Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Sand Creek Wildlife Area, a birder, hunter’s paradise
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Jul. 2, 2024 3:09 pm
Tucked in to the rolling hills of southern Iowa’s Decatur County is Sand Creek Wildlife Area, a 3,700-acre destination for deer hunters and bird watchers.
Here, cell service disappears and nature’s sounds take over. This isn’t a white noise machine. It’s the real thing.
“It’s one of our most popular areas because of its size and location,” said Chad Paup, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
“This area has everything Iowa has to offer. It draws a lot of people from the Des Moines area and from outside of Iowa.”
Sand Creek is a mix of reconstructed prairie and open spaces, with timber and river bottom flood plains interspersed. The area management plan has prioritized improving the timber component since 2015, and Paup said the nearby Grand River Wildlife Unit has been working toward that goal by removing cedars and invasive species to benefit turkeys, quail and woodland bird species.
“That work is paying dividends,” he said. “You can see some improvements on the area and in the stands. It’s pretty cool.”
Staff also maintain an extensive network of firebreaks, he said, that allows them to use prescribed fire as a management tool on 200-500 acres each year. The firebreaks could also be used to hike through Sand Creek and by hunters looking for an assist with dragging out a deer.
Staff partner with some of their neighboring farmers on mowing, cropping and habitat work. For that effort, they are allowed to harvest up to 90% of the crops — the remaining 10% will stay as a food plot.
Because of Sand Creek’s size and habitat diversity, wildlife researchers have spent time here, documenting the different species of animals that call the area home.
The Multiple Species Inventory and Monitoring team has documented sightings of the common nighthawk, hairy woodpecker, great crested fly catcher, white-crowned sparrow, yellow-breasted chat and northern flicker.
The crew documented 11 bat species and more than 60 species of butterflies, including regal fritillaries.
Sand Creek Woodland/Savanna was named Iowa’s 15th Bird Conservation Area in early 2010. The designation encompasses more than 30,000 acres of woodland and grassland habitat on public and private land in Decatur, Ringgold and Union counties.
The Sand Creek Woodland/Savanna Bird Conservation Area contains both woodland and grassland habitats providing homes to about half of Iowa’s nesting bird species.