Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area

Today (1-12-18) I hiked at Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area, Hennepin Canal Visitors Center and Warnecke Woods Natural Area.

Temperatures were cold today, maybe 20 degrees. I hiked several miles through all three of the the parks, mostly on trails or roadways. The photograph above is on a rough utility road off the main road through Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area.

Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area

(Located in Bureau County west of Buda, IL)

Today is the first time I have been here since I fished here in early September 2017. The roadway is blocked off just after the first parking lot (Boss Lake). There is a pit toilet in the parking lot that was open. I walked back past all the lakes and made the one-way loop around the lake near the northwest corner of the park. It was a very easy hike with plenty of good scenery.

I saw a dark colored squirrel run across the road in front of me. I saw a few blue jays, some smaller birds I couldn't identify and a group of about 20 cedar waxwing. I saw a large bird fly down from a tree at the edge of a field but it was too far off in the distance for me to identify.

Hennepin Canal Visitors Center

(16006 875 East St., Sheffield, IL 61361)

I parked in the back parking lot after the maintenance building. There is an out-house that was open near that parking lot. I walked down the path to the west under Interstate 80. I continued for a little while but that portion of the trail is surrounded by fields so the wind was blowing hard and it was cold. I went back to my original starting point and walked east toward the visitors center. This portion of the trail is between two groups of trees that acts as a wind break.

I saw and heard a few birds but couldn't identify any of them. I also saw a white-tailed deer. I saw what looked like a Mississippi green water snake that was frozen on top the ice.

Warnecke Woods Natural Area

(41-1835 N. Ave., Princeton, Illinois, 61356)

I just found this area while I was driving around. I took the last trail map they had out for information. There are some places to park in the grass. There are two trails (blue and orange). I hiked the orange trail. The orange trail is .5 miles long and goes up and down a steep ridge. The blue trail is .2 miles long and connects to the orange trail. The trails aren't very well laid out and you have to pay attention to the trail markers or it is easy to find yourself off trail.

I saw three white-tailed deer that I scared up while I was hiking.