Illinois Mixed Bag: Giant City State Park Stories, Photos Sought for 100th Anniversary Celebration

Makanda, Ill. — Giant City State Park in southern Illinois will celebrate its 100th anniversary as an Illinois state park in 2027, and DNR is inviting the public to share their favorite memories of the park for a yearlong visitor center display.

People can submit stories about Giant City, including funny anecdotes, significant life events or favorite memories. Stories should be no more than 100 words and include a copy of an original photograph. Submitted stories and photographs will be featured in the planned display at the Giant City State Park visitor center throughout 2027. Stories and photographs will be accepted through Nov. 30.

Submissions may be emailed to DNR.GiantCity100@illinois.gov or delivered in person to the park’s visitor center from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. For more information, call (618) 457-4836.

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Cougars affect rate of deer-vehicle crashes

Pullman, Wash. — Researchers say cougars may be making roads safer by changing how deer behave. The finding comes from a study in the Pacific Northwest that combined wildlife detections from 503 camera sites, movement data from 59 GPS-collared cougars and five years of deer-vehicle collision records.

According to the research, in areas where cougars were most active, deer were less likely to use habitat near roads, shifted toward more remote areas, and became more active during daylight hours. In one modeled landscape, the probability of at least one deer-vehicle collision dropped from 64% to 21% – a 67% reduction. Within the mapped study area, deer and elk accounted for 97% of 953 wildlife-vehicle collisions between July 2020 and June 2025; deer alone accounted for 92%.

The study, published online Aug. 5 in Current Biology, describes the effect as a “predation service.” Researchers say cougars may reduce collisions not only by preying on deer, but also by changing the behavior of deer that survive.

The researchers cautioned that the findings show an association rather than proof of cause and effect. Cougars were not experimentally introduced into otherwise identical habitats, and the 67% reduction represents the upper end of a nonlinear statistical model. The results do not guarantee that the same reduction would occur in other landscapes.

Dead Fish, Birds Reported at DuSable Harbor

Chicago — Volunteers with Chicago Bird Collision Monitors have reported multiple dead birds and fish at DuSable Harbor to DNR and are seeking answers about what may be causing the deaths. Timothy Dooling, who visits the harbor to watch wildlife, told WTTW he returned after a storm in late July and found several dead ducks floating in the water, northeast of Millennium Park in Lake Michigan. Dooling said he has since seen several more dead ducks floating near vegetation in water littered with debris.

Oli Yuzlenko, a volunteer with the organization, met Dooling at the harbor in mid-August. She said she saw multiple dead birds as well as dead fish.

The birds were transported to a wildlife center in DuPage County, but Yuzlenko said the center does not have the resources to conduct testing. She said she also contacted DNR.

“Maybe not everybody needs to care about the birds, but there are people who do, and this is not just a one-off incident. It’s a very concentrated event,” she said.

DNR Seeking Witnesses to Fatal Boat Crash

Petite Lake, Ill. — DNR is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a boat recorded on video shortly before a fatal boat crash on the Fox River in McHenry County. The DNR released a photo of a boat, which was seen in a bystander’s video recorded around 11 a.m. July 25 on Petite Lake before the crash. According to the department, investigators believe the boat’s occupants may have witnessed activity or have information relevant to the case – but they are not believed to have been involved in the crash.

A grand jury indicted Richard Stevenson, of Lisle, on charges of murder, four counts of aggravated driving under the influence, and four counts of operating a watercraft under the influence. Prosecutors said Stevenson was traveling around 80 mph when his boat crashed into another boat, killing Marine veteran Magdalena Jablonska and injuring her fiancé.

An indictment also says Stevenson had cocaine and THC in his system at the time. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Iowa DNR Proposal Affects Nonresident Hunters, Gives Residents ‘First Shots’

Des Moines — The Iowa DNR is taking public comments on a proposed rule change that would give in-state hunters the first shot at pheasants and other game over out-of-state hunters, including those in Illinois, on public lands.

“We have some places like near the borders and things where we have consistent resident, nonresident usage of our public areas, and this hopefully will help alleviate a little bit of that and spread some people out,” said Iowa DNR’s Chris Ensminger, who added that the change keeps nonresidents out of the first week of pheasant season and adds other restrictions as well. The Natural Resource Commission approved the change, and some commissioners said during discussions that there can be a lot of out-of-state hunters in the state areas along the borders.

“The general hunting license is the same license that deer hunters have to buy, nonresident turkey hunters have to buy, and it does not affect those,” Ensminger said. “So if you come here to Iowa to deer hunt, they’re going to ask you what dates do you want for small game hunting. If you don’t small game hunt, you can just tell them, you know, leave the default.”

Iowa DNR is taking comments through Sept. 22 on the rule change. The NRC will vote on final rules after a public hearing.