If you are looking for a fun outdoor family outing this fall, want the challenge of reeling in a good-fighting fish, or are interested in a tasty, freshly harvest meal, consider the 2023 Illinois fall catchable trout season. Nearly 60 sites around the state will be opening at 5 a.m. for the October 16 start of the season.

The gar is a fish unbothered by the low oxygen levels, warm water or weed-choked habitats that occur in late summer. A living fossil around since the age of dinosaurs, gars developed a poor reputation amongst anglers and disappeared from many Illinois waters. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Hatchery System is returning gar to Illinois waters.

A preview of the 2023-2024 Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations reveals updates to laws for furbearer hunting, trapping and nuisance removal as it pertains to dens, feed beds and nest and also reiterates single shot centerfire rifle regulations which we newly adopted as of January 2023.

Every August, one type of long-horned bee visits the ultraviolet blooms of ironweed along roadsides and in meadows. This pollen specialist represents one intimate relationship that exists between two distantly related organisms that have been dragged through time.

Across the United States, certainly in the state of Illinois, one particular high school sport and pastime is spawning with participation: bass fishing. Organizations such as the IHSA and ICASSTT are committed to providing opportunities for Illinois’ student anglers.

It was the complicated relationship between orchids and their fungal associates that first captured the attention of Dr. Betsy Esselman. Read on to learn more about the symbiotic relationship between fungi and the Illinois endangered spring ladies’ tresses.

For Alex Davis, the connections one makes while hunting became clearer as she sat in a blind on her first-ever spring turkey hunt. Sitting with a friend and colleague, she learned valuable lessons, including researching and preparing for the hunt…and about sitting still.

The fall season is an exciting time as it marks the beginning of the fall hunting seasons. Check out IDNR Sergeant Steven Beltran’s tips to make this hunting season a safe and productive one for young and old hunters alike.

Author Joey He, a member of the Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Laboratory at the Illinois Natural History Survey, reflects on his experience assisting the USDA-WS sample Illinois wild white-tailed deer for SARS-CoV-2 during the 2022 Illinois firearm season.

The best scenario in raising young often involves a communal effort, many people working together to provide a safe environment. This proved remarkably apt in July 2023 when three federally endangered piping plovers were translocated from where they were raised in captivity to their release site at Montrose Beach, Chicago.

Within the boundaries of Pyramid State Recreation Area grows a small floral wonder—the state endangered spring ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes vernalis). That this delicate orchid was found on a reclaimed mine site is evidence of the resilience of nature.

Among the numerous prairie legumes that fix atmospheric nitrogen is the highly regarded leadplant (Amorpha canescens). With distinct leadened-colored leaves, this deep-rooted prairie species is frequently described as an indicator species for high-quality prairie remnants. It attracts a wide variety of insects, birds and other wildlife.

Two students at Lewis and Clark Community College conducted separate projects on the bush honeysuckle to try and help land managers, volunteer groups and agencies manage and monitor this invasive shrub. Read on to learn about their techniques and findings.

A great first step towards getting the most out of any wooded acreage is to work with a forester. After evaluation of the property, development of a plan will guide improvements beneficial to both the timber resource and a diversity of wildlife species.

A landowner, Jim Gillespie, and a researcher, Brenna Decker, both wanted to know how native bee populations respond to land management strategies that include prescribed burns of varied timing. Assessing bee populations on a 150 acre restored prairie enlightened both the landowner and researcher.

How well we can see the stars is a bellwether of sorts. Along with blocking our view of the stars, light pollution from artificial light at night (ALAN) disrupts many natural behaviors of plants and animals. Read on to learn about the ecological consequences of leaving the lights on.

Identifying the best method to detect nutria is the focus of an SIU-C research project. Information collected through sign surveys, camera traps, detection dogs and environmental DNA will help biologists better understand the potential distribution of nutria, and guide future management efforts.

Researchers have debunked a popular meme about Virginia opossums eating ticks. Careful analysis of opossum stomach contents (yes, the work of some researchers!) revealed many items, including worms, a French fry, broken glass and a shrew…but no ticks.

The northern bobwhite has experienced dramatic declines in abundance throughout their range. A multitude of partnership programs are working with landowners and farm operators to improve habitat conditions with the intent of reversing the downward bobwhite trend in the bobwhite population.

The Southern Till Plain Natural Division in south-central Illinois contains a forest type known as a “flatwoods.” Characteristically, these oak-dominated communities are established upon soils derived from glacial till, wind-blown silt known as loess, and from deposits of former glacial lake plains.