Please Keep Your Dog on Leash

Help protect Pheasant Branch’s birds and animals and other Conservancy users by keeping your dog on a leash when you visit.

Family and dog enjoying the trail at Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton, Wisconsin
Photo credit: Samantha Haas

LEASHED dogs are welcome in Pheasant Branch Conservancy.

Important considerations include:

  • Local birding experts report declines in grassland bird populations in the Conservancy since 2013.
  • The prairie provides important habitat for ground-nesting birds; this habitat is threatened from off-trail walking and off-leash dogs.
  • The presence of dogs in the tall grass impacts successful bird breeding.
  • Leashing your dog is courteous to your neighbors.
  • Leashing prevents dogs from chasing animals, people, or bikes.
  • Seniors, children, and people with cognitive and/or physical limitations use the trails.
  • Dogs on leash are much SAFER for EVERYONE!
Article | By Gary Sater

Feathers, Trails and Tails at Pheasant Branch Conservancy

Read a recap of this Eagle Scout program that educated visitors about the Conservancy’s leashed-dog policies.

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Article | By Hans Hilbert

Eagles in Pheasant Branch, distance for their future

It’s important to give Pheasant Branch’s bald eagles their space, especially in the early when they are building their nests and raising their young.

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Article

Our Pheasant Branch Conservancy Bald Eagles

Get a glimpse of the recent activity of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s pair of nesting bald eagles.

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