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Jeremiah Haas

Success! Now, what to do with that deer?

Featured, Features, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting /

Firearm season is beginning in Illinois and about 100,000 deer are going to be harvested over the next few weekends.
While the joy of the hunting experience is always a highlight, the true gift is the 30 to 40 pounds of meat you receive from your doe, or significantly more if you are fortunate enough to harvest a large buck. Taking care of the meat is critical to complete a successful hunt, and that starts immediately.

Success! Now, what to do with that deer? Read More »

Power station a source of Mississippi River’s walleye boom in Illinois

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

When you think about a nuclear power station, your first thought is likely not of a fish hatchery. But Illinois has the only nuclear generation site in the country with an active fish hatchery that is operated privately. 
And that unique hatchery has produced some astonishing walleye numbers. After 40 years of stocking, a rough estimate is that nearly 10 million fingerlings have been produced. That production, along with highly effective regulations, has turned the Mississippi River from Dubuque to the Quad Cities into one of the best walleye fisheries in the country.

Power station a source of Mississippi River’s walleye boom in Illinois Read More »

It’s important to keep your priorities clear during hunting season

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

At this point in the year, it is very easy to spend every waking moment in a treestand. Deer hunting can cause people to become singularly focused on antlers and not about the rest of life.
This also can cause hunters to make poor decisions in regard to their safety and sometimes, to those around them. Sometimes a little planning will help to limit those poor decisions, keep relationships strong, and aid you in having a good hunting season in and out of the woods.

It’s important to keep your priorities clear during hunting season Read More »

An experience for the books: joys of youth hunt

Featured, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting /

My alarm went off at 4 a.m., but my body was having none of it. It was a Saturday – Oct. 7 to be exact – the first day of Illinois’ youth firearm deer season and it was 39 degrees.
My wife and daughter were out of town for volleyball, so it was just us boys. A quick hit of the snooze button and I was back to sleep. But before I got back into that deep REM sleep, my ears heard the squeak of the door handle, and it was a 12-year-old boy peeking in to see if I was getting dressed yet. Even though my body was wanting sleep, his excitement for the day could not be contained. I think we all remember those days.

An experience for the books: joys of youth hunt Read More »

Make phone apps while hunting solo a part of your safety process

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

As bowhunting season begins, many of us will be heading to the woods by ourselves to enjoy a quiet morning or afternoon in the stand. While certain hunts tend to be more social in nature, bowhunting tends to be an individual endeavor. Since it is, safety is something that every solo hunter needs to think about.
There are some simple things that bowhunters can passively do. For starters, make sure that your phone tracking system is shared with loved ones or other hunters. For the iPhone, the “find my phone” app works easily in the background.

Make phone apps while hunting solo a part of your safety process Read More »

Fall means fantastic fishing on Illinois waters of the Mississippi River

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, Illinois, National Fishing /

While Oct. 1 tends to bring a lot of excitement for deer hunters, it is usually about the time the Mississippi River temperatures reach the low 60s or high 50s in Illinois. While you may feel the need to get into the treestand, a better use of your time may be to get out on the river and enjoy some of the best fishing of the year.
With river flows at near-historical lows most of this summer, fish have been concentrating closer to the main channel structures, especially since the low water has brought significant weed growth along the channel borders.

Fall means fantastic fishing on Illinois waters of the Mississippi River Read More »

Illinois’ archery deer opener: Some dos and don’ts for early season

Featured, Features, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting, Opinion /

After an 8½-month wait, bow season is almost back! All the food plot preparation, hours of shooting, treestand maintenance and trimming, as well as saving all that vacation time up for a magic week in November, are now coming to fruition. It is finally “go time.”
So, after spending all the time, energy and money, how silly would it be to ruin your best spots early in the season? Unfortunately, that happens all too often.

Illinois’ archery deer opener: Some dos and don’ts for early season Read More »

Here’s how to maximize your trail cameras this deer season

Featured, Features, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting /

The Illinois deer season starts in just about a month, so if you have not surveyed your deer herd yet, you still have some time.
Bucks will be in the process of shedding their velvet in the next two weeks, so any information about size, age, and summer feeding patterns are valuable as you determine who is on the annual harvest list and who should be let go for further maturation. Trail cameras will help you gather this information and help you be a more efficient hunter.

Here’s how to maximize your trail cameras this deer season Read More »

What are the impacts of low water on the Mississippi River?

Featured, Features, Fishing, Illinois, National Fishing /

Locally, after a bounty of resources were swept into the river during the spring floods, the low water brings a bounty for all the predators in the river, including fishermen. As fish are pulled from the backwater due to a lack of water, the main and side channels increase in fish density. This can allow for better spawning for fish such as gizzard shad, and provide increased feeding opportunities for the gamefish.
Walleye, catfish, and bass fishermen have all benefited as fish are being caught with full bellies.

What are the impacts of low water on the Mississippi River? Read More »

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