A Perspective on the Status of Upland Small Game Hunting in Illinois and the 2024–25 Upland Game Hunting Forecast

As the fall days grow cooler and shorter, the trees and shrubs begin to shed their leaves and the native grasses trade in their rich, green foliage for hues of red, orange and gold. For most sportsmen and women, such visual cues usher in a feeling of anticipation, as they sit upon the threshold of the long-awaited return of the pursuit of their preferred choice of game. Although, during the late summer and early fall some small game hunters dabble in tracking darting squirrels through leafy oaks and hickories or some try their best to match the swing of their shotgun barrel with the blazing speed and aerial acrobatics of mourning dove, many hunters, and their dogs, itch for the turn of the calendar from October to November. With the flip of the page of a calendar, brings the statuesque lock of pointers, the sharp bay of beagles, the cackles of flushing roosters, or the shock and raised heart rate brought about by the surprise of exploding coveys of quail. That time is upon us, as Saturday, November 2, marks the start of the rabbit, pheasant, and quail seasons, statewide, in Illinois.

Once upon a time, the Illinois upland small game opener was met with the charge of a small army of hunters and their dogs. In 2024, that’s no longer the case, as the reduction in small game hunters the past several decades has marched in step with the steady decline we’ve experienced in rabbit, pheasant and quail populations. It’s pretty telling when we look at the numbers – Illinois’ decline in hunters tracks closely with reductions in upland small game populations.

It is of my opinion, the best way we ensure the future of our hunting heritage and retain, recruit and reactivate hunters, is through rebuilding interest and engagement in upland small game hunting. This can only be done through the restoration of upland small game populations…not an easy task to accomplish, and yet, as the saying goes, nothing worth doing is easy.

Many opinions exist as to why we’ve witnessed this decline: predation, disease, pollution, climatic changes, land-use changes, among many others. True, these all have played a role to varying degrees, but the short answer for the struggle of these species comes down to habitat, habitat, habitat! Without the quality and quantity of habitat that these species require, we can’t expect them to be productive and thrive, and in turn, we can’t expect them to overcome the stresses on them that I listed previously.

Rabbits, quail and pheasants were thriving 50 or so years ago, so what’s changed? If you ask many hunters who were hunting as far back as the 1970s about changes in habitat, many may say that the habitat they hunt hasn’t changed during that time. It’s tough to notice those changes over time, especially if you don’t know exactly what to look for, but simply put, the habitat has changed greatly. Many point to the landscape-level effects that ethanol-influenced corn production caused in the mid-1990s as the primary driving factor for the reduction of these species. Those were stark and widespread changes that occurred across the landscape, and it happened quickly. Changes like that will draw your attention, but before fencerows were bulldozed and waterways were altered and farmed through, rabbits, quail and pheasants were already in decline.

What’s tough for most people to see is how the sparse trees along the drainage ditch increase and grow over time, and the vegetation beneath them slowly disappears and becomes less diverse. It’s tough to notice over time, how the edge of that crop field cuts further and further into that grass buffer and closer to the ditch that is laden with now mature trees. Within the grass buffer, there was a smattering of tall fescue or smooth brome, but it’s easy to overlook how thick and dominant those species have become and how they’ve crowded out other beneficial, native plant species. Also, those crop end rows are a whole lot cleaner these days, lacking the annual weeds that are so important in providing cover and food sources for both chicks and adult upland birds, alike. Oh, did I mention that the small acreage Illinois farmer no longer exists, and what disappeared with them were numerous small herds of cattle and the added diversity of small grain crops that were built into their crop and livestock rotational systems? It’s easy for us to overlook these changes on the landscape, as they happened slowly, over decades, but all the while, the upland bird and rabbit numbers were telling us those changes were occurring.

Now, I’ve painted a bleak picture up to this point, haven’t I? There is hope though, and evidence of this comes from our upland birds this year (continue to the forecast below). The way back is simple in theory, and yet a monumental task—increase the habitat, maximize the quality of it, and place it across the landscape in a way that truly benefits these species. Do this, and when the weather is right, the pheasants, quail and rabbits—along with hundreds of other grassland species—will benefit. In coming issues of OutdoorIllinois Journal, please look for additional articles discussing the specifics of the habitat requirements for these species, and how we can work to build and restore their habitat to ensure that these species benefit future generations of both hunters and non-hunters.

2024-25 Hunting Outlook

Cottontail Rabbit – Outlook is ‘Fair to Poor.’ Illinois Department of Natural Resource (IDNR) biologists annually conduct a roadkill survey to provide an index for rabbit and furbearer populations. This year’s index for rabbits was down 11 percent as compared to the 2023 index.

Anecdotal reports from the field indicate that there were pockets of good rabbit production scattered across the state, but they’re limited. Where hunters can find tracts of great habitat, the hunting will be good. Outside of those few pockets, expect poor hunting.

Northern Bobwhite Quail – Outlook is ‘Fair to Good.’ From May – July, IDNR biologists annually conduct the Upland Bird Route survey to track and assess grassland bird populations, including quail and pheasants. Observations from the survey were positive for quail and align with field observations from our staff and the public. Biologists observed 0.53 quail per stop/route, which was a 34 percent increase as compared to the 2023 survey period. Also, quail were observed at 26.3 percent of stops (there are 20 survey stops per route), which was up 23.7 percent as compared to last year.

A mild winter, which led to high over-winter survival rates, certainly favored quail numbers going into the 2024 surveys. Favorable nesting and brood-rearing conditions, due to good winter/spring rains and below average temperatures in July and August, likely had a positive influence on quail production as well. Expect to see some good hunting in areas of exceptional habitat, while also the possibility of finding more coveys than usual in more marginal stands of habitat.

Ringneck Pheasants – Outlook is ‘Fair.’ Like with quail, the Upland Bird Route survey showed positive trends for pheasant populations, but not quite to the same level. Observers recorded an average of 0.58 pheasants per stop/route, which was an increase of 18.9 percent as compared to the 2023 survey. Also, the percentage of stops where birds were observed was up by 13.8 percent as compared to the 2023 survey, with pheasants occurring at 24.8 percent of the stops.

Again, a mild and relatively snowless winter across the pheasant range in Illinois, bolstered winter survival. Winter and spring moisture also set the table for the nesting and brood-rearing season. These positives were somewhat derailed though, due to some scattered heavy rain events in late May and early June, along with above average temperatures through most of June. The cooler than average temperatures in July did provide hens with an opportunity to re-nest, so chicks were produced, but likely not as many as would have been produced with a successful hatch from the first nesting attempts. Most ground nesting birds lay fewer eggs during a re-nesting attempt, likely due to a depletion in body reserves from the first nesting attempt. Again, where you can find great habitat, expect some good hunting, but don’t expect to see great bird numbers in more marginal habitat.

Have a safe and enjoyable hunting season.

---

Don Kahl is the Agricultural and Grassland Wildlife Program Manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife Resources.