November 2025 Issue

We’re pleased to announce that the November 2025 edition of the online magazine OutdoorIllinois Journal is now live. Take a few moments to peruse this edition for the many timely, natural resource-based stories it contains. Here's a taste of six of the new articles you will find in this issue.

Fall is the time of year when many outdoor enthusiasts anticipate taking to the field to hunt or trap. White-tailed deer hunters will be interested in an article on how they can help protect and maintain a healthy deer herd by participating in the 2025-2026 chronic wasting disease hunting surveillance and management efforts implemented in some portions of the state. If you are wondering what to expect during the 2025-2026 waterfowl season, check out the story by Doug McClain, IDNR’s Wetland Wildlife Manager. Don Kahl, the IDNR Agricultural and Grassland Wildlife Program Manager, offers insights into what upland hunters can expect based upon biological assessments of populations.

Have you ever fished for big blue catfish in a power plant cooling lake or targeted walleye on the upper Mississippi River or Fox Chain O’ Lakes? Enjoyed a family day fishing for bluegills at a local pond? Launched your boat at an improved ramp in a state park? Projects like these, and more, are a result of the Sport Fish Restoration Act, a federal law that has been in force for 75 years to provide critical funding to U.S. states and territories in support of fisheries management activities. In a two-part story we highlight how this Act has improved opportunities for Illinois anglers and boaters to enjoy great sport fishing and boating, and how this legacy remains viable for future generations to enjoy. In this issue you can also learn about the alligator gar, an extirpated species being reintroduced to Illinois waters that is becoming a popular trophy quarry for anglers and bow fishers.

The latest release also features a new segment of our series on nature’s seasonal events, which highlights the seasonal winter activities of some of Illinois’ most iconic wildlife.

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.

Click on the “subscribe” button on the main page to ensure you receive notification as additional OutdoorIllinois Journal postings are made. And follow us on Facebook (/livingwithwillifeIllinois) and Instagram (@livingwithwildlifeIllinois).

Two men pose next to a harvested adult male white-tailed deer in the bed of a pickup truck. One individual is sitting on the edge of bed of the pickup truck while he holds up the deer's large antlers. The man to the left leans with his arms over the side of the bed of the pick up truck. In the background is a highway overpass.

Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance in Illinois – Fall 2025 and Beyond

The Illinois chronic wasting disease (CWD) program remains the longest active management effort in the United States. The CWD program includes the concurrent use of two approaches, surveillance and management, to protect and maintain healthy deer populations while minimizing the area throughout the state where disease is known to occur. A management program of this magnitude and duration cannot be conducted without significant contributions by many partners and Illinois hunters.

by Christopher N. Jacques

Research | Wildlife Health | Wildlife Pick

Two ducks flying over a wetland. One duck is gray and had a green head. The other duck is brown and gray. Both ducks have orange legs and feet and iridescent blue patches on their wings.

Illinois Waterfowl Hunting 2025-2026 Forecast

With the annual fall migration of thousands of ducks and geese, the 2025-2026 waterfowl season promises opportunities for hunters across the state. Drawing on the latest information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this forecast offers insights into what hunters can expect in the fall flight for 2025-2026.

by Doug McClain

Recreation | Hunting | Regulations | Waterfowl

A reddish orange ring-necked pheasant stands alert on frosty grassy area.

The 2025-2026 Upland Hunting Forecast

The 2025-2026 upland bird and rabbit seasons opened on Saturday, November 1. There were no changes made to the statewide regulations for these species for this year, with license and stamp requirements, hunting hours, bag limits and possession limits carrying over from those seen in recent years. There has been a key change for those who applied for a Free Upland Game Hunting Permit—you must check the status of your application online and print your own permit.

by Don Kahl

Recreation | Birds | Hunting | Regulations

A young woman holds up with both hands a large gray, tan catfish while standing on a boat near the shoreline of a lake. In the background is a marina filled with boats.

The Sport Fish Restoration Act Has Been Supporting Fisheries Management for 75 Years: Part 1

Have you ever been fishing for big blue catfish in a power plant cooling lake, targeting walleye on the upper Mississippi River or Fox Chain O’ Lakes, enjoying a family day fishing for bluegills at a local pond or simply launching your boat at an improved ramp in a state park? Chances are the Sport Fish Restoration Act played a role in bringing these to Illinois. Passed by Congress in 1950, this law has been in force for the past 75 years providing critical funding to U.S. states and territories in support of fisheries management activities.

by Vic Santucci

Aquatic Organisms | Fish | Fishing | Regulations | Research

Nature’s Seasonal Events

The winter months are upon us. What are you seeing in your Outdoor Illinois? Read on to learn the seasonal activities of some of Illinois’ most iconic wildlife. Depending on your location in Illinois, some of the events reported may occur at different times. In this story, the seasonal activities reflect those observed primarily in the central part of the state.

by Carla Rich Montez

A man holds up a small black and tan mottled fish. In the background is a wetland with trees against a hazy blue sky. Overlaying the image in the upper right corner is a gray map of the state of Illinois with the counties outlined in black. Three white stars are located at the very bottom of the state.

Return of the Giants: The reintroduction of alligator gar to the Cache River

One day soon, as you addle among the largest and oldest cypress trees in Illinois, a giant may surface beside your canoe. That giant is an alligator gar and one of 81 fish released in June 2025, by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Currently averaging only 14 inches in length and .6 pounds in weight, some of these primitive fish may one day break the Illinois alligator gar record of 7 feet in length and approximately 130 pounds.

by Mark Denzer, Rob Hilsabeck