IDNR Newsbits for October 2017

The Illinois DNR Newsbits is a monthly publication by the IDNR giving constituents of Illinois the '411'.  These issues are geared toward the outdoor enthusiast on a wide array of topics.   However, if you are a trapper in Illinois, this issue is for you. Don't get us wrong, there are some great events going on this month but there are plenty of opportunities here for the trapper.  

Look below.  

The IDNR forgot to mention one thing in this month's newsbits and that's the Illinois Trout Opener October 21, 2017.  Find out where you can go trout fishing across the state. 

Illinois DNR Newsbits for October 2017

Youth Deer Permits: Resident and non-resident Illinois Youth Firearm Deer permits are available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors. The Youth Deer Hunt is Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 7-9.

Firearm Deer Permits: Over-the-counter sales of remaining 2017 Illinois Firearm Deer Permits will begin on Oct. 17. Permits will be sold until quotas are exhausted or until the close of the season, whichever occurs first. Individual hunters can purchase one or more permits beginning Oct. 17, subject to availability.

Resident Archery Deer Permits: Resident combination and antlerless-only archery deer permits are available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors. Find a vendor link here: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/LPR/Pages/LicensePermitVendors.aspx

Non-Resident Archery Deer Permits: Illinois Non-Resident Archery Deer combination permits are available over-the-counter (OTC) from DNR Direct license and permit vendors. The Illinois Archery Deer Season is open through Jan. 14, 2018 (except closed during firearm deer season in counties open to firearm deer hunting).

CWD Sampling: Deer hunters statewide in Illinois are encouraged to allow samples to be taken for chronic wasting disease (CWD) sampling from adult deer they harvest. For a list of locations that are serving as CWD sampling stations, taking samples from entire deer or deer heads through the end of the archery season in January 2018, click on this link:
https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/programs/CWD/Documents/CWDSamplingLocations.pdf

Public Hunting Areas Report: The latest edition of the IDNR Illinois Public Hunting Areas Report – with details on public lands hunting effort and harvest – is available online on the IDNR website at this link: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/IllinoisPublicHuntingAreasReport.2016.2017.pdf

Learn to Hunt: The Illinois Hunter Recruitment Program provides free education and training workshops to teach adult participants how to hunt deer, turkey, squirrels, pheasants, ducks, geese and other game. Waterfowl and terrestrial game workshops are open to individuals who have not previously hunted those species. Advanced registration is required to participate in workshops. No FOID card or prior shooting or hunting experience is needed to participate. Check the schedule of upcoming workshops and register today: https://publish.illinois.edu/hunttrapillinois/upcoming-workshops/

Pumpkins, Spinning and Weaving at the Illinois State Museum: Get an early jump on Halloween at the Pumpkinpalooza Super Saturday event on Sat., Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield. Ninety-five percent of pumpkins processed in the U.S. are grown in Illinois. Pumpkinpalooza visitors will be able to learn more about this important crop with educational displays, games, pumpkin seed tasting, and crafts including making a decoupage jack-o-lantern candle holder. In addition, in recognition of National Spinning and Weaving week, members of the Prairie Weavers Guild will demonstrate various methods of spinning and weaving at the Illinois State Museum on Oct. 7. Guild members will be spinning wool, with examples of various kinds of yarn, and cotton from seed to thread. Visitors will be able to observe loom weaving on table, rigid heddle, inkle and potholder looms. For additional information on these events, email events@illinoisstatemuseum.org or phone 217-558-6696. The Illinois State Museum is located at 502 South Spring St. in Springfield.

Candlelight Walk at New Salem: Come and experience Lincoln’s New Salem after dark. Candle lanterns will illuminate the 1830s village while fireplaces entice visitors into many of the log buildings during the annual Candlelight Walk at Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Oct. 6-8, from 7 to 9 p.m. The Candlelight Walk offers the only opportunity to see the village at night. The event is free and open to the public, sponsored by Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site and the New Salem Lincoln League. New Salem, administered by the IDNR, is located two miles south of Petersburg and 20 miles northwest of Springfield on IL Route 97.

