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Give the gift of conservation!
All are welcome to come!
Starts around Noon to 3 p.m. Food is served at Noon. Birdhouse building and painting begins around 1 p.m.
The more the merrier! Bring your neighbors and friends. Let's show off the farm and the organization we are proud of to our community.
RSVP for the Picnic:
RSVP for the Picnic:
Email Membership@DCCL.org if you can with the number of people coming and the number of youth. We want to make sure we have enough food for everyone and birdhouses for youth to paint or build.
Need an Access Ability WI outdoor wheelchair to enjoy the farm? Please add that to your RSVP and we will see how we can make that happen.
If you are unsure until the day of, please stop by!
New this Month: "Beaker and his NAVHDA Hunting Test" - submitted by Chris Worley
Irises submitted by M. Spaeni
MAY-JUNE 2025
MAY-JUNE 2025
- A BRIEF PHEASANT FARM HISTORY
- A BRIEF PHEASANT FARM HISTORY
You might be aware that our pheasant farm has been at its current site for about 30 years. But where was it prior to that? The latest location prior to our farm on County Road J, was on the east side of Verona. It was there along with a small tree nursery for quite a few years.
The League has raised pheasants from at least the 1940’s and the operations have changed drastically over the years. Up until the late 1980’s the chicks were obtained from the DNR in the Day-Old-Chick program that still is in operation today. So, the chicks were free, the DNR provided free feed for most the year, and Dane County donated $2,000 per year to defray costs. Raising the birds didn’t cost the DCCL very much. Usually, a high school student was hired to care for the birds with some guidance from a League member. To earn birds, members had to put in 2-3 workdays at the farm. All birds were released on one Saturday morning pretty much on a first-come-first served basis. The DNR wanted birds to be released early in the morning when it was cool, and birds were not to be handled/released if it was raining. This could cause the feathers to lose their water resistance and would be very harmful to the bird. Sometimes a DNR staff member would oversee the release.
A unique feature up until the late 1980’s was that members had to indicate on a map of Dane County where the birds would be released. Then any DCCL member could go there and hunt by showing a window sticker or membership card to the landowner. In those days, the DNR required that the birds had to be released on private land in Dane County open to hunting. That requirement no longer exists for reasons you can imagine.
(Next time, how the current farm was located and built.)
Submitted by Lowell Carter
Chicks when they arrive!
(pictured above & below by Steve Spaeni)Chicks when they arrive!
Just a few weeks later...
Just a few weeks later...
Learn more about the process next time!
(pictured below by Steve S.)
Lesa Kardash's Interview on Wisconsin Public Radio about Prairie Chickens.
Lesa Kardash's Interview on Wisconsin Public Radio about Prairie Chickens.
Use the link below and then scroll towards the bottom to listen to the interview.
DCCL and Prairie Chickens In the News
DCCL and Prairie Chickens In the News
- A Sample from DCCL History
- A Sample from DCCL History
A segment from a Jan 1968 Newsletter is shown below. Are you interested in helping with archiving our history? Email Membership@DCCL.org or reach out to one of the DCCL Board Members.
The Pheasant Farm
The Pheasant Farm
The pheasant farm will be open at 8am until about 10 am starting Saturday, May 3 and each Saturday until early September. Members who put in 12 hours at the farm or any other League activity will earn an allotment of birds.
No Member Meeting in April 2025
No Member Meeting in April 2025
April 2025
April 2025
- Habitat Work Day
- Habitat Work Day
Saturday, May 31st from 1pm to 4pm will be a great opportunity for DCCL members to not only get outside, but you can also help improve plant diversity on DCCL land which helps support the Greater Prairie Chicken.
Local conservation groups will be participating including the PF Chapter in central Wisconsin, The Tomorrow River conservation club, and the Wisconsin DNR. It would be great to have some DCCL representation up there!
If interested, please RSVP to: Heather Doherty- ahintz@pheasantsforever.org or 920-765-3564. Please review the flyer for more information!
- Highway Cleanup
- Highway Cleanup
DCCL has been approved to adopt County Highway J (going past the farm) from County PD to Dairy Ridge Road.
** Thank you to the team that spent the morning cleaning up our new section. **
The Wisconsin DOT requested DCCL to discontinue cleaning our former segment of Hwy 18/151 due to safety concerns on that highway.The highway cleanup date was set for April 12 at the farm. Dane County was providing safety vests for each volunteer.
