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Ralph Loos

Ralph Loos: Turkey season is months away, but turkey concern here every day

Featured, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting, Opinion /

We’re at the end of another Illinois deer season, shooting snow geese is not as satisfying as it was in 1998, and ice fishing appears to be a “come and go” proposition this winter.
Which means maybe it’s time we start thinking about turkeys. Spring turkey season is still months away, but a national article about ongoing research into the value of adjusting turkey harvest regulations and season timing got me thinking about hens and gobblers.

Ralph Loos: Turkey season is months away, but turkey concern here every day Read More »

Illinois conservation leader, John Rogner, retires after 40 years of serving wildlife, fish

Illinois, Nature Page & Night Sky, News /

After 40 years working in conservation – including stints with DNR, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – DNR Assistant director John Rogner retired at the end of 2023.
Rogner’s career started as a Youth Conservation Corps crew leader at Mississippi Palisades State Park while he was in graduate school at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where he earned both bachelors and masters of sciences degrees.

Illinois conservation leader, John Rogner, retires after 40 years of serving wildlife, fish Read More »

Impressive 24-point buck from Illinois required grit

Featured, Hunting, Illinois, National Hunting, News /

For his persistence and effort, Rob Haack deserved at least a pat on the back. Instead he got one of the most impressive bucks of the current Illinois deer season.
The 24-pointer Haack shot Nov. 17 in Jasper County green-scored 222-7⁄8 inches. It was one of the 76,232 deer taken during the 2023 firearms season, and it came with a story that began with “stick-to-it-ism” and ended with a reminder that deer hunting isn’t always a glamorous endeavor.

Impressive 24-point buck from Illinois required grit Read More »

Bass, crappies highlight Beaver Dam’s solid fishery in Illinois’ Macoupin County

Illinois, Lake Profile, Lake Profile /

The exciting thing about fishing the tranquil Beaver Dam Lake in wintertime is the possibility of hooking one of the rainbow trout that were stocked for the fall season.
But don’t call them “leftovers.” Those eating-sized trout not caught by anglers in October, November, or December are considered surprise prizes for those who enjoy January and February angling on the small Macoupin County lake.

Bass, crappies highlight Beaver Dam’s solid fishery in Illinois’ Macoupin County Read More »

Caught a goldfish in Illinois? It may well be just as invasive as its carp cousin

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

Randomly catching a goldfish in Illinois ponds, lakes and rivers is no longer the shock it once was – reports of such catches are made each summer.
For example, in July of this year, an angler reported catching a 2-pound goldfish at Silver Lake in Highland in southern Illinois.
“Probably at one time a pet is my best guess,” John Wolters offered in an email after his catch. “I suspect it just happens.”

Caught a goldfish in Illinois? It may well be just as invasive as its carp cousin Read More »

Where do fish come from in Illinois? Let’s have a talk

Featured, Fishing, Illinois, National Fishing, Opinion /

This isn’t designed to be a talk about sex, but in a way it is, I guess, so maybe glance around the room to make sure nobody is peeking over your shoulder.
Fact: Fish aren’t the best at, you know, what science calls “reproduction.” I only bring this up because the Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery in Mason County has been celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. The DNR facility opened in 1983. Today it is the largest of Illinois’ three fish hatcheries.

Where do fish come from in Illinois? Let’s have a talk Read More »

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