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Ralph Loos

Illinois deer harvest: crossbows level off, rifles climbing

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

The percentage of deer taken with crossbows during the Illinois archery season has decidedly leveled off, while rifles continue to stake a bigger claim of the state’s firearms harvest.
These facts we learn from DNR’s recently-released report on the 2025-26 season authored by DNR Deer Project manager Peter Schlichting. The total harvest was 174,006, up from the 171,322 harvest in 2024-25.

Illinois deer harvest: crossbows level off, rifles climbing Read More »

Illinois DNR director Natalie Phelps Finnie steps aside, interim named

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

Illinois DNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie stepped aside July 1 in a move that caught many hunters and anglers in the state by surprise.
The Hardin County native, who began her tenure by replacing Colleen Callahan in January 2023, was seen in some circles as just the latest in a long line of political appointees to the top DNR job. But Finnie carried with her a strong offset: while she came from a political family –  she is the daughter of former U.S. Rep. David Phelps and the cousin of former State Rep. Brandon Phelps – that same family was made up of active outdoorsmen and women, Finnie herself included.

Illinois DNR director Natalie Phelps Finnie steps aside, interim named Read More »

Ralph Loos: Mandatory reporting system offers good insight into Michigan’s turkey, deer harvest

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

Michigan’s turkey hunters followed some twists and turns on their way through the 2026 spring season – somewhat due to weather but mostly due to a significant overhaul of regulations and a whole set of new zone configurations.
The changes took some getting used to, especially the new mandatory harvest reporting requirement.

Ralph Loos: Mandatory reporting system offers good insight into Michigan’s turkey, deer harvest Read More »

Bear, elk hunting licenses chosen in Michigan

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

Thousands of Michigan hunters have spent recent weeks learning if they will have the opportunity to pursue two of the state’s most sought-after big game species this fall.
Or if they will have to wait – again. The Michigan DNR began releasing results of its annual bear and elk license drawings on June 21. More than 100,000 hunters typically apply each year for a chance to hunt bear or elk, despite the limited number of licenses available.

Bear, elk hunting licenses chosen in Michigan Read More »

Channel cat boxes an effort to boost Lake Mattoon in central Illinois

Illinois, Lake Profile, Lake Profile /

A handful of years after a major channel cat stocking, Lake Mattoon is showing signs that it could become a target destination for Illinois catfishermen.
DNR’s most recent survey of the 1,050-acre central Illinois lake resulted in a report that calls channel catfish, “Currently abundant in the lake through a combination of natural recruitment – and a stocking event in 2020.”

Channel cat boxes an effort to boost Lake Mattoon in central Illinois Read More »

Ralph Loos: Rare catch of 50-inch muskie in Illinois reminds us that they’re out there

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

For a few years now, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to borrow a calculation involving muskies shared by retired Illinois DNR fisheries biologist Frank Jakubicek.
Duane Landmeier, an avid angler from Hinckley, just gave me one. But first, the calculation: “If a muskie is stocked when your child is entering kindergarten, they will graduate high school before that fish reaches 50 inches in length and becomes an angler’s trophy-of-a-lifetime,” Jakubicek wrote in 2022.

Ralph Loos: Rare catch of 50-inch muskie in Illinois reminds us that they’re out there Read More »

Ralph Loos: Michigan bills allowing commercial harvest of walleye caused some clanking, but crappies are creating a roar

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Michigan, National Fishing, Opinion /

It began as quiet “clanking” and quickly became a murmur – the sounds of opposition to additional sportfish being made available for commercial anglers on Michigan waters is now at a steady roar.
We reported on House Bills 5801 and 5802 in the June 5 issue and followed up on the measures in this issue. The initial story focused on walleyes – our headline screamed, “Walleyes a target in effort to alter regulations.” But for fishermen in the state, the murmur became a roar when they started to read through the connected pieces of legislation.

Ralph Loos: Michigan bills allowing commercial harvest of walleye caused some clanking, but crappies are creating a roar Read More »

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