NewsFront

Trophy whitetails book available

The second edition of "Trophy Whitetails of Illinois" is now off the press. The 267-page hardback lists 7,895 deer that are included in the Illinois Big Buck Recognition Program-up by 3,667 deer since the first edition was published in 1994.

The book also contains 114 photos of rare and unusual bucks, including photos of the top 40 deer taken in the Land of Lincoln. The stories of how several of those deer were taken also are included, plus other interesting facts and figures.

The book, which was compiled by Tim Walmsley, includes hunters' names, and the year of harvest and county of harvest for each entry. Of note, 610 of the deer listed in the book qualify for Boone and Crockett status, and 4,051 of the deer qualify for the Pope and Young book.

But the publication is more than just record-book entries. Its introduction was written by DNR Director Brent Manning, and the book includes sections on hunting tactics, photographing record bucks, hunter ethics, and caring for record deer. Contributors include outdoor writers Les Davenport, Mike Roux and Greg Nixon, wildlife biologist Ron Willmore, taxidermist Dave Emken and conservation police officer Glenn Sanders.

The book is available for $24.95 plus tax and shipping ($30.76 total) from the DNR Merchandise Section by writing: DNR Merchandise Section, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, Ill. 62701-1787, or call: 1-800-720-3249 or (217) 782-1687 outside Illinois.

(Editor's note: Outdoor Illinois will include a listing of trophy deer entered in the Illinois Big Buck Recognition Program during the past year in its March issue.)

Commercial fishing season set at Rend Lake

A winter commercial fishing season again will be offered at Rend Lake, an 18,900-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir at Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park near Benton.

The 2000 commercial season on Rend Lake runs through March 24. This winter period provides commercial fishermen the opportunity to harvest a surplus of commercial fish while avoiding conflicts with recreational users of Rend Lake.

Mike Conlin, chief of DNR's Fisheries Division, said commercial fishermen may sign up for the program at the Wayne Fitzgerrell office. Fishing will occur from the Ina Access Area.

The winter program is open to all licensed commercial fishermen who have the required fishing gear, can post a $300 application fee, and haven't been found guilty of a fishing violation during the past year. Commercial fishermen wanting to sell retail must have a state tax number, which they may obtain by calling (800) 252-8980, and a Department Retail Fish Dealer's License.

Commercial fishing will be allowed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m each weekday. It also will be allowed during weekends on which no sport fishing tournaments are scheduled.

Commercial fishing will be allowed in the entire lake, except the waterfowl refuge area. Beginning March 1, after migratory waterfowl have left the area, the refuge also will be available to commercial fishing crews.

At no time during the program will commercial fishing be permitted within 300 feet of the lake spillway, marina or launching ramps, nor will it be allowed within the sub-impoundments.

All commercial species of fish except catfish and bullhead may be harvested. All game fish and catfish and bullhead must be released immediately upon the raising of nets or completion of a seine haul.

Individuals wanting more information about the program may contact Commercial Fishing Program Manager Bob Williamson by calling (217) 782-6424.

Campsite and picnic shelter reservations accepted now

Reservations for the 2000 camping season for Department of Natural Resources campsites, group campsites and picnic shelters may now be made by mail and in-person.

"The reservation program for 19 campgrounds and dozens of picnic shelters throughout Illinois offers families and groups an opportunity to plan ahead for the busy outdoor recreation season," DNR Director Brent Manning said.

No telephone reservations are accepted. In-person reservations will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

A daily lottery will be conducted for mail-in reservations. Up to six mail-in reservations per envelope, per person will be accepted for campsites or shelters. Camping groups may mail more than six reservations per envelope as long as no more than six are for one individual.

All sites taking individual campsite reservations will require the applicable first night's camping and utility fee,

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Now's the time to make your reservations for DNR campsites and picnic shelters for this summer's outings.

plus a $5 reservation fee. Payment of the first night's camping and utility fees guarantees that the reservation will be held until 3 p.m. the following day. Once a reservation is confirmed, the $5 fee is non-refundable unless the DNR closes an area for an unexpected incident, such as storm damage. There is no refund of the first night's camping fee if canceled less than three days prior to arrival. Shelter reservation fees are $20.

Campsites can be reserved for a maximum of 14 nights, and reservations should be made at least seven days before the campsite is needed. Reservations for the Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends require a minimum three-day reservation for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Campsite reservations will be available at 19 state parks: Argyle Lake, 640 Argyle Rd., Colchester, 62326; Chain O'Lakes, 8916 Wilmot Rd., Spring Grove, 60081; Illinois Beach, Lake Front, Zion, 60099; Eldon Hazlet, 20100 Hazlet Park Rd., Carlyle, 62231; Horseshoe Lake-Madison, 3321 Hwy. Ill, Granite City, 62040; Kankakee River, P.O. Box 37, Bourbonnais, 60914.

