Attwater Prairie Chicken Wildlife Refuge (1 Viewer)

I am going to Houston with the family for spring break (first week of April).
I was hoping to see some Greater Prairie Chickens.
It looks as though, from the map, that most of the Attwater PC refuge is off limits to the public. What are my chances of seeing a PC if I just drive over there one morning?
Any help appreciated, and I am intersted in lots of other birds as well.

Ed

I think your chances are nil... Numbers are very, very low and the areas where they occur are off limits (http://www.greglasley.net/greatprairiechick.html).
I'd go to High Island or so instead to catch some early migrating warblers – although the most interesting ones probably would be breeding already (e.g. near Huntsville). I don't know what the current situation is with regards to Red-cockaded Woodpecker (which I missed when I was there ages ago).

Xenospiza said:

I think your chances are nil... Numbers are very, very low and the areas where they occur are off limits (http://www.greglasley.net/greatprairiechick.html).
I'd go to High Island or so instead to catch some early migrating warblers – although the most interesting ones probably would be breeding already (e.g. near Huntsville). I don't know what the current situation is with regards to Red-cockaded Woodpecker (which I missed when I was there ages ago).

Click to expand...

Well, it looks like there are tours to see GPC by the Houston Audubon on April 12 and 13, but I will not be there then.

Migrating Warblers? eh, that's ok, but we get loads of migrating warblers in Chicago, I guess I'm looking for something more particular to Texas and not available in Chicago.
I guess I'll go to Galveston.

Several years ago in early April, I got the opportunity to see the APC at the Nature Conservancy's Prairie Preserve in Texas City, TX. They had a blind (several hundred yards away from the birds) that overlooked the lek.

Here's the contact information for the Preserve:

Hours
Public access to the preserve is available through volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact the Texas City Prairie Preserve, 4702 Highway 146 North, Texas City, Texas, 77590, phone: (409) 945-4677

You might just get lucky and catch one of the few times per year that the preserve is open to the casual visitor.

Best of luck. If you'd like other help planning your trip, feel free to contact me at sgross77 AT comcast.net