The decline in bobwhite numbers hinges on the long-term loss of important habitats including nest cover, brood habitat, food sources and shelter and escape cover. Here let’s examine what the effects of winter weather have on Illinois bobwhite.
By Illinois standards, the Shawnee National Forest feels different. The land rises and falls in hard ridges and rock bluffs that loom over oak flats. In a state known for cornfields, the Shawnee offers some of the most rugged, scenic and challenging turkey hunting in Illinois. If you’re willing to lace your boots, trust your legs and your outdoor knowledge, the Shawnee can deliver unforgettable mornings and an adventure you won’t soon forget.
Coming SOON to your computer, tablet, phone and local bait shop, the 2026-2027 Illinois Fishing Information guide. Current anglers should check out the section covering updates to fishing regulations. If this is the year you give fishing a try, this guide can help you find places to fish and programs you will find interesting.
Kayak fishing has exploded across the country over the past decade, but few places offer a more striking backdrop than downtown Chicago. Chicago’s lakeside and riverfront landscape are unique to the country, with kaykers experiencing the serenity of sitting inches above the water while listening to the hum of city life and reeling in a smallmouth bass or carp or trout.
The forests and prairies of Illinois have a new line of defense against harmful non-native plants. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has added nine more invasive plants to the list of species that are illegal to buy, sell, distribute or plant in Illinois. New to the Illinois Exotic Weeds Act are tree-of-heaven, garlic mustard, leafy spurge, sericea lespedeza, Japanese stiltgrass, Amur corktree, black swallowwort and pale swallowwort. Check out this article to learn what you can do to protect native species against these exotic weeds.
Within the realm of one’s imagination is the conversion of cropland to grassland, from corn to little bluestem, from soybean to purple prairie clover, from corn-stem-boring insects to wildflower-nectaring butterflies, …; but whether it is within the realm of reality is yet to be seen.
