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Gretchen Steele

Gretchen Steele: Legislation outdoor users should know about introduced in Illinois

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

Lawmakers in Springfield are gearing up with proposals that could impact outdoor recreation, wildlife management, and public land stewardship for years to come.
The 104th General Assembly’s Spring Session is underway, and here’s what outdoor enthusiasts should know about several bills recently introduced that may prove important to sportsmen, conservationists, and anyone who cherishes Illinois’ wild places.

Gretchen Steele: Legislation outdoor users should know about introduced in Illinois Read More »

Gretchen Steele: New General Assembly session offers opportunities for Illinois’ outdoors

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

January in southern Illinois has a way of telling the truth. January isn’t just a cold and quiet time – it’s when the Illinois General Assembly gathers in Springfield to kick off its spring session.
While most of us are busy bundling up in wool socks, knocking ice out of water bowls, and settling back into our routines after the holidays, our lawmakers are already deep into the work that will shape conservation for the rest of the year.

Gretchen Steele: New General Assembly session offers opportunities for Illinois’ outdoors Read More »

Gretchen Steele: Where do we draw the line when it comes to politics in Illinois’ outdoors?

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

Every few years – sometimes every few months – it seems we circle back to the same campfire question: how much should politics shape conservation, land management, and outdoor regulations in Illinois?
It’s a question that hunters, anglers, hikers, birders, paddlers, and public land neighbors all wrestle with, even if we don’t always name it out loud. It’s that ever present elephant in the room.

Gretchen Steele: Where do we draw the line when it comes to politics in Illinois’ outdoors? Read More »

Illinois waterfowl dates, zone changes finalized

Featured, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting, National News, News /

Illinois DNR has finalized waterfowl season dates and zone boundaries for the 2026–2030 seasons, concluding a months-long process that included a second round of public meetings following the initial release of proposed dates and zones in October.
Those additional meetings were scheduled after waterfowl hunters across the state raised questions and concerns about how proposed zone alignments and season timing would affect local hunting opportunities.

Illinois waterfowl dates, zone changes finalized Read More »

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 »

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