Nov 1, 2023
Using trail cameras is an enjoyable activity—and will help teach you about deer and the environment in which they live. A simple spreadsheet nothing the time of day of the photos, and the age and sex of the deer, turns mountains of picture data into something really useful. Give this author’s method a try and see if maybe you can swing “luck” in your favor.
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Neighborhoods reverberating with the sounds of lawn mowers and leaf blowers. Streets lined with paper bags filled to the brim with leaf “litter” and yard “waste.” With increasing awareness about declining populations of pollinators, birds, and other wildlife, it is time to rethink fall yard “clean up.” Here are five things you can do this fall that will make your yard more wildlife-friendly this season and throughout the year.
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Curious visitors strolling past Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo stop and marvel at the large birds clustered just over the fence. Illinois-endangered black-crowned night-herons have nested at the Park for 17 years, providing a wild and magical encounter for passersby.
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Part 3 – Bush Honeysuckle; A Hunter’s Foe
When the hunting season is over and the season for habitat management begins, many people take to the woods to tackle an environmental disaster—the invasion of bush honeysuckle. Author Nathan Grider shares his experiences removing bush honeysuckle to improve wildlife habitat and hunting opportunities.
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The Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ new Waterfowl Program Manager, Doug McClain, grew up in Ohio hunting geese with his father and grandfather, which he attributes to his desire to pursue a career in waterfowl management. After earning a Master’s degree researching nest site selection of wood ducks across the Cache River watershed, and working in a variety of positions in waterfowl management, he’s excited to work on improving waterfowl management across Illinois.
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Effective January 1, 2023, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law allowing hunters to utilize certain single-shot, centerfire rifles during firearm deer seasons, adhering to legal regulations on the size and caliber of ammunition and capabilities of the rifle in use. Here is a quick list of commonly asked questions regarding legal calibers for ammunition and logistics for where and when rifles are permitted for hunting.
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Do you know the sawbill, also known as a spikebill, sharpy, fuzzhead and frog duck? If we had included hooded merganser in that list your answer would undoubtedly have been different. Hooded mergansers are a common migrant in Illinois, and some stay to nest. Learn more about the courtship display of the showy male hooded merganser, and the nesting habits of one of Illinois’ cavity nesting duck species.
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Tick-borne diseases have increased in the U.S. in the last few decades. Several ideas exist as to why these diseases have seen such a rapid growth but it boils down to more ticks, and therefore, more tick bites that could transmit pathogens. Ticks in Illinois can transmit several types of pathogens. Correct identification of the pathogen is important to ensure proper treatment.
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Grassland bird declines across North America have been a consistent theme in past decades. Thankfully, many Farm Bill conservation programs for private landowners have alleviated these declines. The author’s research suggests that disking might be a good, conservative, tractor-based management practice for CRP landowners that diversifies plant communities and improves brood-rearing habitat for popular game species such as pheasants, quail and wild turkey.
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Bird pink eye, West Nile Virus and tularemia, also known as rabbit fever, are three diseases that impact wildlife populations at lethal and sub-lethal levels. Learn about some of the many disease surveillance techniques that are used in monitoring wildlife populations, with an emphasis here on populations of wild birds.
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A message from Chief Mike McClelland
Welcome to the November 2023 edition of the online magazine OutdoorIllinois Journal, featuring timely, seasonally based stories about the Prairie State’s wildlife resources, with an expansion of content to include a broader range of subjects—including endangered and threatened species and Illinois’ unique, high-quality habitats and the people working to preserve, protect and manage these resources.