Prior to April 12, all volunteers were requested to watch and online video about general highway safety at: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/doing-bus/real-estate/roadsides/adopt-hwy/safety.aspx
Thank you to our volunteers!
All are pictured except for Steve.Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival
Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival
The Wisconsin DNR’s Greater Prairie-chicken observation survey is now available to use on your smartphone!
The Wisconsin DNR’s Greater Prairie-chicken observation survey is now available to use on your smartphone – just in time for booming season!
Observations are collected using the Survey123 app.
Step 1) Download and install Survey123 on your device. Go to Google Play (Android) or App Store (iphone)
Note: after installation, the app may open and ask you to log in. Close the app and go to step 2.
Step 2) Scan the QR code attached with the phone's camera and click on the link that appears, or open Survey123 and use the QR code reader in the Search bar. This will load and open the prairie-chicken observation survey.
Prairie-chicken Survey
QR Code
QR Code
March 2025
March 2025
** We are sold out! ** 2025 Annual Banquet
** We are sold out! ** 2025 Annual Banquet
FYI ...
2025 DCCL Banquet online.pdf2025 March Member Meeting
2025 March Member Meeting
- Guest Speaker -
- Guest Speaker -
Jacob Zeuske
Jacob Zeuske
Jacob Z has been an active member of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) for many years. He has been the training director for the Wisconsin River Chapter (WRC) going on 10 years now. He is also a NAVHDA judge for the past 5 years. There are over 95 chapters across the states as well as over 10,000 active members. Jacob will provide an overview of NAVHDA’s function/goals, opportunities offered and testing/evaluation of your hunting companion. “The North American Versitile Hunting Dog Association defines the versatile dog as one that is bred and trained to dependably hunt and point game, to retrieve on both land and water, and to track wounded game on both land and water. NAVHDA currently recognizes 31 breeds of versatile hunting dogs.” (from NAVHDA website). Hope to you on March 25th !
Fun at the February Member Meeting
Fun at the February Member Meeting
Thank you, Lesa!
Thank you, Lesa!
Thank you to our generous volunteers who supported the Fishing Expo!
WI DNR - Greater Prairie-Chicken Management Update
WI DNR - Greater Prairie-Chicken Management Update
DCCL_Update_feb2025.docx2024 Greater Prairie-Chicken Survey in Central WI
2024 Greater Prairie-Chicken Survey in Central WI
PCSURVEYWI2024.pdfMeet Your Newest Board Members
Meet Your Newest Board Members
- Steve Spaeni and Brad Sterling -
- Steve Spaeni and Brad Sterling -
The Hands on Habitat
The Hands on Habitat
A work day is scheduled on Buena Vista Wildlife Area has been scheduled for Saturday, May 31. It will be a native flower seeding on DCCL land. We will be looking for volunteers to help.....more details to follow or email Secretary@DCCL.org if you are interested in helping.
February 2025
February 2025
2025 Annual Meeting
2025 Annual Meeting
Food
Friends
Fun
Expired Terms
Expired Terms
Multiple board members had terms which expired. Thank you to Richard Brye, Monica Spaeni, Jerry Sands (stepped down), Jeff Bloomer, Greg Dahl and Tom Klingbiel for your insights, suggestions and support of DCCL.
Elected Members
Elected Members
Membership elected the following board members: Monica Spaeni, Tom Klingbiel, Steve Spaeni and Jeff Bloomer. The 1 year remaining from Jerry Sands position will be appointed by the president soon. Officers elected are Tim Heindl (President), Sharon Schwab (Vice-President), Jeff Bloomer (Treasurer) and Chris Worley (Secretary).
We had a great turnout for our annual DCCL membership meeting on January 28th! Thank you to all attendees. We kicked it off with an ample supply of pizzas. Tim Heindl, DCCL President welcomed everyone.
DCCL’s 2024 Accomplishments
DCCL’s 2024 Accomplishments
An overview of included:
purchase and installation of an ADA outhouse at the farm,
annual picnic (gave away bluebird houses),
annual banquet (largest number of attendees),
guest speakers for membership meetings,
ongoing efforts to maintain/protect the Greater Prairie-chicken (GPC) in the Buena Vista Wildlife Area,
updates to the DCCL website,
raised 1000 pheasant chicks to adults, highway pickup,
two DCCL scholarships provided to UW Stevens Point conservation students,
provided blaze orange caps to students graduating hunter safety classes,
signed on to a State of WI Wake Boat legislation and Grassland Conservation Act policy proposal;
participated in the Fishing Expo and Open Season Sportsman Expo in the Dells; and
provided grants to mission aligned organizations:
Access Ability Wisconsin (AAW),
Outdoor Heritage Education Center for their Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expo (MOHEE),
Prairie Enthusiasts, and
financial support to Wisconsin Wildlife Federation (WWF) to intervene the Vista Sands solar project from abutting directly to the Buena Vista Wildlife area to reduce the impact on the GPC.
