As the weather continues to improve, people and animals will begin to cross paths more often, especially for those that camp or hike trails.

Guthrie County Conservation Director Brad Halterman says that there are many different species of wildlife that campers and hikers can come across in Guthrie County. He mentions that at Nations Bridge Park, visitors might be able to see some nesting geese, deer, turkeys and many different songbirds. Halterman tells Raccoon Valley Radio that for those hiking the Raccoon River Valley Trail system, there are some other animals that can be found as well.

“I will tell you this too, there’s an awful lot of stuff you can see if you’re kind of more on the quiet side out on that trail too. For instance, this year, already working out on the trail, we’ve seen fox(es), we’ve seen coyote(s), we’ve seen deer, we’ve seen turkeys, we’ve even seen some bobcats a couple different times.”

Halterman adds that at Lennon Mills Park by Panora, visitors can see many of the same animals as Nations Bridge Park, but that since it sits on the Middle Raccoon River, ducks frequent the area. He explains that all across the county, rabbits, squirrels, opossums and raccoons are other common wildlife.