Footville Wildlife Area
Footville Wildlife Area consists of 481 acres of state-owned land scattered throughout the greater Footville area of Rock County. Additionally, thousands of acres of privately leased land are open to the public through the Voluntary Public Access Program (VPA), which covers state-owned parcels. For more details, please refer to the Voluntary Public Access webpage.
The wildlife area's habitat is dominated by native upland prairie, wetlands, woodlands, and cropland. VPA parcels are primarily cropland, but also offer native prairie plantings, wetlands, and wooded acres.
Together, these properties provide public access for hunting, trapping, wildlife viewing, and other recreational opportunities.
Common game species include pheasants, mourning doves, turkeys, waterfowl, deer, and other small game species.
Management Objectives
Footville Wildlife Area started out as a leased Public Hunting Ground (PHG) area in the late 1940s, thanks to the gracious efforts of private landowners offering their land for public use. With the continued success of leasing lands (now under the Voluntary Public Access program), the department began purchasing parcels in the 1980s up to as recently as 2010 to provide perpetual public access on 481 acres, while the leased lands continue to vary in acreage.
Prescribed burning, mowing, invasive species control, timber stand improvement, and agriculture are the most common management practices. Management activities focus on establishing and/or maintaining the desirable uplands and wetlands that provide the necessities for various game and non-game species.
The Rock River Valley chapter of Pheasants Forever donated 365 acres to the department and continues to partner and assist with management efforts by providing prescribed burning, brushing, and invasive species control.
Visit the property planning for more information on master planning for this and other wildlife areas around the state.
Recreation
The Footville Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:
- Birding
- Cross-country skiing (no designated trail)
- Hiking (no designated trail)
- Hunting (noted for: pheasant, mourning dove, turkey, deer)
- Trapping
- Snowmobiling trail
- Wild edibles/gathering
- Wildlife viewing
Amenities
- Bathroom - none.
- Parking lot - yes.
- Campground and size - none.
- Trails, Types and Lengths - non-designated only.
Maps
Download maps of this property: Northern Unit and Southern Unit.
Explore nearby leased private properties for hunting: Rock County Voluntary Public Access.
If you are interested in exploring this property further, you can access an interactive map.
Find out more about how to adopt this wildlife area.