These grant recipients provided brief overviews of their accomplishments utilizing DCCL grant money and then took questions from the DCCL membership.
FEBRUARY – FISHING EXPO
FEBRUARY – FISHING EXPO
WI Fishing Expo - We have a lot of volunteer spots to fill. The Expo gives the DCCL a free booth for help to staff the event. We have been asked to provide two people for each hour the doors are open Friday February 21st through Sunday the 23rd. We also have the DCCL booth to staff. If you are available to help in any capacity please let me know.
Tom Klingbiel
575-0295
Tom.klingbiel@gmail.com
WI FISHING EXPO Hours
WI FISHING EXPO Hours
Friday Feb. 21 1:00pm - 8:00pm
Saturday Feb. 22 9:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday Feb. 23 9:00am - 4:00pm
Guest Speaker: Lesa Kardash (see bio)
Guest Speaker: Lesa Kardash (see bio)
Topic: Management of 17,000 acres of grassland habitat on the Buena Vista and Paul J. Olson Wildlife Areas.
When: 7:00 PM, February 25, 2025
Where: Schwoegler Park Towne Lanes
444 Grand Canyon Dr, Madison, WI 53719
Hope to see you there!
My husband and four children live next to the Buena Vista grasslands and spend as much time as we can outdoors together. We enjoy camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, biking, gardening, and simply exploring the natural world as a family.
I am a native Wisconsinite and grew up near here - in Verona. I received my Bachelor and Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am an active member of The Wisconsin Chapter of The Wildlife Society. For the past 18 years, I have been a Wildlife Biologist in Portage and Wood Counties with the Wisconsin DNR. During that time, I have been responsible for implementing the wildlife management program in Portage and Wood Counties. A significant portion of my work involves the management of 17,000 acres of grassland habitat on the Buena Vista and Paul J. Olson Wildlife Areas. In 2022, I took on the role of Greater Prairie-chicken staff specialist.
March 25, 2025– Membership Meeting
March 25, 2025– Membership Meeting
Guest Speaker: Jacob Zeuske
Guest Speaker: Jacob Zeuske
Jacob has been an active member of the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) for many years. He has been the training director for the Wisconsin River Chapter (WRC) going on 10 years now. He is also a NAVHDA judge for the past 5 years. There are over 95 chapters across the states as well as over 10,000 active members. Jacob will provide an overview of NAVHDA’s function/goals, opportunities offered and testing/evaluation of your hunting companion. “The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association defines the versatile dog as one that is bred and trained to dependably hunt and point game, to retrieve on both land and water, and to track wounded game on both land and water. NAVHDA currently recognizes 31 breeds of versatile hunting dogs.” (from NAVHDA website). Hope to you on March 25th !
'25 APRIL 17, 2025
DCCL BANQUET
'25 APRIL 17, 2025
DCCL BANQUET
The banquet invite will be going out probably sometime before the end of January and anyone interested in helping with the banquet can call Dwaine Rundle at 608-235-4576 to volunteer. The banquet will be held on April 17th at The Red Mouse in Pine Bluff. Volunteers can help with set only, banquet only or both. Mark your calendar so you are prepared for a fun night. More details of the banquet will be forthcoming.
January 2025
January 2025
Membership - Renewal
Membership - Renewal
Have you renewed your annual membership? You have some choices. We recommend renewing online and you have two choices on how to pay: 1) pay online or 2) send in a check. We encourage you to pay online. Click on the Annual Membership Form button below and follow the instructions.
Mark Your Calendar
Mark Your Calendar
The annual DCCL Meeting is January 28, 2025. Throw your name in the hat to join the DCCL board and if you have someone you think will be an active board member, ask them if you can throw their name in the hat.
Elections are that night with pizza, raffles, and a good time. Come on out! Get to know your fellow members and 2024 Board Members.
We want to hear from YOU!
We want to hear from YOU!
If you would like to submit a story, conservation idea, or something related to DCCL's mission, please submit your story here -> "Submit Story"
Check out stories from members and updates from the community on our new Stories & More page.
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