Buena Vista Wildlife Area is a 12,700-acre property located in southwestern Portage County. Buena Vista Wildlife Area consists of scattered parcels 10 miles east of Wisconsin Rapids and 4 miles south of Plover. The area is predominately grassland with some woodland.
This property is dominated by surrogate grasslands, which are dominated by non-native cool season grasses such as Canada bluegrass, orchard grass, timothy, Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome. Warm-season grasses such as big and little bluestem and switchgrass are found in scattered areas. Forests on the property occur as scattered woodlots, primarily aspen with lesser amounts of oak. 
The hydrology of this area has been greatly altered by ditching, drainage and groundwater withdrawals. Despite this, there are several designated trout streams, some of which have a considerably high density of brook trout. Much of the natural channel habitat has been altered, but some natural habitat remains that allows trout populations to persist. There are many trout fishing opportunities along the ditches present on the property. Additionally, the ditches and scattered ponds on the property provide opportunities for duck and goose hunting.
The property harbors a healthy population of other important grassland bird species including Henslow sparrows (state-threatened species), Short-eared owls, Upland sandpipers, Northern harriers, Bobolinks, Eastern and Western meadowlarks, American kestrels, State-threatened Regal Fritillary Butterflies, and Federally Endangered Karner Blue Butterflies to name a few. Birding experiences are plentiful throughout the year. Reservations can be made to view Greater prairie chickens from observation blinds in the spring. Frequently, visiting snowy owls can be observed in the winter.
On May 20,2026, Deb and I made the 3 hour drive to Stevens Point. That afternoon and the following day was exploring the grasslands and photographing some of the birds that we encountered. My primary target was the American Kestrel. I had some limited knowledge of the The Central Wisconsin Kestrel Research, https://www.wisconsinkestrels.org/, program which is based in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and works to better understand kestrel migration, territories, and nesting in order to reverse downward trends in their populations. Their small but mighty crew is made up of two staff, Janet and Amber Eschenbauch, both University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point graduates with degrees in Biology, and dedicated volunteers.
I was advised/warned by Amber before our trip that CWKR had a number of active nesting boxes in and around the Buena Vista Grasslands and also that the Kestrels are tough to photograph, as they have a low-tolerance Flight Initiation Distance (FID) —the distance at which an animal flushes or flees when approached. As one local photographer told me in the field, “the opportunity for good Kestrel shots is mostly luck”. During my time in the Grasslands I saw a good number of Kestrels, but it was not my lucky day.
On the other hand, I did have some “luck” adding to my bird list. To my surprise there were not only songbirds but also a number of waterfowl and shorebirds such as Dunlin, Wilson’s Phalarope, Killdeer, Semipalmated Plover, Sandhill Cranes and even a trio of Whooping Cranes.
The Grasslands are a great conservation achievement and are definitely a worthwhile outdoor experience! The area provides other outdoor experiences and plenty of lodging and dining options.