Scenic Drive Events at Dickson Mounds: Dickson Mounds Museum is hosting a variety of activities Oct. 7-8 and 14-15 as part of the Spoon River Scenic Drive. Learn what life was like on the Illinois frontier at the Rendezvous Encampment at Dickson Mounds. View flint knapping demonstrations and learn about the different techniques these craftsmen use to create various stone tools. Enjoy live music by the Bug Trotters, a group of friends who get together to play Old Time Square Dance music. Admission to the Museum, as well as all Scenic Drive Weekend event activities, is free. Donations are appreciated. The Illinois State Museum-Dickson Mounds is located between Lewistown and Havana off Illinois Routes 78 and 97. The museum is open free to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. For more information, call 309-547-3721 or online at the Dickson Mounds link on the Illinois State Museum website at www.illinoisstatemuseum.org.

Columbus Day Observance at Cahokia Mounds: A program by representatives of the Iroquois/Six Nations-Haudenosaunee will be held at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site on Sun., Oct. 8, at 3:00 p.m., in the Interpretive Center lobby. Doug George (Mohawk Iroquois) and Grammy Award-winning singer Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida Iroquois) will present “Honoring the First People of this Land,” a spoken presentation with a song. After the presentation, attendees will be invited to Monks Mound for closing statements. This is a free event and no reservations are required. The program is part of the Native Studies Cultural Series of four events sponsored by SIU Edwardsville during the Columbus Day weekend. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, administered by the IDNR, is located in Collinsville off of Interstates 55/70 (Exit 6) and Interstate 255 (Exit 24) on Collinsville Road. For more information call 618-346-5160 or go to www.cahokiamounds.org.

Sandburg Songbag on Oct. 8: Galesburg’s No Reason will perform atmospheric folk-pop music at the Sandburg Songbag Concert on Sun., Oct. 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Carl Sandburg State Historic Site in Galesburg. Members of No Reason are Jon Wellerdieck, Dan Yasenko, Jim Lindberg, Tammy Rankin, and George Mehall. In addition to vocals, they perform on a range of instruments including guitar, mandolin, resophonic guitar, viola, and percussion. The performance by No Reason will be in the Sandburg Site’s Barn, 313 E. Third Street, Galesburg. A donation of $5 per person is suggested. The concert is sponsored by the Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association and the IDNR.

Shelbyville WMA Trapping: Shelbyville State Wildlife Management Area will conduct trapping drawings for 20 areas at the site on Sat., Oct. 7 at the site office, located one mile east of Bethany (and six miles west of Sullivan) on Route 121. Registration is from 12 noon until 1:00 p.m., with the drawing at 1:00. Participants must have a current 2017 trapping license and habitat stamp, must be present at the time of the drawing, must obtain a windshield card through the IDNR website, and must report harvest from trapping online before Feb. 15, 2018. For more information, contact the site office at 217-665-3112.

JEPC Trapping Permits: A public drawing for the allocation of trapping permits at Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area will be held on Sat., Oct. 7 at 1:30 p.m. Registration will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the site headquarters, located approximately five miles southeast of Chandlerville. One permit for each of the five trapping zones will be allocated through a lottery-type drawing. All persons attempting to enter the drawing must be in attendance and have a current 2017 trapping license in their possession. DP (Dog Proof) Traps, live traps, and traps of similar action may be used. Homemade dog-proof traps must be designed with a foothold trap no larger than a #2 in an enclosed wood, metal, or durable plastic container with a single access opening of no larger than 1.5 inches in diameter. All body-gripping traps must be totally submerged. For more information, contact Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area at 217-452-7741.

Music at the Museum: Music historian and songwriter Bucky Halker performs at the October “Music at the Museum” concert at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield on Thurs., Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. More information: http://www.illinoisstatemuseum.org/content/music-museum-bucky-halker

Furbearer Drawing for Nine Sites on Oct. 14: IDNR will conduct a public drawing for the allocation of trapping and/or raccoon hunting permits for nine (9) different state sites (see list below). The drawing will be held at Siloam Springs State Park - for all 9 sites - on Sat., Oct. 14, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Registration will begin at 10:00 a.m. The site permits for trapping and raccoon hunting will be good for a two-year period. All persons entering the drawing must be at least 16 years of age (there will be a special drawing for three designated youth trapping sites at Siloam Springs State Park limited to kids 15 years of age and under) and have a current 2017 trapping/hunting license and habitat stamp. Persons whose names are drawn must be in attendance. Site specific trapping regulations for each site will be provided at the drawing. For further information contact Siloam Springs State Park at 217-894-6205 or the Pittsfield IDNR Field Office at 217-285-2221. Sites available:
Siloam Springs State Park (trapping and raccoon hunting)
Buckhorn Unit (trapping and raccoon hunting)
Fall Creek (trapping)
East Hannibal (trapping)
Ray Norbut Fish and Wildlife Area (trapping)
Dutch Creek Unit (trapping)
Weinberg-King State Park (trapping and raccoon hunting)
Scripps Unit (trapping and raccoon hunting)
Spunky Unit (trapping and raccoon hunting)

