|
Pere Marquette owl and nature hikes:
Pere Marquette State Park, Grafton, hosted a short hike
yesterday evening (Friday) to listen for owls. Participants were
invited to stay and roast marshmallows afterward. This morning a
four-mile hike was scheduled, beginning at the park visitor center.
For information about activities at Pere Marquette State Park, call
(618) 786-3323, ext. 1.
* * *
Illinois celebrates National Hunting
and Fishing Days Sept. 25-26 with two festival events. The
Southern Illinois National Hunting and Fishing Days celebration at
John A. Logan College in Carterville is scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
today (Saturday) and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. The Northern Illinois
National Hunting and Fishing Days event at
Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area near Yorkville is
scheduled for 9 a.m.-5 p.m. both days. Admission and parking for
both events are free. For more information, contact the Southern
Illinois National Hunting and Fishing Days committee at (618)
985-8392 and the Northern Illinois National Hunting and Fishing Days
committee at (877) 611-7566.
* * *
Seasonal schedule changes have been
announced for the LaSalle Lake and Marseilles State Fish
and Wildlife Area. At
LaSalle, the lake will close for fishing effective Sept. 30. At
Marseilles, hunting hours for the fall and winter seasons are 5:30
a.m.-1 p.m. Monday through Thursday until further notice. For more
information, contact the site office at Illini State Park at (815)
795-2448.
* * *
A public drawing for the allocation of
Jim
Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area trapping
permits will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 2. Registration will
begin at 1 p.m. at the site headquarters. For more information,
contact Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA, P.O. Box 646, Ashland, IL
62612; or phone (217) 452-7741.
* * *
Rendezvous at Spoon River:
Members of the Mackinaw Valley Long Rifles Association provide a
primitive encampment on the grounds of
Dickson Mounds Museum during Fulton County's Spoon River
Scenic Drive weekends. The encampment features demonstrations of
early American crafts such as wooden spoon carving, cooking, fiber
arts, hatchet throwing and blanket trading. Artists from the
Illinois Artisans program will also be present to display and
demonstrate their works. The events are Oct. 2-3 and Oct. 9-10, from
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. For more information, contact Dickson
Mounds Museum at (309) 547-3721.
* * *
Leaf, bark and seed hikes at Giant
City State Park: Each Saturday in October from 10 a.m.-noon,
join a hike in the beautiful wooded areas of
Giant
City State Park, Makanda. Discover why leaves change color in
the fall. Learn the ways we identify trees as their leaves
disappear. The hikes alternate between moderate one-mile and rugged
two-mile walks. Call (618) 457-4836 for more information.
* * *
ISGS field trips: Registration
is open for the Illinois State Geological Survey's Geological
Science
field trips to Ferne Clyffe State Park and the surrounding area in
Johnson and Pope counties on Oct. 2 and Oct. 23. Participants
will tour the Round Bluff Nature Preserve, Hawks Cave, a waterfall
within Ferne Clyffe State Park, Mill Stone Bluff and the Bell Smith
Springs Recreation Area within the Shawnee National Forest. There
will be good opportunities to collect fossils and unique rock
specimens. The trips will acquaint participants with the geologic
history of the unglaciated areas of southern Illinois.
Advance registration is required; call
(217) 333-4747 or fill out a form online at
http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/field-trips/registration/ft-reg.htm. A
registration fee of $5 per person will be collected the day of the
trip, but there is no registration fee for children 12 and younger.
The trip begins at 8:15 a.m. at the
Round Bluff Nature Preserve shelter in
Ferne Clyffe State Park. Wear comfortable clothing and walking
shoes and bring along sunblock, insect repellent and a packed lunch.
Tours are conducted rain or shine and end at 5 p.m.
The Illinois State Geological Survey, a
division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, has
studied and mapped the state's geology and mineral resources since
1905. The agency also collects, archives and distributes great
quantities of geologic data for basic and environmental research.
For information about Illinois State Geological Survey research and
service, field trip details, a list of guidebooks from previous
field trips, or educational publications, call (217) 333-4747, (217)
244-2427, TTY (217) 244-6677 or visit
www.isgs.uiuc.edu.
* * *
Boating infrastructure grants:
Local governments, privately owned marinas, boatyards and yacht
clubs have until Oct. 8 to apply for grants available to provide
temporary docking facilities for large boats. Funds for the program
come from federal excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat
fuels through the Sport Fishing and Boating Safety program and can
provide up to 75 percent of an approved project's cost. The program
is intended to enhance boating for transient, non-trailerable
recreational boats -- those 26 feet long or longer. The applicant
must provide the other 25 percent of a project's cost.
