OAKLAND CITY – There are only three National Wildlife Refuges in Indiana, and one is practically right around the corner.
Each is designed to protect and preserve the diverse wildlife and animal habitats located in the area. Did you happen to know that one of them is just up the road in Pike and Gibson Counties? Oh, and it is free and open to all.
Established in 1994, the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area currently encompasses over 30,000 acres of wetlands, floodplain forest and uplands along 30 miles of the Patoka River corridor. The office located in Oakland City is open Monday through Friday with attendees welcome to visit the refuge during daylight hours.
Heath Hamilton, the wildlife refuge specialist, welcomes all families looking for a place to get outdoors and view nature.
“There was once a vast acreage of bottomland and hardwood forest in the Midwest,” Hamilton said. “A lot of that has been cleared and altered by man. This place is unique in that there was still some of that remaining. Our mission is the protection and restoration and enhancement of plants and wildlife in their habitats.”
For anyone interested in making the hour drive from Evansville to the wildlife refuge, the area offers what Hamilton calls the “Big Six:” hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education and interpretation.
The Wildlife Refuge supports waterfowl, deer, quail, turkey, squirrels, rabbits and other game species. Refuge hunting seasons generally follow state regulations. The refuge maintains special conditions that must be followed while hunting there.
There are also 11 miles of hiking trails, fishing from the bank or in a boat or learning about the wildlife protected by the National Wildlife Refuge System, which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The area is not to be confused with Patoka Lake, which is spread across Dubois, Crawford and Orange counties.
“Yearly, we estimate about 25,000 visitors,” Hamilton said. “The refuge is actively growing. When Congress established the boundary, it was about 22,500 acres. We are allowed to buy land from willing sellers. To date, we have purchased 9,007 acres. We have a ways to go, but we always have willing sellers.”
While there are several attractions for the Wildlife Refuge, the main one is and always will be the wildlife itself. The area has documented over 250 species of birds, 41 mammals, over 60 reptiles and amphibians and more than 100 species of fish.
The Patoka River Wildlife Refuge is home to four federally threatened and endangered species and more than 80 state threatened and endangered species.
Some of the "bigger ticket” items that get people excited are the river otters and the whooping crane. The refuge is also home to a variety of ducks, reptiles and even bobcats.
“We get a lot of wildlife watchers,” Hamilton said. “The (wildlife) is so broad that it attracts people from all over the place. The biodiversity thing happens because of the diversity of habitats here. We have everything from wetlands to bottomland and hardwood forest to upland forest to prairie habitats.”
If planning a visit, Hamilton suggests using the Snakey Point Marsh Complex as the best public access site to the refuge. Property maps can be found at the refuge office or online at fws.gov/refuge/Patoka_River/. Appropriate footwear and planning for the weather is recommended.