The fishing and hunting report is compiled using reports from conservation officers, hunting guides and fishing guides. North Lake Michigan: The harbors have been good. Most fishermen have been fishing from the docks. There have been very few reports of trout being caught at this time. They are there; you just really need to work for them. Spawn sacks slowly…
Season Dates Feb. 15, 2019: Squirrel hunting season ends statewide. Feb. 15, 2019: Rabbit hunting season ends statewide. Banquets/Fundraisers Jan. 19, 2019: Illinois Wabash Valley WTU Banquet, 5 p.m., Stoney Ridge Event Center, Robinson. For more info call Kyle Bailey, 618-562-0407. Jan. 19, 2019: Bureau Creek NWTF Banquet, 5 p.m., Cider Mill Banquet Rm, Princeton. For more info call Joe…
Northwest Zone – Captain Laura Petreikis In Henry County, CPO Posateri responded to a complaint of an unauthorized pop-up deer blind too close to a residence. A hunter from Kewanee was cited for the violation since he was less than 300 yards as required. In Henry County, while conducing deer enforcement during firearm deer season, CPOs Wagner and Finn found…
Season Dates Feb. 15, 2019: Squirrel hunting season ends statewide. Feb. 15, 2019: Rabbit hunting season ends statewide. Banquets/Fundraisers Jan. 19, 2019: Illinois Wabash Valley WTU Banquet, 5 p.m., Stoney Ridge Event Center, Robinson. For more info call Kyle Bailey, 618-562-0407. Jan. 19, 2019: Bureau Creek NWTF Banquet, 5 p.m., Cider Mill Banquet Rm, Princeton. For more info call Joe…
The fishing and hunting report is compiled using reports from conservation officers, hunting guides and fishing guides. North Crystal Lake: This is a private lake during the summer, but during the winter ice fishermen can access the lake from the beach areas. The bluegill bite is quite good in 7 to 9 feet of water, with keepers that can be…
Northwest Zone – Captain Laura Petreikis In Henry County, CPO Palumbo issued multiple citations and written warnings to two raccoon hunters. He observed their vehicle coming out of a field and conducted a stop. The violations included transporting a loaded/uncased .22 pistol, an open canister containing an alcoholic beverage, FOID card status, hunting license, habitat stamp, and hunting without permission….
I recently had a conversation with Dr. Gary Nesty about the importance of proper eye wear while fishing. Dr. Nesty is a practicing optometrist, as well as a tournament fisherman. I knew that I needed some first-hand knowledge to help me relay my point about the necessity of wearing proper eyewear. You are probably wondering why I would be bringing…
Northwest Zone– Captain Laura Petreikis In Stephenson County, CPO Beltran investigated a deer hunting violation at Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area. It was discovered that a local hunter failed to report his harvest for CWD testing. The hunter was issued citations and warnings for several violations. In Stephenson County, CPO Beltran investigated a Freeport man for hunting over bait. It…
Banquets/Fundraisers Jan. 19, 2019: Illinois Wabash Valley WTU Banquet, 5 p.m., Stoney Ridge Event Center, Robinson. For more info call Kyle Bailey, 618-562-0407. Feb. 2, 2019: Heart of Illinois WTU Banquet, 4 p.m., Embassy Suites, East Peoria. For more info call Bill David, 309-389-3021. Feb. 8, 2019: Mid-Illini WTU Banquet, 5 p.m., Farmington Moose Lodge, Farmington. For more info call…
The fishing and hunting report is compiled using reports from conservation officers, hunting guides and fishing guides. North Lake Michigan: The northern harbors were seeing a decline in the amount of fish caught, but there are still browns and steelhead being caught. Spawn sacks under a float are working well as well as the standard tinsel or white tube jig…
Fifty-six percent of the deer taken in the muzzleloader-only season were does.Hunters harvested 3,863 deer during the 2018 muzzleloader-only season, which took place this past weekend. The harvest tally was up slightly from the 3,765 taken in 2017. According to the Illinois DNR, harvest sex ratios were 56 percent does and 44 percent bucks (2,172 to 1,691). The top five counties for muzzleloader…
I recently shared with you my experiences with the emotions that resulted when an afternoon bow hunt Nov. 3 went very wrong. I shot a 2.5-year-old buck, and despite a great start to a blood trail, looming darkness and heavy rains that began soon after I shot him made quick work of washing it away. Even without blood, we grid-searched…
Northwest Zone– Captain Laura Petreikis In Ogle County, CPO Beltran spoke to a Byron man regarding his deer harvest posted on his social media page. The man had time to post on the date of harvest, but he failed to check in the deer harvest in the legal timeframe. Appropriate enforcement action was taken In Ogle County, CPO Beltran investigated…
