Badfish Creek Wildlife Area

Badfish Creek Wildlife Area is a 1262+ acre property located in Dane County. The property consists of wetland (including fairly recent waterfowl scrapes on the west side), solid cattail, sedge marsh, shrub-carr, old farm ponds, old agricultural ditches, Badfish Creek, prairie grass fields and cool season fields. There is a small percentage of the property that has wooded vegetation, but for the most part it is made up of box elder and is low quality. The southern entrance and the eastern entrance have a bit of oak savannah.

This property is three miles southwest of Stoughton and three miles southeast of Oregon. From Madison take Highway 14 south, go east on Highway A and pass the Anthony Branch Fish Area, then take your first right on Oak Ridge Road on continue to follow the boundary of the Fish Area. This road will dead-end into Old Stone Road. Keep following this road until you get to the Badfish Creek Wildlife Area. There will be three parking lots on this northern boundary. You can then follow the outskirts of the property by turning right (or south) and follow Danks Road on the eastern side of the property. There is one small parking lot on this road. This road will dead-end into Old Stage (not Old Stone) Road, which is follows the southern boundary (there is private land along all these roads so you have to find our access points). There is one parking lot here which takes you to a few small fields and a bit of oak woods. Taking the next right or heading north on Lake Kegonsa Road will allow you to skirt the western portion of the property –which we do not have access to. Remember, stay clear of the private land which borders our neighbors. Enjoy the property!

Friends Groups

Many groups have stepped up to the challenge of supporting Badfish Creek Wildlife Area. The USFWS staff and waterfowl stamp dollars helped provide the waterfowl scrapes. The Stoughton Conservation Club [Exit DNR] graciously helped finish the project when budgets were low. Recently, the Dane County Conservation League [Exit DNR] has taken interest in the property and hopes to help with funding and/or volunteer habitat work. The Friends of Badfish Creek [Exit DNR] is a new group focusing on the creek in the adjoining area. To lend a hand visit the Friends Group's websites.

History of Management

The property was acquired in the 1970’s from Stoughton Farms. Wildlife Managers planted tall-grass prairie in the northern fields along Old Stone Road. The interior uplands fields were predominantly cool season grass. There is a large percentage of the farm that is wetland, however too many acres are covered in canary and ragweed. There is some nice sedge in the western- especially southwestern corner of the property.

As funding allows we are using a forestry mover to reclaim brush and trees that have taken over grass fields and the wetlands. We hope to establish safe firebreaks with this tool and start mowing and burning on a more regular basis. This will encourage desired native vegetation and greatly improve the property. The greatest challenge to this property is the creek. It was altered to accommodate the Madison Metropolitan Sewage flow needs and restoring it to pre-settlement status is not possible.

Recreation Opportunities

The following recreational opportunities exist at Badfish Creek Wildlife Area:

Hunting - waterfowl, turkey, pheasant (stocked), deer Trapping - muskrat, beaver, otter Hiking Pets (Note) Berry picking - elderberry, raspberry, blackberry Firewood permits - We are trying to remove box elder along the roads. Contact the manager if you have an interest.

Cross country skiing - No groomed trails Fishing Canoeing - landing at the northern parking lot Wildlife Viewing Bird watching

Additional Information

Download [PDF 155KB] a map of this property.

Useful Links:

• Hunting in Wisconsin
• Hunting and Trapping Regulations
• Season Dates
• Dane County Information [Exit DNR]
• Plan your trip to Dane County [Exit DNR]

For more information on Badfish Creek Wildlife Area contact the property manager.

Questions for Wildlife Management