Mead Wildlife Area

Overview

Mead Wildlife Area

George W. Mead Wildlife Area; Wisconsin DNR
S2148 County Highway S; Milladore, WI 54454
Phone: (715) 457-6771

-Hunting Lands- The Mead Wildlife Area contains over 33,000 acres of wetlands, forests, and grasslands, many of which can be used for hunting purposes. Deer, waterfowl, grouse, woodcock, rabbits, and squirrels are among the animals that can be hunted in the Mead. Visit the DNR's website for hunting and trapping season dates at http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/hunt/seasdate.htm. Wisconsin hunting regulations at http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/regs/index.htm

-Hiking Trails- The Mead Wildlife Area offers around 70 miles of trails to hike, run, ski, or snowshoe. These trails go along flowages, streams, and through forests. The best time to use them is are between autumn and spring when ticks and flies aren’t as prevalent.

-Bike Trail- The Mead Wildlife Refuge features one 6.5 mile bike trail. It runs from the Visitor Center through some forest, around a couple flowages and along the Little Eau Pleine River. The trail is open from May 15 to September 1 for biking.

-Fishing and Boating Waters- There are plenty of peaceful waters in the Mead Wildlife Area that can be fished and boated. Primary among these is the Little Eau Pleine River which runs through the length of the area.

-Education and Administration Building- The Mead Wildlife Area Education and Administration building is central to the activities in the Mead Wildlife Area. It functions as a DNR headquarters as well as a visitor and educational center. The staff at the center are more than willing to talk to school and other groups about the area, wildlife, conservation, sustainability, etc. Any visitor to the area can also obtain such information easily from the staff. The building is also a marvel of sustainable design. It employs 5 types of renewable energy systems among numerous other ‘green’ features. For more information about the building go to www.meadwildlife.org/sustainability.html; For more information on Mead Wildlfe Area education: www.meadwildlife.org/education.html

-Dog Training Grounds- The Mead Wildlife Area offers an area specifically for the training of hunting dogs. The Wisconsin Association of Field Trial Clubs (WAFTC) and the Pointing Gun Dog Association (PGDA) are just two of the organizations that use the Mead property for trials and events.

-Area Wildlife Viewing- Throughout the Mead Wildlife Area, visitors can enjoy rare opportunities to view a large variety of wildlife. Whether they chose to enjoy a stroll on the trails or to sit patiently on a bench, they will be sure to witness various species of wildlife thriving in a natural environment. The most popular animals to view the Mead are birds. Central Wisconsin Birding calls it, “the best all around wildlife watching acreage in central Wisconsin." 248 species of birds can be found in the area and 126 are known to breed there. More information can be found at this Web page: http://www.meadwildlife.org/birds.html

Central Wisconsin Green Map
updated 03/2012 by Central Wisconsin Green Map