In the Know - Hale Wildlife Area Updates
If you frequent the Hale Wildlife Area, you’ve likely heard the growl or buzz of either a forestry mower or chainsaw throughout the past year. Our staff has been attacking some pretty aggressive smooth sumac and grey dogwood populations throughout the entire site, working towards eliminating it from higher quality sections, but also simply scaling down the populations into manageable pockets for some habitat diversity in strategic sections. Have no fear, areas that are mowed off this season will recover in the following season, with less competition against the more desired flowers and grass struggling beneath the layer of invasive shrubs.
Work has also been done to provide better access to some of the ponds and wetland areas, opening gaps in the brush and peeling away layers of cattail skirting the edges of some of these areas.
The Hale Wildlife Area, a 260-acre area, located northeast of Hale, includes 6 ponds, 8 wetlands, 197 acres of upland and prairie and 45 acres of trees. It is the perfect location for fishing, hiking, or an afternoon of hunting.
This past year 158 acres of land adjacent to the Hale Wildlife Area was enrolled in the Iowa Habitat and Access (IHAP) program. A program where landowners receive funding and expertise for habitat improvements when they enroll in the program, and in turn allow public access to their land for hunting. This section can only be accessed through the Hale Wildlife Area. For more information and a map of the IHAP area boundaries adjacent to the Hale Wildlife Area click here. https://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Places-to-Hunt-Shoot/Habitat-Access-Program (Wait for a few seconds for the map to load. Read and agree to the user agreement to see the map boundaries. Click on more info to learn more about IHAP in Iowa.)
