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Gretchen Steele

Gretchen Steele: New Year’s resolutions that keep us coming back

Featured, Features, Fishing, Hunting, Illinois, Nature Page & Night Sky /

By the time this column finds its way to your kitchen table or the console of your truck, the calendar will be close to rolling over once again.
The Christmas lights may have already been packed away – though I’ll admit, no one is that ambitious at our house this year, and the coffee in your mug might be poured a little stronger these mornings. Maybe, like me, you’ve paused at the window before heading out, watching that faint winter sunrise glaze the fields or the frozen pond, and thought, “Well… here we are again.”

Gretchen Steele: New Year’s resolutions that keep us coming back Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Why every hunter should keep a field journal

Featured, Features, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting /

Scoot a little closer to the fire, friends. I want to talk about a tool most of us already have rattling around in a truck console, tucked in a blind bag, or forgotten in a coat pocket. Not a knife or a compass or a fancy GPS unit.
I’m talking about the humble field journal – that little notebook that, if you let it, becomes your most faithful hunting partner.

Gretchen Steele: Why every hunter should keep a field journal Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Giving thanks for the miracles under our boots

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Hunting, Illinois, National Fishing, National Hunting, Opinion /

Thanksgiving weekend has a way of slowing us down – if only for a moment. Maybe it’s the quiet of the late-November woods, or the long shadows across the bottoms as the sun drops early.
Perhaps it’s the way the first hard frosts make the woods feel honest again. Whatever the reason, this is the time of year when many of us pause to take stock. And for those of us who hunt, hike, fish, bird, or simply breathe better outdoors, there’s something in particular that deserves recognition and gratitude: the reclaimed lands of southern Illinois.

Gretchen Steele: Giving thanks for the miracles under our boots Read More »

Commentary: Seeing Illinois public lands through fresh eyes

Featured, Fishing, Hunting, Illinois, National Fishing, National Hunting, Opinion /

Every so often, an event arises that reminds us of how fortunate we are to live, hunt, fish, and recreate in Illinois.
This fall’s International Armbruster, held at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta and supported by additional field and water work at Peabody River King and Pyramid State Park, did precisely that.

Commentary: Seeing Illinois public lands through fresh eyes Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Costello Lock and Dam in southern Illinois is a hidden gem for camping

Featured, Fishing, Illinois, Nature Page & Night Sky /

If you’re looking for a peaceful place to set up camp this fall – a spot where you can watch the river work, wet a line, and still have easy access to clean restrooms and level ground – let me suggest a trip to one of southern Illinois’ most underrated destinations: the Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam on the Kaskaskia River near Modoc.

Gretchen Steele: Costello Lock and Dam in southern Illinois is a hidden gem for camping Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Tales from the ‘pop-up porch’

Featured, Illinois, Nature Page & Night Sky /

After a two-year hiatus, due to old age and decrepitude, my dearly beloved and I finally felt ready and physically able to hit the campgrounds again.
While our days of backpack camping in the wilderness are over, like everything else in life, camping is still possible when you are in your golden years or disabled. It just takes some adapting. We are firm believers in adjusting, adapting, and overcoming in our household.

Gretchen Steele: Tales from the ‘pop-up porch’ Read More »

Gretchen Steele: October’s quiet magic now playing across Illinois

Featured, Fishing, Hunting, Illinois, National Fishing, National Hunting, Nature Page & Night Sky /

October doesn’t exactly arrive in southern Illinois – it drifts in, slow and sure, like the morning fog rising off the river bottoms.
One week you’re still swatting mosquitoes and cutting grass, and the next, you’re pulling on a flannel before daylight and smelling wood smoke in the air. Somewhere between the last hum of cicadas and the first rustle of dry leaves, we turn the corner.

Gretchen Steele: October’s quiet magic now playing across Illinois Read More »

Gretchen Steele: A guide to public land etiquette during deer season

Featured, Hunting, Illinois, Opinion /

Deer season is upon us in Illinois, and with it comes the excitement of the hunt and the opportunity to connect with nature. But with increased activity on our public lands, it’s more important than ever to remember that we share these spaces with fellow hunters, hikers, birdwatchers, and nature lovers.
Let’s ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone by practicing good etiquette and respecting the land we all cherish.

Gretchen Steele: A guide to public land etiquette during deer season Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Illinois wasn’t always the whitetail destination it is today

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting /

As the late September breeze carries the promise of the upcoming deer season, the anticipation is palpable in southern Illinois.
The golden hue of soybeans, the rhythmic fall of acorns, and the flickering trail camera images of whitetails preparing for the season all contribute to the excitement. For many, deer season is not just an event, but a cherished part of the year, akin to the anticipation of Thanksgiving dinner. But it wasn’t always this way.

Gretchen Steele: Illinois wasn’t always the whitetail destination it is today Read More »

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