The 2025 Sharp-tailed Grouse Viewing Blind Reservation Schedule is Open!
Greetings Friends of the Barrens – want to watch the Sharp-tailed Grouse do their courtship dance this spring? Viewing blinds will be placed at three locations in the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area again this year, and can now be reserved on our website. There are reservation slots available throughout April and May. Tuesday through Thursday are currently reserved for official DNR Wildlife Management surveys.
There is a protocol to follow, also posted on our site. The protocol assures that the chances of viewers disturbing the grouse and interrupting mating will be minimized. Please follow the protocol and advice provided exactly. This year our webmaster has also posted an introductory video that helps explain the steps in reserving a blind.
To get to the reservation schedule, follow this link to the protocol page (https://www.namekagonbarrens.org/viewing-blinds/). Please be patient, as it takes a little while to load these pages on our site. You will need to create a new logon and password for this year (ones from previous years will no longer work).
Our Friends group requests a $20 donation for use of the blinds, which helps us provide funding for further education projects and habitat work in the Barrens. If you are not a member of our group, the $20 donation also covers your 2025 membership. Donations can be made by PayPal or credit or debit card on our website or by sending a check to our Treasurer, Gary Dunsmoor at N4961 Beaverbrook Ave, Spooner, WI 54801.
If you have any trouble reserving a blind, contact us at email.fnbwa@gmail.com and provide your phone number. We will be in touch to help with your reservation. Also, if you don’t find a date that works for you, check back later in the season in case of cancellations.
Enjoy the spring dance!