The St. Francis Wildlife Area is located three miles west and two south of St. Francis. The area is bisected by the Republican River, and is a mixture of grasslands, crop fields and riparian timber. The grasslands are occasionally grazed or burned in the spring to increase range health. Food plots are planted and many consist of wheat, corn, milo, sunflower and alfalfa. WILDLIFE White-tailed deer, Mule deer and Rio Grande turkeys are transient visitors moving on and off the area throughout the year. Spring turkey hunting has been known to produce some exciting action! Pheasant and quail populations are low, but do provide some hunting opportunity. During the spring and fall, however, a small number of ducks use the Republican River and the St. Francis Wildlife Area ponds as a resting area. FISHING Two sandpits are located on the St. Francis Wildlife Area, one on each side of the river. These pits are stocked with channel catfish, largemouth bass and bluegill. Quality fishing opportunities are limited due to the pressure these ponds receive. The North Pit is open to walk-in fishing only, while the South pit provides easy vehicle access to the shoreline.