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Ralph Loos

Ralph Loos: How many deer are there in Illinois? It’d be nice to know

Featured, Hunting, Illinois, Opinion /

Now and then some naive soul (dummy) goes out on a limb – sometimes literally – and attempts to either count the deer in his or her woods or, if they’re really of the ambitious sort, estimate the size of the entire Illinois deer herd.
They are almost always laughed off the stage, proverbial or otherwise. It’s an easy trap, but when someone, anyone, tries to goad me into estimating how many whitetails roam our state’s 57,000 or so square miles, I just kind of mumble, “It’d sure be nice to know, right?”

Ralph Loos: How many deer are there in Illinois? It’d be nice to know Read More »

Illinois upland bird hunters remain scarce, but more quail, roosters await

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

With upland game season opening Nov. 2 in Illinois, this may be a good time for rabbit hunters to hold their collective breaths and look away.
Quail and pheasant hunters will want to exhale and pay attention.
DNR’s call counts and population surveys up and down the state this summer resulted in observers recording an average of 0.53 quail per stop, an encouraging 34% increase over 2023 counts. Quail were recorded at 26% of stops, which is a 23.7% increase.

Illinois upland bird hunters remain scarce, but more quail, roosters await Read More »

Deer season reaching annual ‘prime time’ point in the Midwest

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

Standing on the sidelines is not a good look for Illinois deer hunters. Yet thousands and thousands of shotguns – and now single-shot rifles – sit unattended in thousands and thousands of gun cabinets.
The hunters? The first weekend of the firearms season arrives Nov. 22-24. Until then, it’s wait and watch as the rut nears. Prime time is near. Chatter and photos on social media indicate a promising deer season overall as October turns into November.

Deer season reaching annual ‘prime time’ point in the Midwest Read More »

Outdoor News writer Jeremiah Haas gets Hall-of-Fame nod for work in fish conservation

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

Jeremiah Haas, who has written a popular column for Illinois Outdoor News since 2017, will be inducted into the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame.
But he’s going in for his day job. Haas, who joins six others in the Class of 2025 – including one of the state’s top archery instructors – is deservedly being recognized for his work as an aquatic biologist and his work in fish conservation.

Outdoor News writer Jeremiah Haas gets Hall-of-Fame nod for work in fish conservation Read More »

Ralph Loos: We consider ourselves to be great deer hunters, but . . .

Featured, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting, Opinion /

We think of ourselves as efficient and effective hunting machines, who if permitted, could set up camp in a local woods and walk back out a week later with 11 deer hides and enough venison to feed the hungriest half of the Chicago Bears roster.
In reality, the average hunter among us is only good for about 1.3 to 1.8 deer per year. That’s it. And it sounds about right.

Ralph Loos: We consider ourselves to be great deer hunters, but . . . Read More »

2024 Illinois Firearms Deer Preview: Will rifle harvest climb this year?

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

Shotguns still dominate the two weekends of Illinois deer hunting that remain aptly labeled “gun season.”
But here’s something to shrug at as you sight-in your 12 gauge for the first weekend of the 2024 firearms effort: One out of five deer taken during last year’s gun hunts was taken with a single-shot, centerfire rifle. This figure is courtesy of DNR’s annual Deer Harvest Report, which for the first time included a nod to rifles.

2024 Illinois Firearms Deer Preview: Will rifle harvest climb this year? Read More »

Pheasant hunt in Illinois has dodged pellets over the years to remain going

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

More than 57% of pheasants released at 16 Illinois DNR controlled hunting sites last season were harvested – one of the top hunter success rates in the program’s history. Most hunters are just happy the program still flies.
A full 15 years after the state’s entire controlled pheasant hunting program was winged and nearly blown out of the sky by an indifferent governor and a wobbly state budget, dogs and their hunter-owners are still able to reserve an opportunity each autumn to hunt and shoot a ringneck.

Pheasant hunt in Illinois has dodged pellets over the years to remain going Read More »

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