Hunting & Fishing Information for Illinois
IDNR Newsbits - December 2015
December 30, 2015
With a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund and other support, the Wetlands Initiative (TWI) is adding new educational signage at its Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin & Hopper Lakes, located south of the village of Hennepin in Putnam County.
December 29, 2015
Many catch-and-release fishing tournaments require anglers to hold fish on board for hours at a time, but do live wells get too hot for fish?
December 28, 2015
Illinois’ budget crunch built as a story in 2015 and will likely be the top story, for better or worse, in 2016 around Illinois outdoors.
December 25, 2015
MERRY CHRISTMAS
December 23, 2015
Earlier this month conservation police officer Ron Palumbo, whose home base is Whiteside County, completed an investigation that started with a call to the Target Illinois Poachers (T.I.P.) hotline and ended with arrests.
December 22, 2015
The two are something like an odd couple in the fight to restore the river to health.
African lions will now protected by the Endangered Species Act, according to a new measure initiated by the Obama administration and revealed by representatives of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
December 19 - 20, 2015
It’s been very cold the past few nights and the morning temperatures had ice on puddles and unheated dog bowls. Some of the very small ponds may have had some ice cover, but nothing safe to step out on.
I’m glad the winter show season around Chicago outdoors seems to have sorted itself out.
December 18, 2015
Police: Animal control officer killed squirrel by stomping on its head
McHenry County Animal Control officer is no longer an "active employee" of the agency after officials said he killed a squirrel by stomping on its head.
Coyote encounter: A deeper understanding of the wild dog
It was a wily one all right. Early one recent morning, as the dog and I started on our walk, we were heading up a nearby street that runs past a forest preserve when I caught a bit of movement out of the corner of my eye. And then, quickly, the wild thing slipped across the street and into the thicket, apparently headed home.
December 17, 2015
Long-term Asian carp solution elusive
For years, we've heard about how Asian carp could destroy the Great Lakes ecosystem, but the effort to keep the carp out of the lakes is not going well.
Wisconsin and Illinois wetland has international importance
The Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain is one special wetland.
OUTDOORS: Preseason and season scouting don't always work
OUTDOORS: Preseason and season scouting don't always work
I know I have spoken about preseason scouting for turkey and deer hunting. I even do it long before the trapping season starts. With crop rotation and conservation reserve programs, animals change their habits in pursuit of the food chain.
December 16, 2015
Tree recycling offered
December 16, 2015
It's not too soon to be thinking about what you will do with that Christmas tree after Christmas. The Mt. Vernon Parks and Recreation Department is offering its annual Christmas tree recycling program, in conjunction with Republic Services, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Revenue.
If you are still in a quandary of what to get for an outdoorsie for Christmas, here are four suggestions. They all enhance creature comfort while in the great outdoors.
December 15, 2015
City prepares for "worst-case" dam scenario
December 15, 2015
City prepares for "worst-case" dam scenario
If an earthquake, tornado or other natural disaster ripped through the city, one raging consequence could be a wave of water from failure of the Lake Decatur dam.
December 14, 2015
Illinois' free upland game permit program: Really cool
A cackle–that heart-stopping unmistakable call of a male pheasant–lifted from the prairie just yards off the small parking area at Nachusa Prairie State Habitat Area. The sound lifted, not the pheasant.
December 14, 2015
Illinois' free upland game permit program: Really cool
A cackle–that heart-stopping unmistakable call of a male pheasant–lifted from the prairie just yards off the small parking area at Nachusa Prairie State Habitat Area. The sound lifted, not the pheasant.
December 12 - 13, 2015
Congress should preserve conservation program
To no surprise, Congress has taken something that was working well and injected political ideology to make things worse.
Humane Society director urges objections to bobcat hunting
The U.S. Humane Society has not given up its fight against hunting bobcats in Illinois, the state director told Southern Illinois animal welfare advocates earlier this week.
The white-tailed deer rut was at its peak with a monster buck aggressively pursuing a fleeing doe.
Firearms deer hunt increases 13%
Illinois hunters killed 28,803 whitetail deer last week in the final four days of the two-part firearms deer season, bringing the total for the split, seven-day season to 86,771 — up more than 13 percent from last year's firearms take of 76,575.
