Kent Weil

The DNR has records going back to the mid-1970s that show more than 10,000 gray fox marketed each season by hunters and trappers across Illinois.
In 2024, that number was zero – not a single gray fox pelt. The decline of the species led to legislation aimed at protecting the gray fox population that sailed through the General Assembly this spring. Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 3760 into law on June 30.

If you are growing tired of the doom and gloom fur market reports, please be advised that it’s not that there is no interest in fur, it’s just that the universe seems to be doing everything in its power to keep prices down.
Armed conflicts, global economic downturns, trade wars, and everything in between are hindering any advances in the fur market.

When the Illinois bobcat season ended Feb. 15, no trapper or hunter would have been surprised to learn of a record harvest.
It was already a season of records. In September, a record 9,200 bobcat lottery applicants vied for the record 2,000 permits issued by DNR. Still, the final tally is turning heads. DNR reported a harvest of 649 bobcats – far exceeding the previous record of 389 in the 2023-24 season. Much of the increase was due to hunters, who were responsible for 415 (61.6%) of the harvest.