Suggesting a turnaround in the upland game arena in Illinois is being a little overly optimistic, given the decline of cottontail and Bobwhite populations over the past three decades. But Don Kahl, DNR’s Agricultural and Grassland Wildlife Program Manager, did bring sprinkles of good news and dashes of hope to rabbit, quail, and pheasant hunters when he shared the 2025-26 Upland Game Forecast earlier this month.
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