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Ralph Loos

Smallmouth bass again star in Lake Michigan harbor samples from Illinois

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

Largemouth and smallmouth bass in the harbors of Lake Michigan have forged a storyline that both anglers and biologists find impossible to resist.
Drama heightened in 2019, when an angler hooked a new Illinois state record smallmouth on the shoreline at Monroe Harbor. That 7-pound, 3-ounce smallie has been forgotten, mostly. But shorefront anglers still very much have bass on their mind, and there is good news to share on that front.

Smallmouth bass again star in Lake Michigan harbor samples from Illinois Read More »

Paddlefish, rainbow trout part of ‘interesting’ catches by researchers at Mississippi River Lock and Dam 19

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

Fishermen and fish scientists have very different motivations and purposes when they arrive at a river or lake. But both are equally fascinated when something odd or interesting shows up – or swims by.
The 35-pound paddlefish captured at Mississippi River Lock and Dam 19 earlier this month is a perfect example, as was the impressive rainbow trout that easily could have topped the scale at more than 4 pounds.

Paddlefish, rainbow trout part of ‘interesting’ catches by researchers at Mississippi River Lock and Dam 19 Read More »

Study shows Illinois hunters more accepting of sharpshooting in CWD management efforts

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

DNR sharpshooters just completed another round of removing deer from Illinois counties where chronic wasting disease (CWD) threatens the state’s herd.
Noticeably, the once-hotly debated method of monitoring and managing the disease appears to be drawing fewer scowls from deer hunters. In fact, a study by the Illinois Natural History Survey confirms what many have noticed: hunters generally recognize DNR’s effort has been successful in controlling CWD, especially compared to methods used by neighboring states. It’s taken roughly two decades for the shift to fully register.

Study shows Illinois hunters more accepting of sharpshooting in CWD management efforts Read More »

Lake Michigan cohos again dominate Illinois charter harvests

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

No pink salmon were reported during the 2023 charter boat season on Lake Michigan, ending a buzz that started when two state record “humpbacks” were caught during Illinois charter excursions in the summer of 2022.
But anglers did catch more than 30,000 salmon and trout on 2,140 charter boat trips last year, with cohos making up 64% of the take – the exact percentage that fish has averaged since 1979.

Lake Michigan cohos again dominate Illinois charter harvests Read More »

Revamped Illinois brood survey providing valuable information on turkeys

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

Nearly 55% of wild turkey sightings in the revamped Illinois Brood Survey were observed by non-scientists spending time outdoors last summer who “happened to spot a turkey.”
The other 45% were reported by DNR employees, biologists, and conservation professionals. That’s actually what DNR had in mind when it switched from paper postcards to a new reporting system that can be accessed on mobile devices and home computers.

Revamped Illinois brood survey providing valuable information on turkeys Read More »

Black vultures remain a problem as Illinois Farm Bureau seeks special DNR, USFWS permits

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

Personal accounts of Illinois hunters coming face-to-face with black vultures have been surprisingly rare – but not that it would matter.
As migratory birds, black vultures are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
“They can’t be killed or destroyed without a migratory bird depredation permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a nuisance wildlife control permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,” is how the state’s hunting regulations put it.

Black vultures remain a problem as Illinois Farm Bureau seeks special DNR, USFWS permits Read More »

Catfish capture attention on Braidwood Lake in Illinois’ Will County

Illinois, Lake Profile, Lake Profile /

Is there competition among Braidwood Lake’s coveted catfish population?
The lake opened for the 2024 season on March 1, so maybe the first topic to note in wake of DNR’s 2023 fall sampling is an apparent effect channel catfish are having on blue catfish.
A total of 190 blue cats were collected by DNR in the fall, with those fishing ranging from 9½ inches to 35 inches. The average length was 17 inches.

Catfish capture attention on Braidwood Lake in Illinois’ Will County Read More »

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