Sangchris Lake Trapping Permits: A public drawing for the allocation of Sangchris Lake State Park trapping permits will be held 1:00 p.m., Sat., Oct. 14. Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the site headquarters, located approximately six miles southeast of Rochester. One permit for two trapping zones will be allocated through the drawing procedure (the Sangchris subimpoundment area will be included as another zone open to trapping). Two names will be allowed on the permit, and only those individuals listed will be allowed to trap. All persons entering the drawing must have a current 2017 trapping license in possession. For more information, contact Sangchris Lake State Park at 217-498-9208.

Carlyle Waterfowl Site Tour: A site tour is planned for the Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area on Sun., Oct. 22. Managed by the IDNR, Carlyle Lake SFWA is known as one of the top waterfowl hunting areas in the state. It is located at the northern end of Carlyle Lake and is almost 10,000 acres in size, with various types of wetland habitat. The guided tour, by personal vehicle, will give hunters and other interested individuals a chance to view the area prior to the upcoming waterfowl season, which opens with the South Central Zone on Nov. 11. The tour will be conducted by the site staff and will include Sub-impoundments 1 and 2. Information will be provided on site regulations, hunting opportunities, crops planted, and habitat projects undertaken in the last year. Those wishing to take the tour are asked to meet at Parking Lot #1, located south of the site office, at 1:00 p.m. on Oct. 22. For more information, phone 618-425-3533.

Bats Day at Dickson Mounds: The Kid’s Day program will be all about “Bats” on Sun., Oct. 22 at Dickson Mounds Museum near Lewistown. Families can learn about these often misunderstood and feared creatures through a presentation and showing of live bats by Sharon and Dan Peterson of Incredible Bats. The show begins at 1:00 p.m. in the Museum’s auditorium. Tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis beginning at 12:00 p.m. in the Museum’s lobby. Space is limited. Admission is free; donations are appreciated. The Illinois State Museum-Dickson Mounds is located between Lewistown and Havana off Illinois Routes 78 and 97. The museum is open free to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. For more information call 309-547-3721.

Trapping Permits for Beaver Dam: Two trapping permits will be awarded at a public drawing to be held Mon., Oct. 23, 2017 at the site headquarters of Beaver Dam State Park, 14548 Beaver Dam Lane, Plainview, IL 62685. Registration for the drawing will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the site office, and the drawing will be held at 11:00 a.m. Trapping will be permitted in the designated areas from the statewide opening until Jan. 25, 2018, and include the extended spring season for mink and muskrat through Feb. 15, 2018, and beaver and otter trapping which are allowed through Mar. 31, 2018. A 2016 or 2017 trapping license or trapper education card will be required to register for the drawing. For more information about trapping opportunities, contact Beaver Dam State Park at 217-854-8020.

Trapping Permits for Coffeen Lake: Trapping permits will be awarded at a public drawing to be held Fri., Oct. 27, 2017 at the site headquarters of Coffeen Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, 15084 N. 4th Avenue, Coffeen, IL 62017. Registration for the drawing will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the park office, and the drawing will be held at 11:00 a.m. Trapping will be permitted in the designated areas from the statewide opening until January 25, 2018, and include the extended spring season for mink and muskrat through Feb. 15, 2018, and beaver and otter trapping which are allowed through Mar. 31, 2018 A 2016 or 2017 trapping license or trapper education card will be required to register for the drawing. For more information about trapping opportunities, contact Coffeen Lake SFWA at 217-537-3351.