Also Kickapoo, R.R. #1, Box 374, Oakwood, 61858; Lake Le-Aqua-Na, 8542 North Lake Rd., Lena, 61048; Moraine View, R.R. 2, Box 110, LeRoy, 61752; Pere Marquette, P.O. Box 158, Grafton, 62037; Ramsey Lake, P.O. Box 97, Ramsey, 62080; Rock Cut, 7318 Harlem Rd., Loves Park, 61111.

And Sam Dale, R.R. 1, Johnsonville, 62850; Sangchris Lake, R.R. 1, Box 58, Rochester, 62563; Shabbona Lake, 4201 Shabbona Grove Rd., Shabbona, 60550; Siloam Springs, R.R. 1, Box 204, Clayton, 62324; Starved Rock, P.O. Box 509, Utica, 61373; White Pines Forest, 6712 West Pines Rd., Mount Morris, 61054; and Wolf Creek, R.R. 1, Box 99, Windsor, 61957.

DNR Q & A Question: I want to stock game birds on private land. Are there any regulations I have to follow, and is there a certified supplier of game birds in the state? -(Internet inquiry) Answer: There are several regulations regarding the release of game birds. First, a permit is necessary to purchase the birds. Second, only pheasant and quail can be released, unless you contact DNR to get a permit allowing the release of other species. DNR does not have a listing of game bird suppliers, but there are numerous places throughout the state where you can purchase game birds. Do you have a question about wildlife, outdoor recreation or another DNR-related issue? E-mail your inquiry to editor@dnr-mail.state.il.us, fax it to Outdoor Illinois at (217) 782-9552 or write to Outdoor Illinois Q&A, Department of Natural Resources, 524 S. Second St., Springfield, Ill. 6270]-1787.

Shelter reservations are available at the following sites: Northwest Illinois: Argyle Lake State Park, Big River State Forest, Castle Rock State Park, Delabar State Park, Franklin Creek State Natural Area, Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park, Illini State Park, Jubilee College State Park, Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Park, Mississippi Palisades State Park, Morrison-Rock-wood State Park, Rock Cut State Park, Shabbona Lake State Park and White Pines Forest State Park.

Northeast Illinois: Buffalo Rock State Park, Chain O'Lakes State Park, Gebhard Woods State Park, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, Kankakee River State Park, Silver Springs State Park and William W. Powers Conservation Area.

East-central Illinois: Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, Eagle Creek State Park, Fox Ridge State Park, Hidden Springs State Forest, Kickapoo State Park, Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park, Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area, Moraine View State Park, Spitler Woods State Natural Area, Walnut Point State Park, Weldon Springs State Park and Wolf Creek State Park.

West-central Illinois: Beaver Dam State Park, Coffeen Lake State Pish and Wildlife Area, Eldon Hazlet State Park, Frank Holten State Park, Horseshoe Lake State Park in Madison County, Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA (formerly Site M), Pere Marquette State Park, Randolph County Conservation Area, Sand Ridge State Forest, Sangchris Lake State Park, Siloam Springs State Park, Washington County Conservation Area and Weinberg-King State Park.

Southern Illinois: Dixon Springs, Ferne Clyffe State Park, Fort Massac State Park, Giant City State Park, Horseshoe Lake Conservation Area in Alexander County, Lake Murphysboro State Park, Ramsey Lake State Park, Red Hills State Park, Sam Dale State Park, Sam Parr State Park, Stephen A. Forbes State Park, Trail of Tears State Forest and Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park.

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Letter to the Editor Dear Editor: Your December issue brought back a lot of memories of long ago. The cover page was great. It had to be mother and daughter. The upper left photo on page 11, with the plaid shirt and the position of his hat, could very well have been my father. And on page 3, lower right, the old touring car. I remember them well. Thank you. Bill Barringer, Springfield The letter above is typical of letters and comments we received following the publication of our December issue of Outdoor Illinois. The editors and staff would like to thank all of you who took the time to let us know how much you enjoyed that issue.

Rules changed for hunting 'light geese'

The Department of Natural Resources has implemented provisions of a federal conservation order allowing hunters to take light geese through March 31 to protect arctic migratory bird breeding habitat from an overpopulation of mid-continent light geese.

