In heat wave, kids showed up for Youth Pheasant Hunt in Illinois

Sparta, Ill. — You expect a little unpredictability with spring in Illinois. What you don’t expect – what nobody quite plans for – is a youth pheasant hunt that feels like it ought to come with sunscreen and a cooler full of ice.

But that’s exactly what greeted young hunters and their families March 21 at the World Shooting and Recreation Complex, where DNR hosted its Youth Pheasant Hunt and Wingshooting Clinic.

By midday, thermometers were pushing the high 80s and flirting with 90. For bird hunters, that kind of heat changes things: Birds don’t hold as well. Dogs tire more quickly. Instructors keep a closer eye on hydration than they typically would this time of year. It would have been easy to call it a tough day and leave it at that.

But that’s not really how this crowd operates, it turns out. Volunteers, mentors, dog handlers, conservation police, and instructors turned out in force, each one stepping in to guide, encourage, and steady a young shooter or hunter finding their footing.

For many of the youth in attendance, this was their first real taste of upland hunting. The heat may have made the birds a little tougher and the walks a little longer, but it didn’t dull the excitement – or DNR’s effort to develop new hunters.