Ramsey Lake Trapping Drawing Oct. 27: IDNR will conduct a public drawing for allocation of trapping permits for Ramsey Lake State Park at 1:00 p.m. on Fri., Oct. 27. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. at the Ramsey Lake State Park site office, located about two miles northwest of Ramsey, IL in Fayette Co. Trapping will be permitted in the designated areas from the statewide opening until Jan. 25, 2018 and include the extended spring season for mink and muskrat through Feb. 15, 2018 and beaver and otter trapping, which are allowed through March 31, 2018. Two names are allowed per permit, and only those names listed are allowed to trap. All persons entering the drawing must have a current or previous year trapping license in their possession. Persons whose names are drawn must be in attendance at the drawing. For additional information, contact the Ramsey Lake State Park, PO Box 97, Ramsey, IL 62080. Phone 618-423-2215.

Trapping Permit Drawing: IDNR will host a public lottery drawing on Wed., Nov. 1 for the allocation of trapping permits for Copperhead Hollow Wildlife Area, Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area, and Pere Marquette State Park. The drawing will be held at the Mississippi River Area site office, 17836 State Highway 100 North, Grafton, IL. Registration for the drawing will begin on Nov. 1 at 11:00 a.m. and the drawings will be conducted at 11:30 a.m. Each area will have one permit available (one trapper and one helper may be listed on the permit). Each person entering the drawing must have a valid 2016 or 2017 Illinois trapping license in their possession, and persons whose names are drawn must be in attendance at the drawing on Nov 1. (Reminder that persons who have not had an Illinois trapping license the prior three years must complete the Illinois Trapper Education course). Additional site specific regulations for each of the three sites will be made available and discussed at the time of the lottery drawing. For more information, phone 618-786-3324.

Fort Massac Encampment: The annual Fort Massac Encampment is Sat., Oct. 21 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sun., Oct. 22 from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Metropolis, IL. The annual encampment – one of Illinois’ largest fall festivals – celebrates the history of Fort Massac from the mid-18th to early 19th centuries. Watch historic re-enactors with period-correct crafts and food, military drills, music, children’s games, and mock battles. Encampment admission is free. For more information, call 618-524-4712.

Historic Sites Meeting: The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council will meet on Fri., Oct. 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. Ten nominations to the National Register of Historic Places will be presented. The meeting is open to the public. For more information: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnrhistoric/Preserve/pages/illinois-historic-sites-advisory-council.aspx

Illinois Waterfowl Digest: Review this season’s Illinois waterfowl regulations with the Digest of Waterfowl Hunting Regulations 2017-2018, available online on the IDNR website at this link: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/Documents/DigestWaterfowlHuntingRegulations.pdf

Illinois State Parks Guide: The 2017-18 Illinois State Parks guide is available in print and online. The booklet is a useful guide for planning a fall color weekend, an eventful day in a state park picnic area, a weekend at a state park lodge or campground, a hike or ride on a state trail, or hunting and fishing trips to a state fish and wildlife area. The Illinois State Parks guide is posted on the IDNR website in PDF format at this link: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Documents/ILPARKS2017.pdf
Copies of the state parks guide can be ordered through the IDNR online publications page:
https://dnr.illinois.gov/teachkids/ordertype.asp

Poets in the Parlor: The public is invited to attend upcoming “Poets in the Parlor” events at the Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site in Springfield. The poetry reading on Oct. 29 features Anna Leahy, and on Nov. 12 features Karen Craigo. Both events begin at 2 p.m. and will provide an opportunity for guests to listen to and discuss poetry in the home of the artist Vachel Lindsay. The Vachel Lindsay Home, open on weekends and by appointment, is located at 603 South 5th Street in Springfield. Visit the State Historic Sites at Springfield Facebook page for information on additional events, or call 217-524-3971.

Controlled Pheasant Permits: Hunters can apply online now for 2017-18 Illinois controlled pheasant hunting opportunities available at IDNR sites. Sixteen of the sites are operated by the IDNR, while four other sites are managed by concessionaire T. Miller, Inc. For application information, check the websites at www.dnr.illinois.gov or www.tmillerinc.com.

Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grants: Applications will be accepted by the IDNR Division of Education through Nov. 30 for the Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant program. Applicants can select to develop a pollinator garden or a wildlife habitat of their choice. More details are available at https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/education/Pages/GrantsSHAG.aspx
The program is funded by generous contributions to the Illinois Conservation Foundation from the Jadel Youth Fund and the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation.

Camping Reservations: Make campsite and shelter reservations for many IDNR sites online through the Reserve America website at www.reserveamerica.com using a credit card.