Schroeder Mink Ranch Traditional Cache

In the 1962 the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers were authorized to build a flood control dam.  The Corps bought the land (8,569 acres) and removed the houses and buildings. This cache is placed near the Old Highway 131 Trail at the location of a large mink ranch that was removed for the Dam Project. The cache contains a photograph of the mink operation, which allows the finder to see how things have changed.

The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is an 8,569 acre tract of land located between the villages of La Farge and Ontario in southwestern Wisconsin. Its history, resources, administration, and recreational diversity make it unique - a place like no other.

The Kickapoo River, prone to seasonal flooding, was slated to be dammed as part of a flood control project by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s-1970s. After many long-time families were removed from this floodplain in anticipation of the creation of La Farge Lake, the project was scrapped. Instead, the area was allowed to return to its natural state, and in 2001, 8569 acres were designated as the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. The Reserve is a destination for low-impact ecotourism, bringing paddlers, hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers into the hills and valleys. The Kickapoo Reserve Management Board (Board) is an eleven-member citizen board  that is attached to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. The Board manages the Reserve on behalf of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the State of Wisconsin.

The Old Highway 131 Trail used to be the main road through the area. It is easily accessible by hikers, bikes and horses. The cache is placed along a trail that diverges from the Old Highway 131 Trail. In the summer, be sure to apply bug spray as the gnats and mosquitoes can be quite bad.

The container is a camouflaged pvc pipe with caps. Good luck!