Report shows $11.68 million in deferred maintenance at area state parks
More than $11 million in capital improvements are needed for three area state parks, a report says.
December 11, 2015
Some counties closed for deer seasons
December 11, 2015
Some counties closed for deer seasons
Some hunters expecting to used un-filled whitetail deer permits may be disappointed to learn that the county that their permits were issued for has been “Newly-Closed” by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
There were more deer harvested during this year’s firearm deer hunting season in Illinois than last year. But that’s not the only number that rose from the previous season.
December 10, 2015
Illinois Second Shotgun Season has Success and Increase
December 10, 2015
Illinois Second Shotgun Season has Success and Increase
Deer hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 86,771 deer during the seven-day Firearm Deer Season that closed on Sunday, Dec. 6. That figure compares to 76,575 deer harvested during the seven days of firearm season in 2014.
Illinois Rep. Mike Bost sent a letter to the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this week, urging a halt to the potential construction of the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway project in Missouri.
Thousands of reports are produced every year assessing the effects of different conservation policies and programs, but much of this valuable information is never read. Researchers from the University of Illinois and five other institutions collaborated to highlight the merits of a new technique—creation of evidence maps— to ensure research findings are more visible and accessible. The article appears in Nature today.
The Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) today announced that applications are being accepted for the 2016 Conservation Achievement Scholarship program. This prestigious award is given to outstanding high school seniors in Illinois who demonstrate effective, voluntary, long-term dedications to the preservation, protection or enhancement of the state’s natural resources. Up to three scholarships of $2,000 each are available for the 2016-17 school year.
Some years back I traveled to the state of Nebraska for a very different type of hunting. We were going after sandhill cranes. I had never hunted the cranes in my life, so this was to be a real learning experience.
December 9, 2015
Charges filed in Knox County in over-limit deer hunting case
Arrests have been made after an investigation into over limit deer hunting.
MCCD inviting public to tour conservation areas
December 9, 2015
Charges filed in Knox County in over-limit deer hunting case
Arrests have been made after an investigation into over limit deer hunting.
MCCD inviting public to tour conservation areas
The Macon County Conservation District is inviting central Illinois residents to take a tour of several conservation areas this winter.
Bald Eagle Viewing Event Held at Locations Along the Fox River This Weekend
Bald Eagle Viewing Event Held at Locations Along the Fox River This Weekend
Area birders or those simply interested in the majestic beauty of the bald eagle are invited out to a free event this Saturday, which will celebrate the return of eagles to the Fox River Valley.
December 8, 2015
No New News
December 7, 2015
Deer check-in stations among the hunting traditions that got away
December 8, 2015
No New News
December 7, 2015
Deer season isn't what it used to be, at least at Twin Oaks Club and other sites that used to host deer check-in stations.
Deer hunters statewide are encouraged to allow samples to be taken for chronic wasting disease from adult deer they harvest.
December 4, 2015
Sharpshooters to cull deer again
The Forest Preserve District of Will County will again use sharpshooters to reduce deer populations in a dozen targeted forest preserve sites to control damage to habitat by over-browsing.
George Little: Hunters take most deer at close range
December 4, 2015
Sharpshooters to cull deer again
The Forest Preserve District of Will County will again use sharpshooters to reduce deer populations in a dozen targeted forest preserve sites to control damage to habitat by over-browsing.
George Little: Hunters take most deer at close range
Most of the time, putting a deer in the freezer or over the fireplace doesn’t have much to do with how far your gun will shoot. It is more likely to hinge on being in the right place at the right time, then staying calm while you line up the sights.
December 3, 2015
Deerly departed ‘Tis the season, and it would be nice if all deer could fly. As harvest season ends and hunting season begins, the roads see a spike in the number of deer vs. vehicle accidents and that can make a mess of both cars and roads. |
December 1, 2015
Hunters in the Heartland with disabilities will be able to enjoy the fun of hunting during this coming goose season at Rend Lake in Illinois.
Randolph County led the way in the most deer taken after the first weekend of firearm season according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.