OutdoorIllinois Journal's February issue featured many fantastic articles about timely, natural resource-based topics. While our team works to curate an equally splendid issue for release in May, you can still find great information on the wildlife around you this spring. Here are six more stories from the previous edition you don't want to miss!

As spring emerges and the weather improves, many sportsmen and women are beginning to venture out into the wild woods and waters. For those looking to explore Illinois waters for opportunities, we recommend Wes Littlefield's article on fishing in Illinois. Whether you're new to the sport or looking to find a new lucky fishing spot, Littlefield's article will direct you to many tools that can help you better plan your next cast! For hunters looking to embrace the longer hours of daylight and warmer weather, new legislation has passed allowing the use of .410 and 28 gauge firearms during spring turkey seasons. With this change, the hope is to see even more hunters flock towards involvement in the wildlife event of the spring!

Along with improved weather, spring provides even more opportunities for research and habitat management efforts. Prairies, once the largest percentage of habitat structure in Illinois, have been consistently dwindling, which directly impacts many species of mammals and birds. Learn how researchers are monitoring the response of plant and bird communities to the presence of bison on Nachusa Prairie and how this impacts land management plans for the prairie. 

Much faster than their shelled cousins, the smooth softshell turtle has been the focus of a study wherein radio transmitters are fixed to their backs to better monitor their movement and dispersal in rivers throughout the state. The Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board met in November of 2024 to discuss the status of Illinois' smooth softshell turtles in hopes that their populations will continue to thrive and perhaps even grow.

Of course, all conservation efforts are collaboration and require the dedication and expert skills of many impactful people. OIJ invites you to meet two such individuals, hard at work in Illinois. Mitch Oswald, Field Section manager for IDNR's Division of Wildlife Conservation, is no stranger to wildlife conservation efforts and the outdoors. With a background in wildlife disease and damage management, he will work to support wildlife biologists in their projects for habitat improvement across the state. Another is Barb Heyen. As a resident of Hardin County, she worked to build a team of habitat specialists and has successfully converted 120 acres of low-quality pasture into quail- and monarch-focused habitat. Members of that habitat management crew recount the steps it took and praise the work of all involved. 
  
2025 is a year of celebrating nature in Illinois, with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources commemorating 100 years as a state agency dedicated to conservation. OutdoorIllinois Journal will be featuring articles throughout the upcoming year to highlight the ongoing work of the agency and all of the, perhaps overlooked, achievements of its 100-year corporality. 

This is just the beginning of the storylines you can discover in this edition of OutdoorIllinois Journal. OutdoorIllinois Journal is a collaborative effort led by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Divisions of Wildlife Resources, Natural Heritage, and Fisheries; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration; and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. Funding for OutdoorIllinois Journal was made available through Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Project W-147-T, the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund and the Fish Management Fund.  

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