
Location: Highway KD in western Kenosha County near Highway 50.

For more information, including hunting regulations, go to New Munster Wildlife Area.

For WDNR map click here.

 

Gallery (click to enlarge)