Big Oaks Conservation Society

07/21/2026

Lodge day
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sat, Sep 19, 2026

07/21/2026

Ice cream social
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Mon, Aug 3, 2026
At the Oakdale Schoolhouse

06/23/2026

The weather was great for to Saturday's Take-A-Kid Fishing Day at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge. 112 Kids and 85 parents, grandparents and volunteers joined together to enjoy a full day of fishing, free food and prizes at Old Timbers Lake. Besides getting kids outdoors to fish, the Big Oaks Conservation Society hosted casting contests, mammal exhibits, scavenger hunts and an air archery range. Cane pole construction was another popular event and everyone had their fill of hot dogs, sodas and snacks. Bait was donated by Grandpas bait shop and SCC tackle. Prizes were provided by a grant from the Bethany Circle Foundation and the Big Oaks Conservation Society. Besides providing a great family day, the Big Oaks Conservation Society used the day as another opportunity to inform the public of the threat of the Refuge being closed. The Fish and Wildlife Service is still in talks to withdraw the service from the memorandum of agreement it has signed with the Army to run the Refuge on the site of the former Jefferson Proving Grounds.

06/09/2026

On June 20th for the Take a Kid Fishing Day event go straight to the refuge gate. Go to the old main JPG entrance and take the first right, right after the old guard shack. This will lead you to the white trailer that acts as the refuge entrance gate. No need to go to refuge office…..

06/08/2026

05/15/2026

Monday, May 18, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. is the Big Oaks Conservation Society’s annual meeting for its membership at the refuge office bay. You will be able to join as a new member or renew your memberships, watch the safety briefing, and purchase passes at this time. This is an annual meeting to share board business, not a forum for the Fish & Wildlife Service. However, BOCS will share what it knows with you. The Fish & Wildlife Service will not be available to speak with the press or to comment about the status of the refuge. We invite you to socialize with other members and enjoy the opportunity to get your passes to enjoy the public use days. If not current with your membership please join/rejoin at this meeting!

12/11/2025

Big Oaks staff, interns and friends had a jolly time in the Madison Christmas Parade this past Saturday. 🎄🎁

12/04/2025

Here's the video of the owls release from Sunday, November 30, 2025.

12/04/2025

Barred Owl Found on Refuge: Rehabilitated & Released
A Big Thank You to Nature’s Nest Wildlife Rehabilitation!

A barred owl was found on Sunday, November 23, on a road by hunt unit 64. The owl seemed to have been struck by a vehicle and was disoriented and could not fly. Based on its size we think it was a male. We gathered and secured him for transport to Nature’s Nest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Jefferson County. Upon arrival, Dana took over to help this owl back to adequate health. Dana stated that, “he spent one week in care. Luckily, he suffered a concussion only. No broken bones, he was a fortunate bird. I treated him with anti-inflammatories and supportive care. When birds of prey come in with head trauma, they usually don’t feel well enough to eat. So we have to cut up their mice and hand-feed them. When he was finally eating on his own after a while and showing normal owl behavior, that’s when I flight tested him. He passed with flying colors! He did great!” Once the barred owl passed his flight test, it was released close to where it was originally found. The owl was released on November 30 at Big Oaks. Check out Nature’s Nest Wildlife Rehabilitation page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574209799262) to learn more about Dana, this owl, and other furry friends they helped rehabilitate. Thank you again, Dana () . Everyone at Big Oaks appreciates all your help.

12/02/2025

Read all about EHD in our latest blog post, linked below.

This dead-head was found at Big Oaks, it is suspected to have died from EHD. BOCS PhotoHemorrhagic Disease (HD) is caused by one of two viruses, epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) virus or blue-tongue (BT) virus. Although the two viruses have non-distinguishable symptoms, they differ genetically. H...