North Chain: The channels have been producing good catches of panfish on small tungsten jigs tipped single spikes. There are few reports on walleyes and bass as the launches are all frozen over and the bigger water is not safe for travel yet. Pistakee Bay has been producing good catches of white bass in 15-foot depths. The crappie bite also…
Season Dates Dec. 3: Second firearms deer season closes (tentative) Banquets/Fundraisers Jan. 19, 2019: Illinois Wabash Valley WTU Banquet, 5 p.m., Stoney Ridge Event Center, Robinson. For more info call Kyle Bailey, 618-562-0407. Feb. 2, 2019: Heart of Illinois WTU Banquet, 4 p.m., Embassy Suites, East Peoria. For more info call Bill David, 309-389-3021. Feb. 8, 2019: Mid-Illini WTU Banquet,…
Season Dates Nov. 16: First firearms deer season opens (tentative) Nov. 18: First firearms deer season closes (tentative). Nov. 29: Second firearms deer season opens (tentative) Dec. 3: Second firearms deer season closes (tentative) Banquets/Fundraisers Jan. 19, 2019: Illinois Wabash Valley WTU Banquet, 5 p.m., Stoney Ridge Event Center, Robinson. For more info call Kyle Bailey, 618-562-0407. Feb. 2, 2019:…
The fishing and hunting report is compiled using reports from conservation officers, hunting guides and fishing guides. North Chain: The bass will begin to feed with the dropping water temps. The fish are relating to the green weeds, and search baits like spinnerbaits and swim jigs are doing quite well at finding the aggressive fish. Also pitch the weeds with…
Northwest Zone – Captain Laura Petreikis An Andover man, who used his wife’s landowner deer permits to fulfill the deer he killed, appeared in court and pled guilty to the unlawful taking of a deer. The falsification of DNR records charge was dismissed. He was fined a total of $359. While conducting surveillance on an unlawful trap line, CPO Palumbo…
The fishing and hunting report is compiled using reports from conservation officers, hunting guides, and fishing guides. North Chain: The walleye action is hot with the cooler weather. Reports show good catches in the river channels and mouths of the creeks throughout the day. Live bait is proving to be best. The bass bite is slowing down. Live bait rigged…
Northwest Zone– Captain Laura Petreikis In JoDaviess County, CPO Jones cited a Lake in the Hills man and an Elgin man for hunting squirrels with unplugged shotguns. One was issued a written warning for no habitat stamp, and both were given verbal warnings for no windshield cards. CPO Jones cited an Arizona man and a Joliet man for not wearing…
Season Dates Nov. 3: Rabbit, pheasant & quail hunting seasons open. Nov. 16: First firearms deer season opens (tentative) Nov. 18: First firearms deer season closes (tentative). Nov. 29: Second firearms deer season opens (tentative) Dec. 3: Second firearms deer season closes (tentative) Banquets/Fundraisers Oct. 20: Southern Illinois Rack Attack WTU Banquet, 5 p.m., St. John’s Catholic Church, Red Bud….
The fishing and hunting report is compiled using reports from conservation officers, hunting guides and fishing guides. North Chain: The bass will begin to feed with the dropping water temps. The fish are relating to the green weeds, and search baits like spinnerbaits and swim jigs are doing quite well at finding the aggressive fish. Also pitch the weeds with…
Northwest Zone– Captain Laura Petreikis In Lee County, CPOs Francisko and Posateri, along with Sgt. Petreikis, conducted snowmobile enforcement. The detail resulted in the issuance of numerous citations and written warnings. The following violations were detected: failure to transfer snowmobile registration to new owner within 15 days of purchase; operation of snowmobile without Illinois snowmobile registration; operation of snowmobile without…
Season Dates Nov. 3: Rabbit, pheasant & quail hunting seasons open. Nov. 16: First firearms deer season opens (tentative) Nov. 18: First firearms deer season closes (tentative). Nov. 29: Second firearms deer season opens (tentative) Dec. 3: Second firearms deer season closes (tentative) Banquets/Fundraisers Oct. 20: Southern Illinois Rack Attack WTU Banquet, 5 p.m., St. John’s Catholic Church, Red Bud….
For the author, his homemade jigs offer the perfect profile topped off with a heavy wire Gamakatsu jig hook to keep those hard-mouthed bronzebacks hooked up.Every year I fish Lake Erie in search of monster-sized golden walleye. This trip is always topped off with some great smallmouth fishing action in the afternoons. These bronzebacks are starting to move up onto the shallow…
(Photo by Bill Diers)Well, the Illinois 2018-19 deer season is officially underway. As always, I was in the deer woods on opening day for morning and afternoon hunts. The day was damp and dismal at best. I’ve never killed a deer opening day, but I’ve never not seen one, either. This year the only critter I saw was of a…
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