The use of electronic goose calls and unplugged shotguns for hunting snow, blue and Ross' geese, collectively known as light geese, is permitted. There are no daily bag limits, and hunting hours are from a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. Hunters are still required to have an Illinois hunting license and a state waterfowl stamp (unless) exempt, but a federal water-fowl stamp is not required.

Illinois law allows use of electronic calls and, for the first time, unplugged shotguns as part of this conservation effort. Electronic goose calls have proven much more effective than conventional goose calls in harvesting light geese. Unplugged shotguns allow hunters an ammunition capacity of greater than three shells.

Federal legislation approved last fall allowed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 24 Midwest and Southern states to adopt conservation measures intended to save fragile arctic habitat from damage caused by an exploding population of light geese.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that annual counts show the population of mid-continent light geese has tripled during the past 30 years to 2.8 million birds last winter Biologists believe the fragile Canadian arctic habitat cannot support the increased population of light geese and breeding populations of other migratory bird species.

Hunters are allowed more liberal hunting regulations in the taking of "light" geese through March 31.

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This young Kankakee angler can expect better fishing after DNR's upcoming walleye stockings in the Kankakee River.

Walleye stocking scheduled at Kankakee River

The Department of Natural Resources plans to stock walleye into the Kankakee River to restore the fishery after reviewing the scientific data and comments obtained at a public mreeting held at the Bradley-Bourbonnais Sportsmen's Club in October. More than 90 percent of the anglers who attended the meeting supported the stocking proposal.

Walleye and northern pike populations have been declining in the Kankakee since 1986 due to poor spawning conditions and loss of spawning habitat in the river and wetlands.

The Department is working with various other government agencies and local sportsmen groups to restore needed habitat in the river.

Walleye populations are considered so low that even under good spawning conditions there may not be enough walleyes in the river to obtain a good natural spawn. The Department of Natural Resources wants to rebuild the walleye population so that when spawning conditions and habitat improve, there will be enough adults in the population help ensure a good natural spawn. The sport fishery for walleye would also benefit from this stocking program.

The Department is proposing to capture adult walleye from the Kankakee River and its tributaries in the spring during spawning. Adults would be taken to the state hatchery, where the fish will be spawned. After spawning, the adult fish will be released back into the Kankakee River. Eggs would be hatched and the fingerlings reared separate from other walleye in the hatchery system.

The DNR hopes to raise 48,000 Kankakee River walleye, which would then be stocked at Momence, Kankakee and Wilmington.

Northern pike will not be produced this year, but the DNR will continue to monitor population levels. If surveys indicate a decline over several years, then a similar stocking program would be undertaken.

Internships offered to college students

The Department of Natural Resources is offering summer internships to college students in park interpretation/recreation, park administration, forestry and fisheries.

The internships, which pay $1,000 per month, allow students to obtain practical experience and meet the hands-on training requirements necessary to earn their degrees. Non-paid internships also are available.

The Department is seeking college students at the junior, senior or graduate level in natural resources-related programs. Preference will be given to applicants who need to complete an intemship for a degree.

The Department's Office of Land Management and Education is offering 12 three-month internships, which will begin May 16 and end Aug. 15, at sites throughout the state.

New this year, the Division of Education is sponsoring an internship position located at Rock Cut State Park in Winnebago County. This position will be responsible for coordinating details associated with Under Illinois Skies, a five-week outdoor skills and education program offered to innercity youths. Working in partnership with the Chicago Park District, this position will be the primary contact person for onsite program activities.

An additional 23 internships, beginning in May and varying in length from four to six months, also are being offered. Students must be available to start work no later than May 16.

The Division of Forest Resources is offering four internships in urban forestry and four in rural forestry. Interns for these paid summer positions will be assigned to one of four DNR regional offices and may be assigned on a daily basis to a district forestry office within the region. An intern must be a full-time forestry student enrolled at a college or university at the junior, senior or graduate level and must have successfully completed a forest dendrology course.

The Division of Wildlife Resources and Division of Fisheries also offer non-paid internships to college students pursuing degrees related to wildlife or fisheries. An intern will gain practical field experience by working under the supervision of a biologist or urban fishing coordinator at sites convenient to the student. Three-month internships, available between mid-May and September, will be arranged to accommodate student schedules.

Placement will be based on site availability and an applicant's area of interest. Interns will work full-time and will be directly supervised by DNR personnel.

Put some class into your life

The Department of Natural Resources administers four mandatory safety education programs for young hunters, trappers, boaters and snowmobilers. Although designed for youths, the courses are recommended for anyone wanting to keep up on safety practices. For information about safety education classes in your area, call 1-800-832-2599. Hearing-impaired individuals may call the Department's TTY number, (217) 782-9175.

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