Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area
🏆🏆🏆 Bureau County Wetlands — Managed wetlands and uplands near the Illinois River — quality waterfowl hunting and fishing
Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area manages wetlands and uplands in Bureau County near the Illinois River. Named for a local legislator, the site provides quality waterfowl hunting opportunities and access to some of the best catfish and bass fishing in the Illinois River system. Bureau County sits in the heart of the Illinois River valley — historically the richest waterfowl flyway in the state.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Bureau County, IL |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| Hunting | Quality waterfowl opportunities! |
About Mautino
Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area in Bureau County provides hunting and fishing in the Illinois River valley. The area’s wetlands and managed food plots attract waterfowl on the Mississippi Flyway, while the upland grasslands support pheasants and deer.
Things to Do
Hunting (waterfowl, pheasant, deer), fishing, and birdwatching during the spring and fall migrations. The Illinois River valley location ensures excellent waterfowl hunting.
About Mautino
Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area in Bureau County provides outdoor recreation in the Illinois River valley. The area preserves habitat for game species and migratory birds in one of the most important waterfowl corridors in North America. The Illinois River valley has been a duck hunting destination for over a century.
Things to Do
Waterfowl hunting (seasonal), upland game hunting, fishing, birdwatching during spring and fall migration, and wildlife observation in the Illinois River corridor.
Insider Tips
Bureau County habitat: Mautino FWA manages grassland, wetland, and woodland habitat for wildlife. Pro tip: The mix of habitats makes this an excellent birding area — grassland species (dickcissels, bobolinks) and woodland species (wood thrush, scarlet tanager) can be found within walking distance. Pheasant management: The site manages food plots and cover strips specifically for ring-necked pheasants.
Best Time to Visit
Spring: Breeding bird season — peak songbird diversity. Fall: Pheasant season and fall migration. Summer: Prairie wildflowers and butterflies. Winter: Winter raptor watching — rough-legged hawks and short-eared owls.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are food plots?
Wildlife managers plant small fields of grain (corn, milo, sunflowers) specifically to feed game birds and other wildlife through winter. Food plots combined with native grass cover create the habitat mix that pheasants, quail, and other game birds need to survive. Without managed food sources, many upland birds cannot survive harsh Illinois winters.
Wildlife & Nature
Mautino State Fish and Wildlife Area — named for former Illinois state legislator Joseph Mautino — provides hunting and fishing access in Bureau County’s agricultural landscape. The area’s restored grasslands and wetlands create habitat diversity in an otherwise intensively farmed region. Ring-necked pheasants — the state’s most popular upland game bird — thrive in the grassy cover. Mourning doves — the most hunted migratory bird in North America with 20+ million taken annually — breed in the scattered trees. Northern bobwhite quail — once the iconic sound of rural Illinois — have declined 85% since 1966 due to habitat loss. Conservation efforts at sites like Mautino aim to reverse this trend through habitat restoration. Red-winged blackbirds nest in the wetland margins by the hundreds.
Nearby Attractions
Bureau County offers rural Illinois charm. Starved Rock State Park is 20 miles south with spectacular sandstone canyons. Hennepin Canal Parkway provides 100+ miles of trail. Princeton — the county seat — has the Bureau County Historical Museum. Matthiessen State Park offers additional canyon hiking. Illinois Valley area provides diverse outdoor recreation. Peru has the Illinois Valley YMCA and community events.
Park Location
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