Tom Lawin Wildlife Area
Tom Lawin Wildlife Area is a 2,282-acre property located 2 miles southeast of Jim Falls in Central Chippewa County. The property consists of a diverse mixture of grasslands, wetlands, and forested habitat. This diversity offers quality habitat for waterfowl, pheasants, deer, turkey, furbearers, and other grassland-dependent birds like bobolink, meadowlarks, and sedge wrens. The Blanding’s turtle also calls the wetlands and grasslands on this property home.
The property lies within the Forest Transition ecological landscape and features elements of both southern and northern Wisconsin. This is especially evident in the Lawin Sedge Meadow State Natural Area that is embedded within the wildlife area. This natural area is an undisturbed expansive sedge meadow that harbors several plant species of greatest conservation need.
Tom Lawin is a hen-rooster pheasant-hunting property and stocked with pheasants during the pheasant season. Other great hunting opportunities include deer, waterfowl, and turkey. The property is also an eBird birding hotspot and offers the opportunity to see a variety of different species in its diverse habitats. Hunting is allowed in the Lawin Sedge Meadow State Natural Area of the property.
History
Originally called the Jim Falls Wildlife Area, the DNR leased hunting rights on 5,000 acres of private lands beginning in the 1950s. In 1991, the DNR began purchasing property in the area, establishing the Tom Lawin Wildlife Area. Since then, 2,282 acres have been purchased. In the recent past, 271 acres of wetlands on state-owned land have been restored. Agricultural fields have been slowly removed from a sharecropping program and converted into warm season grasses and forbs. A total of 212 acres of grasslands have been restored so far. The overall objective is to establish a 4,520-acre wildlife area.
Management objective
The management goal for this property is to provide quality grassland and wetland habitat for grassland-dependent game species like waterfowl and pheasant, along with nongame species like bobolink, meadowlarks, shorebirds, and turtles. The habitat also benefits other species like deer, turkeys, and furbearers. Planted prairies are managed through periodic mowing and prescribed fire to slow the growth of woody vegetation. Two flowages on the property are managed for moist soil habitat by water level manipulation to provide food for waterfowl and expose mudflats for migrating shorebirds.
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire currently holds an adopt-a-wildlife area agreement on the property to assist with management.
Where appropriate on forested acres, harvest of aspen and oak is done to regenerate these species and create a young forest habitat for grouse, woodcock, and other forest wildlife species.
This property also utilizes a unique farming agreement with precision agriculture and rotational row cropping. These practices provide food and cover for wildlife while also protecting soil and water quality. Hay is done to maintain cool-season grasses.
Visit the property planning for more information on master planning for this and other wildlife areas around the state.
Recreation
The Tom Lawin Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:
- Birding
- Cross-country skiing (no designated trail)
- Hiking (no designated trail)
- Hunting (noted for pheasant, deer, turkey and waterfowl)
- Trapping
- Wild edibles/gathering
- Wildlife viewing
Amenities
- Bathroom - none.
- Parking lot - multiple parking areas are available.
- Campground and size - none.
- Trails, Types and Lengths - none.
Maps
Download [PDF] a map of this property.
If you are interested in exploring this property further, you can access an interactive map.