Eligible facilities must accommodate
boats of 26 feet or longer, must be used by transient boaters who do
not stay more than 10 consecutive days and must be open to the
public. Projects could include boat slips, mooring buoys,
navigational aids, safe harbors and initial dredging to provide
transient boats with safe channel depths.
All proposals must be submitted to the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Illinois Department of
Natural Resources. The Illinois administering unit is the Federal
Aid/Special Funds Section of the Office of Resource Conservation.
For additional information, call (217) 782-2602 or TTY (217)
782-9175.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
A public drawing for the allocation of
Sangchris Lake State Park trapping permits will be at 1
p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9. Registration will begin at noon at the site
headquarters, located approximately six miles southeast of
Rochester. For more information, contact Sangchris Lake State Park,
9898 Cascade Road, Rochester, IL 62563; or phone (217) 498-9208
between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
* * *
State sites open for North Zone
Youth Waterfowl Hunt: Four state sites will be open to youth
waterfowl hunting on Oct. 9-10 during the North Zone Youth Waterfowl
Hunt. They are
Regulations that apply during the
regular waterfowl hunting season apply during the youth hunt. The
daily harvest limit is two Canada geese and six ducks of any
species, which may include no more than four mallards (two hens),
three scaup, two wood ducks, two redheads and one black duck, one
canvasback, and one pintail. As part of the youth hunt, hunters age
15 or younger who are accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of
age may hunt ducks, geese, coots and mergansers. The accompanying
adult cannot hunt these species but may participate in other open
seasons. All waterfowl hunters, including those participating in the
youth hunt, are required to register with the Harvest Information
Program. Hunters should register by calling 1 (800) WETLAND [1 (800)
938-5263] or
online.
* * *
The Department of Natural Resources
hosts wing shooting clinics on Saturday, Oct. 9, and Sunday,
Oct. 10, at
Randolph County Conservation Area near Chester. Clinics
are slated for 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m. both days and are
open to all shooters, from beginner to advanced. The cost is $25 per
person. For more information, call (618) 826-2706.
* * *
Proposed changes to Illinois
Department of Natural Resources administrative rules are now
open for public comment. Details on those changes are posted at
http://dnr.state.il.us/legal/rule-status.htm.
-
17 Ill. Adm.
Code 110, Public Use of State Parks and Other Properties of the
Department of Natural Resources.
-
17 Ill. Adm.
Code 510, General Hunting and Trapping on Department-Owned or
Managed Sites.
-
17 Ill. Adm. Code 805, Injurious
Species.
The deadline to comment in writing on
any or all of the above administrative rules changes is Oct. 25.
Please send comments to Jack Price, Legal Counsel, Department of
Natural Resources, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL
62702-1271.
* * *
Irv Schirmer, an Illinois
trapper from Marengo, has won the Fur Takers of America's
prestigious American Heritage Award. The national honor is given
annually to an outstanding individual or organization for promoting
trapping as an important wildlife conservation activity. Schirmer
was credited for his "tireless work to promote trapping and
conservation, particularly with kids who have little knowledge about
trapping and its role in our nation's heritage." Schirmer's efforts
include teaching Illinois trapper safety and education courses,
which are mandatory for first-time trappers under the age of 18;
organizing trappers to form a strong
Fur Takers of America
chapter in Illinois; hosting exhibits at local and regional fairs;
and speaking to Illinois legislators about the benefits of trapping
to wildlife and society. Schirmer also is a certified animal control
operator, licensed to trap nuisance wildlife such as raccoons and
beavers for Illinois residents who experience damage to homes and
property.
Reminder: During the 2004-2005
deer hunting seasons the use of dogs to track wounded deer will not
be allowed at Illinois state parks, fish and wildlife areas,
conservation areas, or other sites owned or managed by the Illinois
Department of Natural Resources. Tracking dogs will not be allowed
on state sites due to hunter density, to maintain quality hunting
experiences for other hunters, and to prevent instances in which
dogs might flush deer or other wildlife from refuge and restricted
areas at state sites.
Reminder: The new Spoon River
State Forest in Knox County, listed on the application and formerly
known as the
Snakeden Hollow - Ives Unit, appeared for the first time this
year on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources firearm deer
permit application as a special hunt area. As a result, all hunting
slots for the site were allocated through the regular permit lottery
drawing. Standby permits like those used last year will not be
available because the site was included in the regular firearm
permit drawing.
[Illinois
Department of Natural Resources
news release] |
